As a parent, it may seem easy to feel defeated when it comes to discipling your girls. It may feel hard to compete with social media, Netflix, friends, and their cell phones. A lot of times it may feel easier to let intentionality and discipleship take the back seat instead of stopping to make the time to step into their lives, but discipleship doesn’t have to be difficult. There are many simple and practical ways that you can disciple your girls daily! Here are just a few of them:
Quiet Times: Each day when you choose to spend time with Jesus, invite your daughter into it. There are many different ways you can do this. Maybe it’s reading the same book of the Bible and discussing it afterwards, reading the Bible out loud together, or just sitting across the table doing your quiet time simultaneously. In each of these things you are showing your daughter spiritual disciplines that are real in your own life and teaching her to begin creating these habits and rhythms in her own life as well.
Conversations: As the parent, your words carry a lot of weight. In conversations with your daughter, you have the ability to build her up or tear her down, to speak truth or feed lies. When you speak to your daughter, be intentional to bring up Jesus and the Bible. Ask her about what she is studying in the Bible, how you can pray for her, or the things she is struggling with. By asking her the not-so-surface-level questions, you begin to form a deeper relationship and show her that you truly love and care for the things happening in her world.
Podcasts: Podcasts are my favorite way to point myself back to Jesus, and you can do it with your daughters too! Podcasts are an easy way to connect with your daughters and stay relevant to what they are hearing, but also a great way to point them back to Jesus. Podcasts like “SHE” with Jordan Lee Dooley, “Set Apart Girl” with Lesile Ludy and “For the Girl” by Delight Ministries are great blogs to connect with your girls and start a conversation. Others like “The Bible Recap,” “BibleProject,” and “The Daily Bible” are great tools for listening to Scripture and unpacking it together. If none of these sound like something you can listen to with your daughter, go to whatever app you use to listen to podcasts and search in the Christian category, there are tons of options out there!
Prayer: Bring your daughter into your prayer life. Teach her what it is like to talk to God.
Pray with her when she is having a hard day, before she has a big test, or just spend a moment in prayer as she is leaving for school.
Pray for her constantly. One of the biggest ways that some of my relationships have grown is through praying for that person. Asking God to step into their lives and be with them is such a powerful way to grow closer to and connect with someone. It strengthens the bond even if the person you are praying for has absolutely no clue you are praying for them!
Begin praying over meals as a family. Each time you sit down at the table, encourage your children to take turns praying and parents, you can pray too! This helps foster intentionality and begins those healthy habits.
I hope that each of these practical tools for discipleship are things that you can begin implementing in your own home. Even if it may not feel like it, as the parent you have the biggest voice in your daughter’s life and leveraging it to disciple, love, and point her back to Jesus is the best way you can use your voice. Even on the hard days, remember that you are seen, known, and loved by a God who loved you so much that He sent His son for you and He walks beside you daily. If you are struggling with the idea of discipling your daughter, the best place to start is with Jesus. Ask Him to guide you and walk you through this season and trust that He is faithful and will lead you through it. Your greatest guide and friend in discipleship is Him, so lean on Jesus and love your girls.
Anna Freeman is a Nashville native and is currently in her first year of graduate school at Liberty University working toward her Master’s in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling. She serves on staff at NorthField Church and has been in ministry for two years. Anna is super passionate about loving, encouraging, and listening to people. She is the most happy with a chai tea latte and a book in hand! Connect with Anna: Instagram // Blog