Building unshakeable faith in the storms

How can we strengthen our children as they face life’s challenges?

Storms will come. Every family faces seasons of difficulty — illness, loss, disappointment, or uncertainty. In addition to this our children also face their own unique battles: bullies, tests, fears, and the pressures of growing up.

As parents, our natural instinct is to protect our children from pain. Yet faith is not built in comfort — it is refined in the storm. This was why the Lord kept enemies in the land of Cannan

“Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.” - Judges 3:1-2

“When the rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” — Matthew 7:25

Our goal is to help our children build their lives on that same Rock — Jesus Christ — so that when the storms of life come, their faith stands strong. But how do we do that?

1. Model Faith in the Midst of Trouble

Our children learn far more from what we do than from what we say. When they see us praying through anxiety, worshiping through tears, and trusting God in uncertainty, they begin to understand what living faith looks like.

Let them see your faith in action. Share Bible verses that bring you comfort. Let them hear you say, “I don’t know how this will work out, but I know God is good, and He is with us.” These moments show them that faith is not the absence of challenges — it’s trusting God in the middle of it.

2. Build Your Home on God’s Word

God’s Word is one of the few unshakeable things. It anchors us when everything else feels unstable.

Build Scripture into the heartbeat of your home. Read a short passage together before school, or a Psalm before bed. Choose a “family verse” to memorize each week. These small habits fill your children’s hearts with faith fuel for the stormy days ahead.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105

3. Encourage Honest Questions

Faith grows stronger when it’s tested — and when children feel safe asking hard questions.

If your child asks, “Why did God let this happen?” or “Where is God when I’m scared?”, resist the urge to give a quick answer. Instead, listen with compassion. Explore the question together in the light of Scripture. These questions are not a threat, they are a pathway to discovering the faithfulness of God. If we shut down the questions with an easy answer we block the pathway.

We don’t have all the answers, but we can rest in the truth that God is faithful. Listen without judgment, with a quiet confidence that God is on the throne — both in your situation and in your child’s journey with Him. We can also have confidence in God’s word.

4. Listen for God’s Voice

Faith isn’t just about speaking to God; it’s also about listening for His voice. Sometimes He speaks clearly through His Word or through peace in our hearts. Other times, He seems silent — and those moments stretch our faith.

Remember the Gentile woman in Matthew 15 who came to Jesus for her daughter’s healing? Even when Jesus seemed silent and distant, she kept pressing in — and her persistent faith was rewarded. God’s silence is never absence; it’s an invitation to deeper trust.

Help your children learn to wait, to listen, and to hold onto what God has already said — even when the outcome isn’t visible yet.

5. Teach Prayer as a Relationship, Not a Ritual

Prayer is not a formula to get what we want; it’s a conversation with a loving Father who cares deeply for us.

Encourage your children to talk to God about everything — their fears, hopes, disappointments, and joys. What feels small to us can be very big to them. And what feels big to us is small in comparison to God’s greatness.

Pray with your children as you walk through this season together. Let them see that prayer is not just a response to crisis — it’s the heartbeat of a living relationship with God.

6. Remember and Rejoice in God’s Faithfulness

When storms rage, remind your children of how God has been faithful before — both in Scripture and in your own family’s story.

Keep a Faith Journal where you record answered prayers, provision, or moments when God showed up unexpectedly. Looking back will give them (and you) courage to trust forward.

As faith matures, we can even teach our children to be thankful in the desert and to worship while they wait — knowing that God’s faithfulness never fails.

“The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.” — Psalm 145:13

Conclusion: Building on the Rock

Life’s storms will come — but they don’t have to destroy. When we help our children build on the Rock of Christ, they learn to stand firm, not because life is easy, but because God is faithful.

Our task as parents is not to shield them from every storm, but to show them the way to the One who calms the waves.