How Can I Lead My Family Spiritually Even If I’m New to Faith?

Leading Your Family

A common pattern I see in the parents of growing families in St. Louis is that they want their children to have a healthy relationship with God, even if they themselves have struggled to have a strong faith. Many of these parents have had a religious upbringing or were taught in one of the many private religious schools throughout the area of Saint Louis, and while they appreciated the values of a Christian upbringing, they never developed a faith of their own. However, once they begin to have children, even though their faith may not be the strongest, they do not want to inhibit their children from having the opportunity to enjoy the faith they wish they could have experienced for themselves. If this sounds like you at all, and you have now decided that you want to lead your family spiritually, then this article will help you take practical steps to do just that. You are not too late. You can still be the spiritual leader of your family and guide them to a meaningful relationship with Jesus.

Help Them Get Ahead

The Bible says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6, New International Version). This means that you have the ability to set your children on the right path that will benefit them when they are older. You can help them get ahead in ways you never were able to yourself. The next part of this blog will give you four simple, practical steps that you can follow that will pay dividends in the spiritual life of your children.

4 Practical Steps to Lead Your Children Spiritually

1. Reading a Children’s Bible Before Bed

There is no better way to help lead your children than reading Bible stories to them. Just as nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and engaging stories can be helpful in teaching children important life lessons and grow their imaginations and expectations, Bible stories can help them grow in their spiritual journey. The Bible says that, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ” (Romans 10:17, New Living Translation). This means that faith, a spiritual trust in God, literally comes from reading the stories of the Bible.

One of the ways that my wife and I have found is most beneficial to do this is to read a single Bible story each night before our children go to bed. We have been doing this with our first child since the day he was born and he has come to enjoy that time of night so much. If you make this part of the nightly bedtime routine, be sure to make it engaging and exciting, and watch how the Bible can bring faith, hope, and joy into their life. Our kid loves Bible App for Kids by Life.Church. It’s interactive, reads a Bible story, and has clickable pictures that do different things when pressed. A good hard copy is The Jesus Storybook Bible (https://a.co/d/dcRQA50). Go grab one of these and start this routine today!

2. Praying Before Meals or Big Events

One of the greatest spiritual gifts you can give to your children is the gift of prayer. Prayer is simply communicating with God. Maybe you never really got into prayer because you just recited the words you were told to memorize, and you never really felt a connection with God. Maybe it was never anything more than a spiritual wishing well. But those are misrepresentations of prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God and listening and allowing Him to speak to you. Teach your children that they can speak with God every day and help guide them to the prayer life you always struggled to have.

One of the most practical ways to do this is by praying with your children. A great first step towards implementing this is praying before meals. You can start off by praying together before dinner each day. Take turns letting someone lead the prayer each day. You can help them by modeling the prayer, thanking God for the day, for the food, for His blessings, and asking Him to continue to bless and protect your family. Make the prayer your own. Let them understand it is a time where they can simply share with Jesus whatever is on their mind.

Do not stop there, though. Help them to understand that prayer is a lifestyle. They can pray at any time of day, anywhere. If they have a test coming up, pray with them for wisdom. If a relative is having a surgery, sit down with them and pray that God would guide the surgeon’s hands. If they have worries, help them understand how to pray to God about that. Leading them in this way can help them begin taking the necessary steps to a great spiritual life.

3. Take Them To Church

This next step is probably going to take some commitment from you as well and is an extremely important step in their spiritual development. You need to take your children to church. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14, NIV). Allow your children the opportunity to come to Jesus, to learn about Him in a fun, safe space with other kids and teachers who are equipped with the specialized skills to help your children grow in their faith. Commit to going to church every week. Do not grunt when you have to get up early. If you want them to enjoy church and grow in their spiritual life, they need to understand that church is a safe and fun place where the family is happy to go.

When looking for a church, be sure to do some research. Look for a Christian church that teaches what the Bible actually says and that has a great children’s program. Their program should be safe, fun, and engaging. They should have check-in systems, background checks, something fun for the kids, and teachers who will teach them the Bible in a way they can understand. Church does not have to be boring, and in fact, it should never be boring for children. At Revelation Church STL, we have designed our children’s spaces to meet rigorous standards to ensure they are both safe and fun while also prioritizing meaningful, biblical lessons. Once our church plant launches later this year this will be a great option for you and your children.

4. Model It Yourself

If you have done all these steps, there is one last piece that you must follow if you want to be the spiritual leader of your family. If you want to help them get ahead spiritually and achieve a greater relationship with God, then you are going to have to model it yourself. There are numerous studies done on the importance and effectiveness of modeling as a teaching style. (You can check out this article from Michigan State University: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/young_children_learn_by_copying_you). If you want your children to have a healthy spiritual life, you are going to need to start building a healthy spiritual life for yourself. Your children will look to you to understand how should a Christian respond to things like how they treat others, how they handle hardships, how they handle themselves in business and among friends. If they never see what a healthy spiritual life looks like, they will struggle to have one for themselves.

Revelation Church STL Can Help

So where can you start? Revelation Church STL wants to help you on this spiritual journey. We offer biblical teaching, a loving community, and have a shared mission for helping those who are far from God. Family is actually one of our six key discipleship categories that we think is extremely important in becoming all God has planned for you. We would love to hang out with you and get to know you while growing closer to God together. Come visit one of our small groups. Small groups are a space where people from all walks of life and different levels of spirituality come together to grow closer to God and others together in a laid back and inviting atmosphere. It is a great place to begin growing in your spiritual journey. And many times our groups offer childcare, as well! Sign up using the link below!

Like This Post? Share it on socials using the quick links below with others who need to read it!