God is with me through the nightAfter family laughs, snuggles and kisses, going to bed alone in the dark is a little scary. Reading God is With Me Through the Night, arms your little one with spiritual principles in the face of fear.

Pairing a simple sentence, “I start to feel afraid,” with animals illustrating the same emotion–a little dog looking forlorn in the dark–each page builds on the reassuring spiritual truth, God is always with me, “Just like when God kept Daniel safe from the lions.”

Encouraging your child to declare God’s comfort and assurance, the animals insist, “I say out loud, ‘I am loved!’ or “I roar like a tiger, ‘I am safe!'”  Just enough language for a toddler or preschooler to master, each short statement comforts a child, reinforced by a  Bible verse, “Do not fear for I am with you. Isaiah 41:10

What to do:

Toddlers:

  • Name the animals and the sounds they make, describe their actions and feelings–snuggling lions, nuzzling seals.
  • Relate to God’s creation.
  • Repeat the comforting phrases: “I am loved,” “I am safe!” “God is with me through the night!” so your child can remember them.

Preschoolers and early elementary ages:

  • Describe the pictures using rich vocabulary.
  • Relate the pictured activities to your child–we played in the snow like the polar bears, our family likes to cuddle too.
  • Relate the emotions to your child–When do you feel afraid? What noises are scary? What do you do when you are scared? Model sharing by expressing when you as a parent are scrared  and how you rely on God to protect and comfort you. Do you sing a song or repeat a verse?
  • Have fun shouting out the comforting phrases: “I am not afraid” and “I am safe.”
  • Encourage emerging literacy skills–point out the words of the short phrases as you say them, “I am loved.” and “God” that is differentiated in bold color.
  • Memorize the Bible verse together.