Ask Jesus into your heart is a confusing statement for children. Unfortunately, many Sunday school teachers and children’s ministry leaders use that type of phrasing.
As a children’s pastor, I learned that vocabulary matters. I retired the phrase ask Jesus into your heart years ago. It’s not bad, but kids always look at you funny. Then rather than talk about the gospel, redemption, and how we all need the saving power of Christ, you field questions from 5-year-olds about the location of our Savior.
“If Jesus is in heaven, how is he inside my heart?” “Does God shrink Jesus so he can fit inside my heart?” “If Jesus lives in my heart, why do I still get acid reflux?” Okay, that last one wasn’t real. But you get my point.
Retire the Phrase Ask Jesus Into Your Heart
Ask Jesus into your heart is not a bad concept to explain to kids. It’s just poorly worded. The phrase has been around for ages and served its purpose well. I just think it’s time for an update. Here’s why.
- It creates more questions than it answers. (How can Jesus live in heaven and in my heart?)
- In the information age, kids know how to Google before they can tie their shoes. Kids aren’t thinking, “Wow, I want to surrender my affections to Christ.” They’re wondering, “What is Jesus doing in my right ventricle?”
- The phrase doesn’t focus kids on what matters most: their sinfulness and Christ’s sacrifice.
You may be thinking, “Then what should I say to children to invite them to surrender their life to Christ?” We are very intentional, asking kids if they want to “trust Jesus with their whole heart.”
That may sound like semantics. But I believe it’s much more than that. Kids need to understand that trust is the first issue of faith they must settle. Kids know about trust.
