Helping Your Kids Know God: Simple Ways to Build Faith at Home

You don’t need every answer to help your children begin a relationship with Jesus.

As parents, we spend a lot of time thinking about what our children need. We help with homework, encourage friendships, and teach them how to navigate the world. But helping them know God can feel harder to figure out.

Where do you start? What if they lose interest? What if you’re still learning about faith yourself?

You don’t have to be a Bible expert. You can begin with a short story, an honest conversation, or a simple prayer before bed.

In Deuteronomy 6:6–7, parents are encouraged to teach God’s commands through everyday life. Faith belongs in those ordinary moments: around the dinner table, on the drive to school, and in the conversations that happen when a child has a difficult day.

Here are some practical ways to begin.

1. Help Them Understand Who Jesus Is

Children need to hear more than “God wants you to be good.” They need to know that God loves them and invites them into a relationship with Him through Jesus.

Explain the gospel in words they can understand:

God made us and loves us. All of us sin—we do things that are wrong and go against God’s ways. Jesus, God’s Son, died for our sins and rose again. Through Him, we can receive forgiveness and know God.

Give children room to ask questions and grow in understanding. Faith is more than repeating the right words or behaving well enough to earn God’s love.

When you read about Jesus welcoming children in Mark 10:13–16, remind them: Jesus welcomed children then, and they matter to Him today.

2. Choose a Bible They Can Understand

A Bible that fits your child’s reading level can make reading together more inviting. Younger children may connect with pictures and short stories, while confident readers may be ready to explore a complete Bible.

A few options to consider:

• The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones: An illustrated storybook that helps young children see how the Bible’s stories connect to Jesus. It can be a helpful choice for reading aloud together. Sally Lloyd-Jones

• The Action Bible: Illustrated Bible retellings presented through graphic storytelling. Consider it for children who enjoy comics and visual stories. David C Cook

• NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers: A complete Bible designed for ages 6–10, with text written at approximately a third-grade reading level. Adventure Bible

Storybook Bibles retell selected passages; they aren’t complete Bible translations. As your child grows, read the corresponding passages together in a full Bible, too.

Preview a few pages before choosing. Consider your child’s interests, reading ability, and the guidance of your church’s children’s ministry.

3. Read Together—Even for Five Minutes

You don’t need a lengthy family devotional every evening. Start with a routine your family can realistically keep.

Read one short story or passage after dinner or before bed. Put your phone down, sit together, and leave time for conversation.

Try asking:

• What happened in this story?

• What did we learn about God or Jesus?

• Was there anything you didn’t understand?

• How could this help us today?

If your child asks something you can’t answer, you can say, “That’s a good question. Let’s learn about it together.”

That response shows them that questions belong in conversations about faith.

4. Make Bible Stories Something They Participate In

Children don’t have to sit perfectly still to learn.

Let them build Noah’s ark with blocks, draw the scene of Jesus calming the storm, or act out the Good Samaritan with stuffed animals. Ask them to retell a story in their own words while you listen.

Keep the focus on what the passage reveals about God. David and Goliath, for example, offers more than a lesson about being brave—it shows David trusting God when others were afraid.

Adapt difficult stories to your child’s age and readiness, while staying honest about what Scripture says. There is time to explore more detail as they mature.

5. Pray With Them and Let Them Use Their Own Words

Children don’t need polished language to talk to God.

Show them that prayer can include gratitude, worry, questions, confession, and requests for help. You might pray:

“God, thank You for being with us today. Please help us with the things that feel hard. Forgive us when we do wrong, and help us love people like Jesus does. Amen.”

Then invite your child to add something. They might thank God for their dog or ask for help with a spelling test. Listen without correcting every word.

Pray beyond mealtimes, too. Before school, after an argument, or when someone is sick, pause together.

Explain that God hears us, but prayer doesn’t mean we always receive the answer we want. We can bring Him our disappointment and keep trusting Him.

6. Find a Local Church With a Children’s Ministry

A healthy church community gives children opportunities to learn Scripture, ask questions, make friends, and see other people following Jesus.

Look for a church that teaches the Bible faithfully, keeps Jesus central, and welcomes your whole family.

Before visiting, ask about the children’s program:

• What ages are the classes designed for?

• What do children learn during a typical service?

• How are volunteers screened and trained?

• What check-in and pickup procedures are used?

• How does the church support children with different needs?

Give your child time to get comfortable. Talk afterward about what they learned and how they felt.

Sunday school, vacation Bible school, and family events can support what you’re teaching at home. Stay involved by asking leaders what your child is learning and continuing those conversations during the week.

7. Let Them See Your Faith in Everyday Life

Your children learn from how you respond when things go wrong.

Let them see you pray when you’re worried, thank God when something good happens, and help someone who needs support.

When you lose your patience, take responsibility:

“I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

You can explain that you need God’s forgiveness and help, too. Children need to see what repentance looks like in someone they trust.

Connect faith to ordinary choices: telling the truth, including someone who feels left out, forgiving a sibling, or sharing with a neighbor. Explain how these choices reflect Jesus’ love.

8. Make Room for Questions and Their Own Growing Faith

Children may ask why bad things happen, why they can’t see God, or whether He hears them. Older children may question things they once accepted easily.

Listen before answering. Avoid making them feel ashamed for being curious or uncertain.

You can guide them, pray for them, and give them a strong foundation. You cannot force a sincere relationship with God. Give them space to respond honestly as they learn who Jesus is.

Keep inviting conversation. Keep showing love. Keep learning together.

Start With One Small Step

Tonight, choose one Bible story. Sit beside your child. Ask what they think. Pray together about something on their heart.

You don’t have to turn every moment into a lesson. A steady pattern of reading, listening, praying, and living your faith can give your children a place to grow.

And if you’re just beginning your own walk with Jesus, you can tell them that.

“I’m learning, too. Let’s get to know Him together.”