The Best Scriptures on Parenting to Guide Your Family’s Pursuit of God
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The word of God is an armory of spiritual ammunition. Jeremiah 1:12 says, “… I am watching and I will certainly carry out my plans.” Scriptures on parenting provide Christian parents with the Truth, skills, knowledge, and promises they need to raise children who are a light to a fallen world and will someday be the officials, leading a newly-restored world!
God is in Parenting
Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us, “It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”
This means, whatever we face as parents today, parents faced thousands of years ago.
The vessels by which evil, difficulty, and opposition threaten our children and families may “look” different, but it does not surprise God.
This is good news. Since we know God is watching over His word to perform it, and that whatever we are dealing with now, has been dealt with before, we can be confident that He has provided clarity and a promise for parenting in the scriptures.
Scriptures on Parenting Aren’t Always Labeled
One of my favorite ways to look for scriptures on parenting is to look for wisdom within bible verses that significantly bless, benefit, and prosper parenting efforts, without actually addressing moms, dads, or children.
God tells us He wants us to become mature and capable believers. In Hebrews 5:12, the writer is challenging early Jewish Christians because of their immaturity.
These people continually needed things spelled out for them instead of learning discernment and training their minds and bodies to distinguish good from evil.
Consider this when you are looking for scriptures on parenting. You may find a verse that directly addresses children or parents; however, there are many many more that address the things of God, which you can and should apply to your parenting efforts.
We’ll talk more about this as we go deeper. For now, just know that there are thousands of scriptures available to you that provide parenting wisdom. Far more than the same 10 or so, you’ll find typically referenced!
My hope for this article is that you’ll learn to recognize the character of God as you read through the scriptures. In this way, you can apply His character to all elements of life… including parenting!!
Bible Verses that Address Structure in the Home
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.”
God is a God of order. He created the universe in order. He knows the number of hairs on our head. (Luke 12:7) Structure and order in the home will produce beneficial results.
Anytime we do something the way God did/does it, we will be significantly more successful than doing things “our own way.” In fact, God’s way is the only way anything truly works. “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” Psalm 18:30.
The following scriptures assure us that operating a home with structure and order will bring the best results. They speak of and display God’s divine order.
Genesis 1:1-2:3 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and that the light was good.”
Luke 12:7 “And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.
Matthew 18:15-17 “If another believer sins again you, for privately and point out the offense, If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.”
Revelation 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Hebrews 3:9 “There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, event though they saw my miracles for forty years.”
Scriptures on Child Behavior
Behavior is important to me. After more than a decade of voluntary parenting coaching, while raising my own four children, I have witnessed time and time again, the blessing good behavior brings.
Alternately, I see repeatedly how a poorly behaved child can bring a mother to her knees, bring tears to her eyes, produce feelings of helplessness, cause anger and rage, lead to yelling, and create overall motherhood sorrow, guilt, and regret.
Good child behavior is a foundational element for joy in motherhood, familial harmony, unity, and teaching your children how to live successful adult lives.
Saying that out loud sounds superficial, snarky, and dismissive. “Life is good when the kids are acting right!”
But, let’s examine this truth a bit more closely.
- Combativeness at bedtime makes it very difficult to form parental bonds by connecting with your child at the end of the day.
- A child who runs away from you in the parking lot or pitches a fit in the grocery store makes a mama dread leaving the house for anything!
- A mom who does 100% of every single thing in life, by herself, because she can’t stand begging, pleading, yelling, and lecturing her children to help will be burned out, run-down, and end up bitter about motherhood in general.
Children who behave well literally make life better.
I believe when the Psalmist wrote Psalm 127:3, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him” the author understood the necessity of raising children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and the precept of driving out folly.
Obviously, children are not responsible for the choices their parent makes. If mom chooses to get angry and yell but takes no proactive and corrective steps, a child isn’t to blame. “A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness…” Proverbs 22:15
It is a parent’s task to get equipped and be responsible for the training of a child. That said, doing so will produce good behavior, and the other symptoms of parenting difficulty melt away.
Creating an atmosphere where good behavior flourishes and joy overflows.
