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Spiritual Growth Q&A

man walking away over bridge

What Does Proverbs 22:6 Mean? Is It a Promise or Just a Hope?

Does Proverbs 22:6 promise that kids raised in a godly home will turn out OK?

Toddler crying on bed near parent's hand

“Night Terrors” and Satanic Strongholds

Could “night terrors” be demonic in origin? I have serious concerns about some of the advice your ministry and certain other Christian organizations are giving on this subject. We’ve confronted this problem in our family. Our son used to wake up screaming and go wandering through the house in the middle of the night. Experience …

gloved hand holding a tattoo pen

What Does the Bible Say About Tattoos?: Advice for Parenting Teens

Does the Bible forbid tattoos?

Person talking to annoyed young man

Teens and Mandatory Church Attendance

Should we force our adolescent son to attend church with us? He used to enjoy it, but now has no interest in going at all. We want to respect his independence and give him the freedom to make age-appropriate decisions for himself, but it also worries us to think that he may be drifting away …

boy in bed reading Bible

Religious “Indoctrination” of Children

Is it wrong to tell children what they should believe about God? Isn’t that a form of “indoctrination?” I’m thinking it’s better to allow kids to make up their own minds.

graduate with parents proud raising arms

Parental Pride vs. Sinful Pride

Is it wrong for me as a parent to feel proud of my child and to tell him so? I understand that, from a human perspective, it’s normal and natural to feel this way. But as a Christian I know that the Bible has some very severe things to say about the sin of pride. …

woman holding her head fingers pointing from both sides

Parenting When Friends and Relatives Have Different Values

How can we raise our kids effectively when so many of our friends and family members hold perspectives and values that conflict with our beliefs? We’re a strong Christian family and we require our children to live by Christian standards of behavior. But not everyone shares our faith, and it’s frustrating to feel as if …

young man leaning on brick wall holding Bible at his side

Parents Fear Child Is Struggling With Faith While at College

How can I help my son hold on to his faith in college? He’s a junior at the university, and I’m very concerned about the state of his relationship – or lack thereof – with the Lord. His faith doesn’t seem to mean as much to him as it did during his high school years. …

family praying meal holding hands child

Praying Together As a Family

How can we make family prayer a priority? We’re a Christian family and my spouse and I are eager to raise our kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Can you give us some helpful pointers in this area? Our children are small, and it’s been a real struggle to make prayer times …

family reading together two parents three young kids

Problems with Family Devotions

Do you have any suggestions for more effective ways to worship and study the Bible together as a family? We’ve tried hard to have regular devotions at our house, but it’s been difficult and discouraging because our children seem so bored and uninvolved. Can you help us?

legs arms of couple holding hands, alcohol bottles in background

Prodigal Grown Child

How can we best relate to our grown child who has completely rejected his Christian faith and upbringing? After graduating from high school he moved in with his girlfriend and became involved with drug and alcohol abuse. Our hearts ache to reach out to him, but we don’t want to appear to be condoning his …

mom and adult daughter looking at something together

Our Daughter Is Marrying a Non-Christian

As a Christian father, should I give my daughter away at the wedding if she’s marrying a non-believer? Over the more than twenty years of our marriage we’ve worked hard to raise her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Her decision has come as a great disappointment to us. We love our daughter, …

Spiritual Training for Children

As Christian parents, how do we prepare ourselves to give our kids an accurate understanding of God and the kind of solid biblical teaching they’re going to need later on? How can we help them “succeed” in those areas of life that matter to us most – the areas where unseen values take precedence over …

child in destroyed area carrying blanket

Talking to Children About Tragic Events

As a parent, how should I deal with my children when mass shootings, natural disasters, and other tragic events involving loss of life occur? Should I do my best to shield them from this information – an almost impossible task in the face of today’s constant news media cycle? Or should I try to talk to …

girl in sunflower field lifting hands smiling

Teaching Kids the Meaning of Prayer

How can I help my 7-year-old daughter understand the proper use of prayer? I’ve tried to teach her that talking to God is simply a way of staying close to Him, but lately she’s been using prayer to ask for everything she wants, such as getting a new toy, going to the movies, or winning …

two teen girl and boy talking

Teenage Child Is Questioning Faith

Can you help us with our adolescent daughter who is having doubts about God? She has been raised in a solid Christian home, and her faith has always been very important to her. But recently she seems to be struggling with doubt. Last week she asked me how Christians can be sure they’re right when …

happy boy holding Bible

Tools for Passing Faith on to Children

What tools does Focus on the Family make available for use in passing the Christian faith along to our kids?

Boy reading Bible with sunset in background

What the Bible Says About the “Age of Accountability”

At what point does a child become personally responsible for his or her actions before God? This is not just an academic question; as I see it, your answer will affect how I choose to discipline my children. I know that we’re all born with an inherited sin nature, but I’m not sure what the …

teen guy walking down railroad track

Grown Child Living at Home Doesn’t Want to Attend Church

Should we force our 18-year-old son to worship with us? He’s a Christian but recently decided to stop going to church. Since he lives in our home and we still support him, we think he should follow the rules we establish. But we don’t want to drive him away from the Lord.

kids in uniform listening to teacher

Boarding School for Missionary Children

What is your opinion of boarding school for children? I’ve always thought that they were destructive to families. But recently my spouse and I have received a call to serve as missionaries overseas, and apparently this arrangement is part of the deal. I’m not sure this is best for our children and our family, but …