Raising children as Christian parents can feel confusing and overwhelming. There is so much information at our fingertips, how do we know what is right? It’s important not to look to the world for guidance, but rather to God’s word. These 44 Bible Verses about parenting will help you to raise your little ones in confidence because you know what the Lord has commanded you!
After having our first child, we had no idea what it looked like to raise a child biblically. We spent that first year “winging it.”
Now that our daughter is two years old and understands a lot more, we realized that we needed to understand what the Lord had called us to as parents. That’s why I created this list. My hope is that you would pray over these verses and ask God to help you apply them to your family!
22 Bible Verses That Talk About Parenting
In this first section, I have compiled all the Bible Verses that are about parenting. These are specific to what God is calling us to as a Christian parent.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Tademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
1. Deuteronomy 6:7-9
"Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
2. Joshua 4: 21-24
“He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’
For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.
He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.””
3. Proverbs 1:8-9
"Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck."
4. Proverbs 13:24
"Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them."
5. Proverbs 19:18
"Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death."
6. Proverbs 22:6
"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."
7. Proverbs 22:15
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away."
8. Proverbs 23:13
" Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish them with the rod, they will not die."
9. Proverbs 29:15
"A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother."
10. Proverbs 29:17
"Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
they will bring you the delights you desire."
11. Psalm 103: 13-14
"As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust."
12. 2 Corinthians 12:14
" Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children."
13. Ephesians 6:4
“ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
14. Philippians 4:9
"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
15. Colossians 3:16
"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
16. Colossians 3:21
"Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged."
17. 2 Timothy 3:15-19
"and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
18. Titus 2:1-3
"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good"
19. Titus 2:7-8
"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."
20. Titus 2:15
"These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."
21. Hebrews 12:10-11
"They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
22. 1 Peter 5:2-3
"Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock"
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22 Bible Verses to Help Parent Your Child
Although there are several verses that instruct us to discipline, disciple and teach our children, what does that actually look like? These Bible verses will guide you in what things your child needs to know.
1. Deuteronomy 6:24
" The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today."
2. Psalm 78:4
"We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done."
3. Psalm 127:3-4
"Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth."
[Check Out these Beautiful Psalms for Moms]
4. Proverbs 3
I think this entire chapter is very beneficial for parents to read!! I couldn’t choose just a few verses, so read the entire chapter here.
5. Proverbs 19:16-17
"Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done."
6. Proverbs 22:11
"One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend."
7. Proverbs 29:11
"Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end."
8. Lamentations 3:40
"Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord."
9. Matthew 6:6
" But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
10. Matthew 6:21
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
11. Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”
12. Matthew 6:33
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
13. Acts 2:38-29
"Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”"
14. Ephesians 6:18
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."
15. Philippians 4:4-5
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
16. Philippians 4:13
" I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
17. Philippians 4:19
"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."
18. Colossians 3:2
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
19. Colossians 3:9
"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices"
20. Colossians 3:12-13
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
21. 1 Peter 5:5-6
"In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."
22. 1 Peter 5:9
"Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
[Here are 20 Encouraging Bible Verses for Parents]
My thoughts…
Raising a child is no easy task! Although there is no manual on how to parent our children, we see so many examples in the Bible. I hope that these Bible verses about parenting help you throughout your journey as a parent!
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