Parenting is a sacred responsibility filled with joy, love, and challenges. The Bible offers timeless wisdom to guide parents in nurturing and raising their children with God’s love. These 150 Bible verses about parents provide inspiration and support. These Scriptures offer guidance on every aspect of parenting, reminding us of our important role and the blessings of raising children in a godly way.
Guidance for Parents
- Proverbs 22:6 – “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
- Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
- Colossians 3:21 – “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”
- Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
- Proverbs 29:17 – “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.”
- Psalm 127:3 – “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
- Proverbs 23:13-14 – “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.”
- Titus 2:4 – “Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children.”
- Proverbs 1:8-9 – “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.”
- Isaiah 54:13 – “All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.”
Responsibilities of Parents
- Genesis 18:19 – “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
- Proverbs 13:24 – “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”
- Deuteronomy 11:19 – “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
- Proverbs 19:18 – “Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.”
- Psalm 103:13 – “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
- 1 Timothy 5:8 – “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
- Proverbs 15:20 – “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.”
- Ezekiel 16:44 – “Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.'”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 – “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”
Parents’ Love and Nurture
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
- 1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.”
- John 15:12 – “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
- Colossians 3:14 – “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
- Proverbs 10:12 – “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”
- 1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
- Romans 12:9-10 – “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
- John 13:34-35 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
- Romans 13:10 – “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
- Galatians 5:14 – “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
Parents’ Faith
- 2 Timothy 1:5 – “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
- Acts 16:31 – “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.'”
- Psalm 78:4 – “We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”
- Deuteronomy 4:9 – “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”
- Psalm 145:4 – “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”
- Joshua 24:15 – “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
- Hebrews 11:7 – “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.”
- Romans 1:17 – “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.'”
- Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Parents’ Wisdom
- James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
- Proverbs 2:6 – “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
- Proverbs 3:13-14 – “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.”
- Proverbs 4:7 – “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”
- Proverbs 16:16 – “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!”
- Proverbs 19:8 – “The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.”
- Ecclesiastes 7:12 – “Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.”
- Proverbs 24:3-4 – “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”
- Job 12:12 – “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?”
- Proverbs 14:1 – “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”
Parents’ Role in Discipline
- Hebrews 12:7 – “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?”
- Proverbs 13:1 – “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.”
- Proverbs 3:11-12 – “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
- Proverbs 15:5 – “A fool spurns his parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.”
- Proverbs 22:15 – “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.”
- Proverbs 19:27 – “Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.”
- Proverbs 29:15 – “The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.”
- Proverbs 10:1 – “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.”
Parents’ Influence
- Proverbs 20:7 – “The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.”
- Deuteronomy 6:7 – “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
- Psalm 112:1-2 – “Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.”
- Proverbs 20:11 – “Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?”
- Psalm 127:4 – “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.”
- Proverbs 14:26 – “Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:33 – “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.'”
- Proverbs 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
- Psalm 78:5 – “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children.”
Parents’ Blessings
- Genesis 48:15 – “Then he blessed Joseph and said, ‘May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,'”
- Numbers 6:24-26 – “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
- Psalm 128:1-2 – “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.”
- Psalm 144:12 – “Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.”
- Deuteronomy 28:4 – “The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.”
- Deuteronomy 30:9 – “Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors.”
- Proverbs 11:21 – “Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.”
- Psalm 147:13 – “He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.”
- Proverbs 17:6 – “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”
Parents and Teaching
- Psalm 78:6 – “So the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.”
- Proverbs 1:8 – “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”
- Proverbs 4:1 – “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.”
- Deuteronomy 4:10 – “Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, ‘Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.'”
- 2 Timothy 3:15 – “And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
- Ephesians 6:1 – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
- Proverbs 6:20 – “My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”
- Proverbs 22:17 – “Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach.”
- Psalm 119:9 – “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”
- Proverbs 3:21 – “My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion;”
Honoring Parents
- Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
- Deuteronomy 5:16 – “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
- Matthew 15:4 – “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.'”
- Mark 7:10 – “For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.'”
- Ephesians 6:2 – “Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise—”
- Proverbs 20:20 – “If someone curses their father or mother, their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.”
- Proverbs 23:22 – “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”
- Leviticus 19:3 – “Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.”
- Proverbs 30:17 – “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.”
- Colossians 3:20 – “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
Parents’ Patience
- James 5:7 – “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.”
- Galatians 6:9 – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
- Romans 8:25 – “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
- Hebrews 10:36 – “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
- Psalm 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
- Romans 12:12 – “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
- Ecclesiastes 7:8 – “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”
- James 1:3 – “Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
- Colossians 1:11 – “Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”
- 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Parents’ Prayer
- Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “Pray continually,”
- 1 John 5:14 – “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
- Matthew 7:7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
- James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
- 1 Timothy 2:1 – “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—”
- Matthew 21:22 – “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
- Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
- Psalm 145:18 – “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
Parents’ Gratitude
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
- Psalm 107:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
- Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
- Ephesians 5:20 – “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Psalm 136:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”
- Psalm 100:4 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
- Hebrews 12:28 – “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”
- Psalm 118:1 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Parents’ Encouragement
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
- Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
- Romans 15:2 – “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”
- Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
- Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
- Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
- Colossians 3:16 – “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
- 1 Peter 4:10 – “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:4 – “Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:18 – “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
Parents’ Example
- 1 Timothy 4:12 – “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
- 1 Peter 2:21 – “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:1 – “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
- Philippians 3:17 – “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”
- Titus 2:7-8 – “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”
- Matthew 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
- 1 Peter 5:3 – “Not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
- John 13:15 – “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
- Philippians 4:9 – “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
- James 5:10 – “Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.”
Parents’ Trust in God
- Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
- Psalm 37:5 – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:”
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
- Isaiah 26:3-4 – “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
- Psalm 56:3 – “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
- Nahum 1:7 – “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,”
- Psalm 9:10 – “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
- Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
- Psalm 28:7 – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
- Psalm 62:8 – “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
Conclusion
The Bible is a beacon of wisdom and guidance for parents. These 160 Bible verses about parents offer insights and encouragement for navigating the joys and challenges of raising children. By turning to these Scriptures, parents can find strength, wisdom, and inspiration. May these verses guide and bless you in your parenting journey!