Our culture and society often devalues children viewing them as lesser humans or an inconvenience. God, however, places high value on kids. The Bible is filled with loving Bible verses about children that show us God’s heart. He is for the family and desires that children be nurtured, loved, and considered precious.
How Does the Bible Talk about Children?
Children were God’s idea. In fact, way back in the book of Genesis, God said, “Have many children and grow in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over the fish in the sea and over the birds in the sky. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 ICB)
From Genesis through Revelation we hear God’s heart for kids. He’s wild about them! In the book of Psalms, the Psalmist writes, “Children are a reward from the LORD” (Psalm 127:3). Imagine that! Children are like a prize from God Himself. He considers them a treasure to be cherished.
In the New Testament, we see Jesus’s heart for children clearly in the gospel of Matthew. Jesus' disciples were shooing the children away from Jesus, afraid that they were annoying Him. Jesus however held a different perspective. He wanted the children to come close to Him and didn’t want His disciples to hinder them from coming. He said, “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Mark tells the same story in his gospel and also adds that when the disciples tried to keep the children away from Jesus, that Jesus grew indignant. In other words, Jesus was angry with the disciples for being annoyed with the children. (Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:13-16).
I know it’s easy for parents at times to grow annoyed with their kids, particularly if their kids have challenging behavior. That’s natural as human parents. But, remember, God never grows annoyed with your child. He values their persistence and their playfulness. Though children at times are messy, hyper, and experience big emotions, God continually pursues their hearts and invites them to “come”. As parents seek to connect with their kids and love them as God does, behavior issues usually settle down.
As you consider the children in your life, there are several key Bible verses about children and God’s heart for them.
10 Bible Loving Bible Verses about Children
Psalm 8:2: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.” Children and infants bring glory to God. When tiny babies are brought into the world and they begin making sounds with their mouths, the noise glorifies God. Even tiny infants bring glory to God.
Psalm 127:3-5: “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children are a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” In these verses, the Psalmist poetically describes how fortunate parents are to have a quiver full of children. A quiver was what held arrows. The point of these verses is that children are a blessing from the LORD. They are arrows to be sent out into the world to become used by God. We don’t have children to fulfill our own needs. We have children to love and raise so that they can become men and women who God uses.
Psalms 149:6: “May the Praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands.” This is a wonderful verse to pray over your kids and grandkids. Pray that they will choose to praise and worship God and that they will learn to use the Word of God to defeat the enemy.
Proverbs 17:6: “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” These verses describe the blessing of grandchildren to the aged. On a personal note, I can affirm. Grandchildren are wonderful. My husband, Steve, and I have 14. Within a loving family system, grandchildren are enjoyed ad cherished.
Proverbs 24:3-4: “By wisdom a house is built, through understanding it is established, through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” These verses describe what a loving family looks like. Within a loving family system parents focus on going to God for wisdom, listening to understand their children, and becoming a student of their children so that they understand them more completely. As a result, their home is filled with rare and beautiful memories.
Isaiah 54:13: “All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace.” This is a beautiful promise for parents to claim over their children however, it requires some intentionality on our part. As parents gently direct their children to the LORD they can trust that God will never stop pursuing them. A word of caution is necessary here. Often parents are overzealous to teach their kids about the LORD but because they set up too many rules or use harsh forms of discipline, their children end up walking away from faith as adults. Parents, gently lead your children to Christ. Let them express their feelings. Don’t give your kids a lot of rules. Keep it simple and love your kids well. You have a much better chance of your kids following Jesus if they have a strong loving relationship with you.
Matthew 18:3,6 “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will ever enter the kingdom of heaven…If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” In these verses, we are given two dynamic truths about how Jesus feels about children. First, He loves childlike faith and actually instructs us to become as children as far as our faith. Secondly, he is very protective of them. Adults need to be very careful that they don’t hinder a child’s faith in any way or they will be held accountable. As I look at the porn industry and child trafficking, I shudder. Jesus will hold those accountable. There will be severe retribution for those who engage in harming children.
Matthew 18:14: “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” This is a promise that parents can claim confidently. Rest assured, God will never stop pursuing the heart of your child. He’s more concerned about their faith than you are. You can trust Him.
Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” At times, fathers can be too demanding of their children. Fathers are instructed to remember that their role is to love their children as their heavenly Father loves them. Fathers are to be nurturing and loving coming alongside their kids with gentleness.
2 Timothy 3:14-15: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from who you learned it, and from infancy, you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus.” In these verses, Timothy’s spiritual father, Paul, reminds him that just as Timothy had heard the scriptures from infancy, he should remember those. This is a great reminder to parents to start praying scripture over their kids from infancy. Gently, as you rock them and hold them close be praying the scriptures over their little hearts and minds. God will use those scriptural prayers. He promises to answer our prayers, and the power of praying Bible verses about children over your son or daughter’s heart is huge.
A Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for children. We praise You for every child You have created and formed in the womb. Each one is a treasure to be cherished. Help us to honor the children in our lives, by loving them and teaching them gently to follow you. Forgive us for the moments we’ve become frustrated or impatient with them. Teach us to love and cherish each one as you do.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tutye
Authentic. Passionate. Funny and Biblical all describe Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats, and other events. She is the author of 11 books, including Our Father, Psalms for the Anxious Heart, How to Listen so Your Kids Will Talk, The Extraordinary Power of Praise, and her newest book, Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World.
Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and a seasoned Bible teacher. You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com, www.harlingleadership.com, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/beckyharlingministries, Twitter, @beckyharling, or on Instagram at Becky Harling