Savannah Guthrie’s greatest hope for her children is that they will have a deep and meaningful relationship with God.
“I pray that God will hold them and carry them and sustain them after I’m gone or in times when they feel alone,” Savannah tells TODAY.com.
To help her daughter, Vale, 10, and son, Charley, 8, explore their faith, Savannah incorporates prayer into their bedtime routine, followed by 30 seconds of silence.
“It’s a practice to, you know, let God have a quiet moment with you,” Savannah says. “Sometimes amazing things transpire from that, and sometimes 30 seconds pass, and you just move on with your night. It’s just an opportunity.”
Both Vale and Charley have memorized a scripture handpicked by their mom. Vale’s verse is from Zephaniah 3:17: “Oh, the Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
“You can meditate on every line,” Savannah says. “‘The Lord your God is with you,’ you are not alone. He’s strong — He can handle your problems. ‘He will take great delight in you.’ You’re treasured. You’re valuable. You’re special. He ‘will rejoice over you with singing.’ You make Him happy.”
Savannah calls Vale’s scripture an “all encompassing expression of God’s love,” which aligns with the theme of her new faith-based children’s book, “Mostly What God Does Is Love You.” She describes it as the the kid version of her “grown-up” book “Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere.”
“It’s this sweet and gentle goodnight book that sets kids in their precious place in this world,” Savannah says. “The message is really simple: You’re who you were meant to be, and where you were meant to be.”
Should Vale and Charley ever have doubts about their faith, Savannah says she will listen with empathy and understanding.
