How do I pass on faith to my children?

Scripture pictures it as gentle and daily, woven into ordinary life rather than forced (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Pray for them by name, let them see your own honest reliance on God, and share the journey with a church family.

Does God hear a parent's prayers for their child?

Yes. When Jairus begged Jesus for his dying daughter, Jesus went with him (Mark 5:23). You can bring your children to God by name; you do not carry them alone.

What if my child has walked away from faith?

The father in Jesus' parable watched the road and ran to meet his returning son (Luke 15:20). Keep praying, keep the door open, and keep loving. God's patience with your child is greater than yours.

Every stage of life

Faith for Parents

Yes, Jesus meets you in the long, holy work of raising children. Parenting holds deep joy and deep worry, often in the same hour. Scripture speaks tenderly to parents, and the Gospels show Jesus answering a desperate father’s prayer for his child. You do not carry your children alone; you can carry them to him.

If this is you

To be a parent is to love in a way that leaves you exposed. There is the joy, the first words, the belly laughs, the small hand in yours. And there is the worry that never fully sleeps: are they safe, are they okay, am I doing this right. Every parent has knelt, literally or in their heart, and prayed for a child they cannot fully protect.

Jesus meets you here

When a father named Jairus feared for his dying daughter, he came and begged Jesus to come. Jesus went.

“And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.”

Mark 5:23

Scripture entrusts to parents the gentle, daily work of passing faith along, woven into ordinary life.

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

And when a child wanders, the Gospels give us the father who runs to meet the one who comes home, a picture of how God receives us, and how we can love our own.

“But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”

Luke 15:20

A next step

Pray for your children by name, and let them see you lean on God rather than on having all the answers. A church family can surround your kids with more love than you can give alone.

Where to go from here

You do not have to have it figured out first. Any of these is a good door in.

Meet Jesus Find a church near you Start here Ask for prayer

One step further: Faith in your 30s →

✝

Come and see

You do not have to take anyone’s word for it, ours least of all. Jesus never asked people to sort themselves out before they came to him. He simply said, come and see. Whatever season you are in, however full or empty your hands feel, there is room for you at his side. The Gospel of John is a gentle place to begin, and it costs you nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.

Read the Gospel of John Meet Jesus Ask for prayer

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Frequently asked questions

How do I pass on faith to my children?: Scripture pictures it as gentle and daily, woven into ordinary life rather than forced (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Pray for them by name, let them see your own honest reliance on God, and share the journey with a church family.
Does God hear a parent's prayers for their child?: Yes. When Jairus begged Jesus for his dying daughter, Jesus went with him (Mark 5:23). You can bring your children to God by name; you do not carry them alone.
What if my child has walked away from faith?: The father in Jesus' parable watched the road and ran to meet his returning son (Luke 15:20). Keep praying, keep the door open, and keep loving. God's patience with your child is greater than yours.

Other seasonsFor new parents Faith in your 30s For grandparents Find a church