God Loves to Talk with His Children
Month 8: Talking with God — The Praying Family · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Genesis 3:8-9 & Exodus 33:11
8 Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” — Genesis 3:8-9
11 Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent. — Exodus 33:11
Memory Verse
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.”— Matthew 7:7 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Isaiah 63–66
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Isaiah closes with new heavens and a new earth.)The Heart of It
Right at the start of the Bible, before sin had ruined anything, we get a beautiful little picture. God came "walking in the garden in the breeze of the day" (), coming to be with Adam and Eve. He didn't make people just to give them orders from far away. He made them to be with Him, to talk and listen and walk together. Even after Adam and Eve hid, the first thing God did was call out, "Where are you?" (). He wasn't confused about where they were. He was a Father coming after His children. That is the heartbeat of prayer this whole month. God likes talking with us, and He always speaks first.
Centuries later we read something amazing about Moses. "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (). Not stiff. Not formal. Friend to friend. Prayer is not twisting God's arm or saying magic words. It is a child talking with a Father who loves to listen. Because Jesus came to bring us back to God, that same closeness is open to your whole family. You don't need fancy words. You don't need a special place. You just come, the way you'd come to someone who already loves you.
Around the Table
God loves to talk with you, like a daddy who comes looking for his kids! Prayer is just talking to God.
Let's do it: Cup your hands like a phone and say, "Hi, God! Thank You for loving me!"
God walked with Adam and spoke to Moses like a friend. He still wants to be close to us today.
Let's talk: When is your favorite time to talk to a friend? Could that be a good time to talk to God too?
In the garden, God came looking for people who were hiding. He always moves toward us first. Prayer is simply our answer to a God who speaks.
Let's go deeper: If God speaks to us first, how does that change how you feel about coming to Him?
💬 Conversation Starter
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to? Why is it easy?— God wants to be even easier to talk to than that!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
How do we know God wants us to talk to Him? Because all through the Bible, He starts the conversation. He calls out to Adam. He befriends Moses. He sends Jesus to bring us back. A God who didn't care wouldn't keep reaching out. The whole story is God coming after people.
For Dad · Go Deeper
It is easy to teach prayer as a technique: say these words, in this order, and results follow. But Scripture roots prayer in relationship. The Father walks in the garden. He speaks with Moses as a friend. Your kids will pray the way they picture God. They will see Him as a distant boss to appease, or as a near Father to enjoy. So watch your own posture in prayer this week. Do you come to God mostly with a list? Or do you ever just come? The most powerful prayer lesson your children will ever receive is overhearing a dad who talks to God like Someone he genuinely loves and trusts.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, A Quest for More.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that You love to talk with us. You came looking for Adam. You walked with Moses like a friend. Teach our family to come close to You, and to listen. In Jesus' name, amen."
God isn't far away and hard to reach. He's a Father who loves to talk with His children.