Sarah Keeling

 CHILDREN'S AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Meet Sarah Keeling, an author and mom, who helps families carve out moments to pray for the world together. Sarah has a passion for those who haven't heard the gospel to hear about Jesus and wants to bring families along in this vision. 

Let's learn more about Sarah and her writing.

1) Which global-focused children's book has most impacted you? Why?

We love the Christian Heroes Then and Now series. There are too many great ones to pick a favorite, but we love Nate Saint, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and David Livingstone. I listen to them with my oldest son while we are driving to soccer practice. The stories are incredibly engaging, and we are always sad when they end. We love that these stories depict the real-life adventures of missionaries who trusted God daily. They show that missions work around the world is far from boring and requires lots of courage.

2) What do you love about writing for families?

Families are so fun! I love the dynamics of different personalities and ages coming together to learn about God. I think the Lord is so creative in how He weaves together families full of diverse individuals, and it is really special when we can experience family unity. It's a beautiful picture of the body of Christ!

3) What do you hope families take away from your book, Psalm Prayers for the Nations: Engage Your Family with 40 Scripture-Based Prayers?

I hope that God will soften and change the hearts of families as they pray for the many people around the whole who still need Jesus and give them a desire as a family to know Jesus better, too. I also hope they see that it doesn't require much time to pray together. Short and simple can still be very powerful, especially when we are praying God's word.

4) For parents trying to engage their kids with God's heart for the world, what is one tip you'd give that has worked well for your own family? 

Start small! Share about one missionary you know or one group of people who still need to hear about Jesus. Pray that God would soften your family's hearts for those people. He loves to do that!

5) What is a key way you help your children pray for those around the globe? 

Keep it simple! Create a routine that is easy for your family to manage. Add in a quick global-focused prayer while you are already praying with your kids before school, at the dinner table, or during bedtime. It doesn't have to be long to be powerful.

6) Tell us about the latest family resources available at your Etsy shop.

One of my favorite resources is the “Personal Psalm Study & Prayer Pages.” This includes worksheets and instructions on how to study and pray the attributes of God in the Psalms. This method is actually how my son, Mack, and I prepared for each prayer podcast episode. It’s super simple and doable, which is very important for me.

I’m hoping to continue to add more resources in the future, such as mini-studies created from the Hearts at Rest Podcast episodes.

This was our final author interview for our series! Be sure to swing by next week to catch our final Third-Culture Kid interview!

SARAH KEELING is a wife and mom who loves Jesus and is passionate about helping others connect deeply with Him. She published Psalm Prayers for Kids: A 40-Day Prayer Journal to help families pray the Psalms together and experience transformation. She is an advocate for the Bible-less, and she loves encouraging others by sharing what God is doing in her life.