If you’ve ever tried to explain why broccoli is not, in fact, a form of medieval torture, you already know that guiding kids through abstract concepts isn’t for the faint of heart.
Now, toss in the idea of teaching children to trust an invisible, all-knowing God—well, you’ve just cranked the parenting difficulty up to “legendary.”
The good news? Building trust in God can be woven into the fabric of everyday life with a few gentle, realistic steps (none of which require you to be a theologian or even fully awake).
Here’s how you can nurture a child’s confidence in God, using small, everyday moments—even when the only prayer you feel like muttering is, “Lord, grant me patience before I sell my offspring to the circus.”
1. Model Trust with Your Own Wobbly Faith
Even the most saintly of us have days when trusting God ranks just above flossing on our list of favorite activities.
Kids are expert detectors of adult authenticity (and hypocrisy—see: the “no screen time while I check my emails on my phone” phenomenon).
When your children see you trusting God—especially during those messy moments when you’d rather not—they learn trust isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about showing up with your doubts, your questions, and your half-brewed coffee, and choosing faith anyway.
Talking through your own uncertainties out loud (“I’m a bit nervous about this new job, but I’m asking God to help me be brave”) makes faith real and approachable.
Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child points out that children learn resilience when they witness adults working through challenges, not shielding them from reality. Faith, at its heart, is resilient trust in the unseen.
Short version: letting your kids see you pray for direction, admit you don’t know everything, or thank God for the small wins (like nobody crying before 8am) sets a living example they’ll remember long after they’ve outgrown the family minivan.
2. Use Everyday Stories and Little Miracles
A child’s mind is wired for story. (Just try sneaking past bedtime without at least one “just one more story, pleeeease.”)
You don’t need to be a master storyteller or own a gold-leafed family Bible. Simply share snippets of how faith comes alive in your day-to-day.
Did you find your lost keys after a whispered prayer? Did a friend show up just when you needed encouragement? Name those little “God moments,” even if they seem ordinary.
Pointing out these small answers to prayer invites your kids to see that God is as present in the school pickup line as He is in a grand cathedral.
When sharing Bible stories, focus on the ones that highlight trust—think Daniel and the lions (not on your pet wish list), David and Goliath (the original underdog tale), or even Peter stepping out on the water (and promptly freaking out, like any of us would).
Asking “How do you think they felt?” or “What would you do if you were there?” turns ancient stories into real-life scenarios.
Children who connect faith to their own experiences are more likely to carry a resilient, living trust into adulthood.
The American Psychological Association notes that storytelling helps children process feelings and develop empathy—a key ingredient in spiritual growth.
3. Encourage Honest Questions and Doubts
If there’s one thing guaranteed to send a parent’s pulse racing, it’s a child asking, “But how do you KNOW God is really there?” right as you’re trying to get out the door for swimming lessons.
Don’t panic. Faith isn’t about having all the boxes ticked and the questions locked away in a spiritual filing cabinet.
Invite your kids to ask questions—even the awkward and unanswerable ones. (Why did God make mosquitoes, anyway?)
Creating a safe space for curiosity teaches your child that trust is something that grows through exploration, not forced compliance.
Resist the urge to give a neat answer every time. Sometimes, a simple “That’s a great question, and I wonder about it too!” or “Let’s talk to God about that one together” is enough.
According to Dr. Kara Powell from the Fuller Youth Institute, children whose questions are welcomed and respected are more likely to develop lasting faith into their teen years and beyond.
Don’t worry—you’re not sowing seeds of disbelief by admitting you don’t have every answer. You’re showing your kids that God can handle their curiosity (and yours). That’s trust in action.
4. Pray Together, Not Just For Them
It’s easy to slip into the habit of praying for your kids (“Dear Lord, please grant Olivia the wisdom to stop using glitter indoors”).
But praying with them invites your child to experience faith as a partnership, not just a parental decree.
Short, simple prayers that fit into the rhythm of daily life work wonders.
Prayers before meals, in the car, before bed, or even in the middle of a meltdown (“God, can you help us find some peace right now?”) make God’s presence feel less like a distant concept and more like a friend on the journey.
Taking turns during prayer lets even the shyest kids voice their thoughts—no need for big words or perfect grammar.
If your child is a reluctant pray-er, offer simple prompts like, “What’s one thing you want to tell God today?” or “Is there anyone you’d like to pray for?”
Research from the Barna Group suggests that regular family prayer, even in small doses, strengthens both spiritual and emotional bonds.
Bonus: It also provides the odd moment of comic relief. (Nothing like hearing your child pray for “no more broccoli at tea, ever again.”)
5. Serve and Show Kindness Together
Few things cement trust in God quite like rolling up your sleeves and joining Him in loving others.
Acts of service—no matter how small—show children that faith is not just an idea, but something lived out in the world.
Helping a neighbour with their garden, baking biscuits for someone going through a tough time, or picking up litter at the park all offer opportunities for your kids to see God’s love in action.
Even a child who “accidentally” feeds the family dog half the biscuit dough can learn about grace.
Talk about how these acts connect to trusting God: “We help others because God cares for them, and He invites us to do the same.”
If your church or community group offers service events, involve the whole family. This puts skin on the bones of faith, making it real, active, and memorable.
A study from the Search Institute found that children who engage in service with their families are more likely to internalise values like compassion and generosity—qualities that form the bedrock of trust in God.
When Life (and Faith) Feels Messy
Parenting isn’t about raising miniature saints with perfect trust, never a shadow of doubt or a single sibling squabble.
It’s about walking alongside our kids, showing them—imperfectly—that God is trustworthy in the middle of lost lunchboxes and midnight fevers.
You won’t get it right every time. Some nights, you’ll tuck your kids in with prayers and other nights, you’ll just manage to keep them from launching each other off the sofa.
Yet every little moment—each story, each honest question, each wobbly prayer—plants a seed of trust that can grow and flourish.
And who knows? One day, you might just find your child whispering a prayer when they’re scared, reaching out to help a friend, or trusting God with the big and the small.
That’s a victory worth celebrating.
Even if the only confetti you have on hand is leftover from last Christmas—or, more likely, the crushed remains of a biscuit at the bottom of your handbag.
