Raising Kids to be Godly Influencers

• Posted: June 5, 2024

Christians parents have a strong desire that their children will love Jesus, stand firm in their faith, and share it with others. However, according to a Barna study, 73% of U.S. Christian parents are concerned about their children’s spiritual development. Why is that?

With the trending decrease in church attendance, parents are concerned that their children may leave the faith as they grow older and prepare to leave the home. It’s no surprise that kids are heavily influenced by their peers and their surroundings, so how do we guide them on the right path so we can be confident that they will stay true to their faith? 

We need to encourage them to be Godly influencers, starting at a young age. By encouraging them to be a leader and stand firm in their faith foundation, they will start to surround themselves with other positive peer influencers — like a ripple effect.. 

Let’s break down some practical ways you can raise your kids to be Godly influencers.

Help them find good friends

First, we must help them find good friends that share their values. Starting when they are babies, pray that the Lord will provide your children with good friends. As they grow up, be intentional about who they are spending the most time with. Plan play dates with church friends and strategically place mentors in their lives to speak truth into them. Just like negative peer pressure influences, so do positive influences, so we want to make sure their circle of influence is a positive one.

Create a God-centered home

Be intentional about creating a God-centered home for your family. Always start with prayer, do family devotions, bring God into every dinner conversation, keep worship music playing in the background, and decorate your home with Scripture wall art. Make it a priority to engage in wholesome family entertainment. This will teach your child to have confidence in their faith, and not be embarrassed by it, because it will become part of their routine and a normal way of life.

Invite friends into your home

By creating a space where other kids are comfortable coming to your home, you have the amazing opportunity to disciple your children’s friends. The best part is that your children will witness this and will start modeling your behavior. Invite the neighbor kids to come over and play in the yard. Make sure you always have popsicles in your freezer to share. Plan a weekly Bible Story time with your kids’ friends, and include lots of fun snacks! Be creative, but keep it simple and fun.

Pray for their friends

The most influential way we can influence our kids and their friends is through prayer. At bedtime, ask your child to name one person they want to pray for. Walk them through the prayer until they start to feel comfortable doing it on their own. This takes the focus off of them and encourages them to think outside of the box with their prayers. Watch this video of how a young girl’s bedtime prayers for a friend impacted the friend for eternity.

Want to know what little Godly influencers look like in action? We recently heard a story of a little boy who couldn’t wait to show his Bible2School small group his new magnet game received as a gift. He dumped a handful of magnets out on the table to show how some magnets were attracted to others and some were not. He proclaimed to his small group, “We want to be like magnets drawn to Jesus!”

Ready to make an impact? Let’s be intentional about raising up Godly influencers so the next generation can make a difference for Jesus.