Several years back, we had a minor crisis with one of our teens. It just so happened that my husband was out of the country and unavailable by phone when I needed wisdom on how to manage the situation. I tried calling my sister and then a friend, but only got rings and voicemails.
A sense of panic threatened to take hold of me. I literally dropped to my knees and asked the Lord to give me wisdom and strength. The situation was not automatically fixed or undone. Still, a sense of peace washed over me as I walked through it, seemingly alone, but knowing the Holy Spirit was near, guiding me every step of the way.
When you are adopted into God’s family as his child, one of the greatest benefits is that you will never be on your own in this life. And when it comes to raising your children, you raise them with the Holy Spirit living in you.
Whether it’s a crisis or just daily life, parenting can feel like a mix of fierce love and deep exhaustion. Many parents quietly wonder, in the ebb and flow of it all: Am I doing this right? Am I enough for my children?
Believer in Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, God equips you, strengthens you, and walks with you whether it’s in the middle of carpool lines, sibling arguments, sleepless nights, or frightening unknowns. Scripture tells us many things about who the Holy Spirit is for God’s children, and each role matters deeply in parenting.
The Spirit is our leader when parenting feels like a battle (Gal. 5:16).
“I yelled so bad!” My friend was in tears on the other end of the line, lamenting an argument that ended with her admittedly losing her temper with her daughter. I could sense the overwhelming discouragement, and I could deeply empathize with it.
Many of us have experienced this kind of grave emotion in parenting—it’s not at all uncommon. But here’s what’s amazing: The Spirit, who lives in us, leads us toward life in Jesus, even when sin and weakness feel overwhelming. The Spirit convicts us when we lose our temper or use hurtful words. The conviction is not proof of failure, but it’s proof that we belong to God.
Parents, it’s not grit and willpower that you need when parenting feels like a battle, but a reliance on the Spirit who strengthens you and helps you fight against sin. Look up. When you feel tangled in frustration or failure, the Spirit is already leading you back to the Father, and each morning’s mercies are just what you need for that day.
The Spirit is our guide when decisions for our kids feel unclear (James 1:5).
At times, the way feels unclear when it comes to decisions with and for our kids. As a child of God, the Holy Spirit provides wisdom, clarity, and peace that other people and resources simply cannot offer.
Whether the decision entails school choices, discipline, friendships, technology, boundaries, or future plans, our Google searches or other trusted materials may certainly help, but none compares to the perfect guidance of the Spirit.
How does the Spirit guide when the way feels unclear? It’s not always through a feeling. Sometimes it’s through a growing inward peace, yes. But other times, we begin to gain some clarity through a combination of godly counsel, prayer, and Scripture meditation. Do not stop praying for wisdom—the Lord will surely grant it by his Spirit.
The Spirit is our helper when life and parenting feel too heavy (Rom. 8:26).
I remember one evening I was bent over with grief over one of our children. Poor decisions led to a difficult outcome, and the situation seemed bleak. When life brings grief and stress, you don’t have to carry the burden alone, mom and dad.
When the burdens of parenting become heavy, the Spirit intercedes, comforts, and reminds us of God’s promises. And when you don’t have the words to pray, the Spirit prays for you. Simply crying out a name or a challenging situation is all you need to do. The Spirit will form the words necessary for you. How amazing!
When you feel weak or helpless in a season of parenting, it is not a spiritual failure. Rather, our weakness can be a sacred place where the Helper draws near and reveals his great power.
The Spirit is our strength when we want our kids to know Jesus (Acts 1:8).
You have been chosen by God to parent the child that he made and gave to you to love and nurture. As off as the days can sometimes feel, it is a perfect match. And in that calling, the Spirit empowers you—not to change their heart, not to pressure them into a relationship with Christ, but to point your child to Jesus.
Knowing that the Spirit is our strength keeps us from fretting over whether we’re not praying enough, teaching enough, or modeling the faith perfectly enough. You are not the Christ. Your job is to love Jesus with all your heart and to point your kids to him at every opportunity the Lord provides. And the Spirit will give you the boldness and wisdom necessary to do exactly what he has called you to do. You shine in your home not because you are perfect, but because the Spirit lives in you.
The Spirit is our hope when life doesn’t look the way we expected (Rom. 15:13).
The Spirit miraculously fills believers with joy and peace even in the hardest seasons. Some parents carry heartbreak, whether because of a prodigal child, infertility, blended-family challenges, illness, or strained marriages. God doesn’t promise freedom from hardship or a life without pain as his child.
What we are given, through the Spirit, is confident trust that God is carrying us and writing a story that is bigger than our greatest hardship. There is hope that one day all will be made new—made perfect. Until that day, every single hardship we face has a purpose that is good for us, for our family, and brings God glory. The Spirit will hold you, even when the future is unclear.
Parents, this life doesn’t require you to be superhuman. In fact, striving toward that will leave us feeling helpless. The calling requires Spirit-led parents—moms and dads who know they are deeply loved by God and strengthened by his Spirit. You are not alone, and you are not inadequate. The Spirit of God is with you, for you, and working through you as you love your children.
Katie Polski’s newest book, “You Are a Child of God,” is an eight-week devotional for women encouraging them to live in the freedom, joy, and security of God’s family. Katie helps readers better understand their grace-filled identity as adopted children of God and how to live out this gospel truth in their daily life. As his children, we are no longer slaves to fear and are free from condemnation; we can find purpose in suffering and have confidence in a promised future with him. When we begin to realize this, it transforms how we relate to others and to our heavenly Father. You can purchase her book for 35% off through September 14th.
