This article is part of a yearlong series exploring one foundational biblical word each month. This month, we are focusing on FAITH. Subscribe to the Sunday Morning Newsletter and catch up on the entire series at amac.us/faith.
This month we are exploring the word Faith as it applies to specific areas of life. So far, we have considered Faith and Finances and Faith and Freedom. This week, we turn to one of the most deeply personal areas: Faith and Family.
Few burdens weigh heavier on a believer’s heart than watching someone we love stray from God. We see their choices, their struggles, and the direction their lives are taking – and we fear where that road may lead. Many faithful parents and grandparents carry this burden for adult children or grandchildren who have drifted away from the faith.
As parents, spouses, siblings, or friends, our desire is to see those we love come to a saving faith in Christ for themselves. Yet in this tender place, faith calls us not to despair, but to trustful obedience.
We Are Not Called to Success, But to Obedience
First and foremost, we must remember, we cannot fix anyone. Salvation belongs to the Lord (Jonah 2:9).
During my years as a youth pastor, I sat with parents who were at the end of their ropes – burdened for their teenagers or young adults who were far from God. I would gently remind them of a difficult but freeing truth: as parents, God has not called us to success, but to obedience. In other words, we are not responsible for – or capable of – determining someone else’s outcome. Each person must ultimately respond to God for themselves.
We do everything we can to love, influence, and point our loved ones toward Christ, and then we entrust the outcome to Him. After all, God loves them even more than we do.
Much of this obedience simply means living out our own faith authentically. When our lives reflect the peace, hope, and joy that come from knowing Christ, others notice. As the fruit of the Spirit grows in our lives (Galatians 5:22–23), our faith becomes visible.
We don’t argue anyone into heaven; we attract them through lives transformed by Christ.
Truth and Hope Over Our Families
Scripture also gives parents and families reason for hope. Throughout the Bible, we see God working through families and generations. Children raised in homes where Christ is honored are surrounded by the message of the gospel, the example of faith, and the prayers of those who love them.
Our words play an important role in this process. The Bible reminds us that “the tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21). What we say – to our loved ones and about them – carries tremendous weight.
It can be easy, especially in moments of frustration or discouragement, to speak words of defeat: “They’ll never change,” or “They’re too far gone.” But Scripture calls us to something better.
Instead, we can speak truth and hope grounded in God’s Word. We can remind our loved ones that “if you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him” (Jeremiah 29:13). We can trust that the Lord is patient, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). And we can hold onto the wisdom that when a child is trained in the right way, the seeds planted in their life can bear fruit even years later (Proverbs 22:6).
Throughout the Bible we also see examples of parents speaking blessings over their children. In Genesis, Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob later blessed his sons. These moments reflected a deep trust that God was working through generations.
When we speak Scripture, encouragement, and blessing over our families, we align our hearts with God’s redemptive purposes – and we keep hope alive.
The Unshakable Power of Prayer
Above all, we must remain diligent in prayer. Prayer invites God to intervene in ways we cannot.
Let me share my own story.
I grew up in a Christian home and attended church weekly. But during my teenage years and into college, I turned away from the faith. I began drinking, experimenting with drugs, and living a party lifestyle. At one point, I even questioned whether God existed at all.
My mother watched with growing concern.
One summer day in 1996, she dropped to her knees and cried out to God, asking Him to intervene in my life.
That very night, I was involved in a devastating car accident while drinking and driving. The crash claimed the life of one of my best friends and seriously injured another. Though I survived physically, I was shattered emotionally and spiritually.
I received a prison sentence that would ultimately become a turning point in my life.
During those difficult years, my mother’s prayers multiplied. She printed prayer cards and distributed them to hundreds of people. Letters began arriving from strangers I had never met – people who were praying for me.
Over time, my heart began to soften. I started reading the Bible and seeking God. And in that prison cell, I found Him.
Prayer changes lives – even in the darkest places.
History gives us similar stories. Augustine, one of the most influential Christian thinkers in history, spent years running from God while his mother, Monica, prayed faithfully for his salvation. Her prayers were eventually answered in his dramatic conversion.
And of course, Jesus told the story of the prodigal son – a father who watched and waited with hope until the day his lost son finally came home (Luke 15).
Like that father, we entrust those we love to a God who continues to pursue the lost.
Closing Encouragement
If you are carrying this burden today, remember this: God sees your tears, hears your prayers, and loves your family even more than you do.
Your faith in this situation is not passive. It is active obedience – living faithfully, speaking truth, and praying persistently.
And trust the God who still brings prodigals home.
Heavenly Father,
You know the burdens we carry for those we love. You see our tears, hear our prayers, and understand the longing of our hearts to see our family members come to know You.
Lord, give us faith to trust You with what we cannot control. Help us to live faithfully before our families, to speak words of truth and encouragement, and to pray with perseverance. Guard our hearts from discouragement and remind us that You love our loved ones even more than we do.
We ask that You would draw the wandering home, soften hardened hearts, and reveal Your grace in powerful ways. Strengthen us to walk in obedience and trust in Your perfect timing.
We place our families in Your hands, knowing that You are faithful.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings
- Monday – Jonah 2:9: God alone can transform a heart
- Tuesday – Proverbs 18:21: Speak truth and life over those you love
- Wednesday – Galatians 5:22–23: A life filled with the fruit of the Spirit
- Thursday – Luke 15:20: God watches and welcomes those who return to Him
- Friday – 2 Peter 3:9: God is patient, desiring that people come to repentance
- Saturday – 1 Thessalonians 5:17: Prayer invites God to work in ways we cannot
Jonathan Griffin, Director of Membership Marketing at AMAC | Former pastor & professor | Current husband & father | Redeemed sinner, saved by grace.