The following scriptures show us that good behavior for all humans is a biblical command and that it’s a parent’s task to instill good behavior in their children.
Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”
Proverbs 13:24 “Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.”
Proverbs 22:6 “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”
Proverbs 22:15 “A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away.”
Proverbs 29:15 “To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.” < THIS RIGHT HERE!
Proverbs 29:17 “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace…”
1 John 3:7 “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.”
Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up…”
John 8:51 “I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die.”
Scriptures on Parenting Girls
Boys and girls are different. Physically, mentally, and emotionally different!
God designed it this way. He knew from the dawn of Creation how extraordinary females would be, and He took special care to create use with delight.
As a result, He speaks specifically to the tender care girls crave and need to become strong, godly women.
In Titus 2:3-5, we read how seasoned women should be teaching and leading the younger generation of women. I believe this is intensely important, and the truth of this verse is indeed one of the driving forces behind this website!
Proverbs 31:30 helps us understand how important it is to teach our girls to fear the Lord.
Proverbs 21:9 sheds light on how miserable a bitter woman can make life for those around her.
Proverbs 31:25 charges us to raise our girls to be confident and secure.
1 Timothy 2:9 expresses the need to train our girls modesty and self-control
In Galatians 3:28, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that women are equally loved and equally important to God as men. Our girls are highly valued and tremendously precious to their Creator!
Teach them the things of God. Reveal their strength to them. Train them modesty, gentleness, boldness, and commitment.
Scriptures on Parenting Boys
Never has there been a more murky time to parent boys than current culture. With so much convoluted opinions on what masculinity means, scriptural standards are increasingly necessary to help moms define what it is to be male.
Boys are fantastic. I have two, and they have brought some of the greatest joys of my life. I did a lot of studying and researching what to expect from my sons, what was normal, and what God has to say about raising up boys. Phew, I am so glad I did.
Being prepared for mothering boys has saved me from a lot of heartache on days when I would have otherwise worried myself to death over whether or not I was doing my best parenting for them.
The scriptures are full of wisdom regarding what it means to be a man.
God created males. He knows them inside and out forward and backward. He knows how they think and why they think that way.
He created them for a purpose and with a plan.
Let’s look at what God wants us to know about being a boy.
I love the direction the Apostle Paul provides in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be on guard, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. And do everything with love.”
Popular culture mistakenly assumes masculinity and gentleness are not synonymous. They are. Paul is telling us right here that to be a man is to do everything in love.
This is a great example of how we can find scriptural wisdom on parenting with the turn of every page.
Parenting our boys is to teach them to be watchful. Help them understand discernment and how to be alert to what is godly and what is not.
Teach them to stand firm. Boys with discernment can stand firm for the things of God, being strong in mind, spirit, and body.
1 Corinthians 13:11 speaks of maturity. This is important. The scripture also tells us that folly is bound up in the heart of a child.
Children act like children. And it’s important to let them be little. It’s equally important to understand the need to intentionally guide them into maturity.
Let’s train our boys to speak like men, think like men, and reason like men slowly over time.
1 Timothy 5:8 Tells us the importance of a man providing for his family.
Genesis 2:18 Reminds us that boys need friends. Men can slip into isolation if they’re not intentional about building friendships.
“It’s not good that man should be alone…” Help your son make and keep good friends.
Psalm 1:19 Reminds us that it’s necessary to guard purity. Boys need particular help in today’s culture to maintain purity. The bible tells us we can guard it according to God’s word.
Search the scripture for practical insight on masculinity. Looking for truth and wisdom on the very character and nature of God will provide some of the most valuable biblical truth for raising boys.
God has designed and created our sons for leadership and love. Those two traits will look different among different boys, but they should be present nonetheless.
Meditate on These Scriptures on Parenting
Joshua 1:8 instructs us to meditate on God’s word. Meditating on God’s word is a great way to let the truth and goodness of God sink in and penetrate your heart.
Finally, It doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. I created a list of scriptures on parenting that you can print to keep in your home.
When you walk by, read a few of them. Think about them. Ask God to reveal to you what He wants you to know. Ask Him to shape and change your heart to be more like His according to His word.
