A Prayer to Help Your Child Move from an Inherited to a Personal Faith - Your Daily Prayer - August 14
A Prayer to Help Your Child Move from an Inherited to a Personal Faith
By Laura R. Bailey
Bible Reading
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. - 2 Timothy 1:5 NIV
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I grew up in a Christian home, with parents who grew up in a Christian home, and my grandparents were products of believing parents. Faith has always been a part of my life. My parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, you name it, have prayed over me, taught me the Bible, and displayed for me what it means to follow Christ. And so, when in my twenties, I decided to “take a break” from God, church, and, well, the tenets that make up Christianity, I was without excuse.
I’d spent nearly a decade running from God, telling myself that when I was older, I would make time for Him again. In true God fashion, He decided I needed to return to my faith sooner rather than later and used a lunch conversation with a customer to get my attention. And so, in my late twenties, I kneeled before God and cried out, “I surrender; I will submit in all areas to You.” I firmly believe that when I accepted Christ at 7, and Pastor Bob baptized me in the YMCA pool ( to this day, when I get a whiff of chlorine, it transports me back to that day), it wasn’t until I was 27 that I submitted to God as Sovereign over my life.
The Lord gave me an immediate desire to know Him more, to dive deep into the Scriptures, and to allow their truth to penetrate my heart and mind. I quickly discovered that I’d lived most of my life on a borrowed faith, one inherited from my parents and the generations before me. While the firm foundations provided the support and strength during my time of waywardness, it was not until I moved from an inherited faith to a personal one that I began to experience the blessings of following Christ.
We often quote 1 Timothy 1:5 when discussing the importance and the impact of discipling our children, or the next generation. And while it’s certainly beneficial to highlight the faithfulness of Louis and Eunice in sharing and equipping Timothy in God’s Word, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge Timothy’s response. Paul is writing to Timothy to encourage him as he began to preach and lead a church. Timothy no longer needs to rest on his family's faith; while it has provided his foundation, it is time for him to move from an inherited faith to a personal one.
Why was this so important to Timothy, and to us today? We know the stories told over goldfish and apple juice, and perhaps we can recall a few Bible verses displayed on the walls of our homes, but we live on borrowed faith. Our presence is an outward display of faith that hasn’t taken root and transformed our lives personally. I am beyond thankful for the gift of generational faith, but I didn’t experience the blessings of following Jesus until I began to take ownership of my growth and of becoming more like Christ.
Like Timothy, we should recall and allow our faith foundation to support us, but our growth in Christ-likeness and in our pursuit of knowing God should move from an inherited faith to a personal one. Let us give thanks for those who’ve poured into our lives, begin to own our faith, and pour into someone else.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of family, friends, teachers, and others who have poured into my life, teaching me about You and Your Word. May I move from an inherited faith to a personal relationship with you that is supported and strengthened by spending time in the Scriptures and bathed in prayer! Lord, I ask that You provide a Christian community to help me grow in my pursuit of knowing You more and applying the timeless truths of Scripture to my life.
I know that in my moving from a borrowed to a personal faith, I might experience some opposition or feel confusion, but when those times come, give me the strength to seek wise counsel and continue in Your ways. I love you, Lord.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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