How to Raise Godly Children by Contending for Their Faith

Do you want to raise Godly children who don’t walk away from their faith?

Raising Godly children starts with raising kids to develop a fierce faith. But that isn’t easy in today’s culture. You’ve got to fight for their faith as much as your own.

Contending for your children’s faith can sound daunting. If you’re a Christian parent, you want to raise your children to know and love the Lord, but there is no one sure-fired 100% way to parent that brings kids to Jesus.

With 3.46 million search results on How to raise Godly children in 0.5 seconds, it’s hard to know where to begin. We want to be the kind of parents who raise Godly children, but how to do that is more complicated than just taking them to church anymore.

First, we can’t make our children love God.

We can’t force them to have a real relationship with Jesus. God has to call them and direct them and build a desire in them to seek Him. All we can do is point the way.

But we can’t point somewhere we’re not going.

If you want to lead them in faith, you need to be walking in faith in front of them. Make sure they see you reading your Bible. Show them how you use Godly wisdom to make decisions and deal with your own sin. Teach them how to study the Bible and what a relationship with God looks like.

Yesterday, my daughter and I read James 1 together. We talked about how James thought his brother Jesus was crazy, but following the crucifixion became an ardent follower after seeing Him alive, even calling himself a bondservant or slave of Christ. We read a few different translations and talked about not reading tricky verses alone, but making sure we read in context.

How it fed my heart to have those moments with her. But I know I can’t secure her salvation, only God can.

But there are some ways you can raise Godly children and be contending for their faith.

Be constant in prayer. Praying for your children with intentionality and focus is probably the most crucial step you can take that requires no special knowledge or training. Just pray.

If you need some practical ideas about how to pray, what to pray, how to remember to pray, I have this resource for you.

Pray with your children for their futures. Pray with your spouse. Ask friends and family to join you in prayer for your children.

Raising Godly children starts by giving them a firm foundation in the faith.

Mama Bear Apologetics was written by a group of talented women with conversational writing styles. The authors have organized and fleshed out all the important apologetics ideas in ways that are easy to digest and discuss.

They start with ‘why care about apologetics’ when my kid has a cheerio up his nose. Because let’s face it, we’re busy. Adding one more thing isn’t going to happen. But, then they follow up with why it matters so much, the youth exodus. 

“Most studies indicate between 45-88% of youth leave the Christian faith after their freshman year in college and never return.” – Julie Loos

We can’t make them believe, but we can help our children build a faith that lasts on the foundation of truth.

Mama Bear Apologetics is Really a MUST-READ for all Christian parents in this post-truth culture!

There are so many great resources that I couldn’t possibly list them all. But if you want to get serious about raising Godly children who have a fierce faith, Mama Bear Apologetics is a great place to start.

By chapter 4, you’ll be wondering why you hadn’t found it sooner, even if you’ve never considered apologetics before. I thought apologetics was a few simple facts about creation. I had no idea how much better I understand the character of God and the Bible because I’ve learned how to read and study it.

Contending for the faith of our children has never been more difficult or more important. Are you prepared to meet the challenge and give them a faith planted on a firm foundation? #Apologetics #RoarLikeaMother #MamaBearApologetics Click To Tweet

I’d also highly recommend Cold Case Christianity for Kids, God’s Crime Scene for Kids, and a Case for Christ for Kids.

For younger kids, JD Camorlinga’s series about James and Ruth are excellent. They are picture books that deal with the three main arguments against Christianity and the back of the book has a cheat sheet for parents to explain the concepts in greater complexity.

For older kids, another brand new resource is So the Next Generation Will Know by Sean McDowell and J. Warner Wallace. It will help you be an ally with your teens against the lies the world is spoon feeding them at every turn.

Contending for the faith of our children has never been more difficult or more important. Our culture tells them there is no truth, do what feels good, there is no right and wrong.

Want to raise Godly children who have a fierce faith? These tools will equip you to start this journey with your children. And give them the tools to defend their beliefs. #RaiseGodlyChildren #Apologetics #ChristianMom… Click To Tweet

We have to help them learn how to think for themselves. We need to understand the fundamental concepts that erode a Biblical worldview without being intellectually honest.

Are you ready to answer the call to fight and start contending for your children’s faith?