OPINION:
Americans’ spiritual understanding is dwindling to disturbing, subpar levels. Despite glimmers of revival that do show increases in intrigue and faith practices among young people, there are some troubling patterns observed among the general populace.
Researcher George Barna, director of research at the Cultural Research Center, found that just 4% of Americans hold a biblical worldview, with steep declines in recent years in people’s understanding of how Scripture calls them to live.
Amid these plummeting statistics, a new survey shows one key area where parents are failing on the spiritual formation front — and it involves prayer. The American Bible Society recently found just 29% of American parents report praying with their children daily (16%) or often (13%).
These results, captured as part of the organization’s annual State of the Bible report, also indicated that an additional 21% pray with their kids sometimes, with 15% reporting they rarely do so and another 35% stating that they never invoke God with their children.
“Most American parents are open to the Bible, but behavior hasn’t kept pace with that openness,” John Farquhar Plake, chief innovation officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible, said in a statement. “They’re curious but not deeply engaged.”
To say these statistics are alarming is an understatement, especially considering biblical proclamations addressing both prayer and parenthood. Ultimately, Scripture makes a number of realities clear when it comes to faith practices.
Primarily: Believers are called to pray, with invocations to God serving as a connective tissue that guide, sustain and provide solace to the human heart and mind. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) proclaims, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Prayer is seen as so essential that people are called to engage in it no matter the circumstance and in a consistent and ongoing fashion. This is a key part of the faith experience.
Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) delivers yet another proclamation to parents surrounding spiritual formation, imploring them to spiritually prepare and equip their children.
“Train up a child in the way he should go,” the verse reads. “And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
This commonsense call for parents to prepare their children to understand the importance of God and moral values is voiced throughout Scripture. How can children understand the value of faith — and the parameters around how to live — if they aren’t taught these values?
Prayer isn’t just a step people take or a box they check off. It’s a key part of the faith experience that helps individuals navigate life. Beyond that, it’s a baseline action that allows the human heart to align with (and under) the Creator.
It’s an admission that we are accountable to the Lord and have a way to seek His ultimate guidance. Outside of Scripture, prayer is the lifeblood of our faith as we seek God and also look to elevate others’ needs above our own.
With the Bible in mind, parents are also failing on another metric: reading Scripture with their kids. While 14% of parents said they read the Bible with their children daily (5%) or often (9%), 25% reported doing so sometimes — and a whopping 62% report rarely (46%) or never (16%) reading the Bible to their children.
Of course, these numbers are for the general American population, but even among practicing Christians the percentage of daily or frequent Bible reading was tragically low at just 45%.
The Bible isn’t just a collection of fables or stories. It’s the centerpiece of the Christian faith and a guidebook for how humanity can properly live — and thrive. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV) provides a framework through which humans can understand the Bible in its entirety and fullness.
“All Scripture is God-breathed,” the verse reads. “And is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
Unfortunately, failing to pray with our children and read Scripture with them is creating a vacuum. In fact. I’d argue it’s the single greatest reason our culture has seen and experienced so much moral chaos and degradation.
The failure to read the Bible and pray — and, in particular, parents’ reluctance to bring these practices into our children’s lives — is akin to going on a cross-country voyage with no GPS, no map, no compass and absolutely zero clue how to get to our final destination.
It’s especially tragic when we consider the pain, suffering, loneliness and chaos so many young people face today. The Bible offers a path forward and a map to guide us where the Lord wants us.
Rather than ignore these truths, it’s time for parents to step up to the plate and to pray and read the Word of God with our children. It’s the very solution we need to the problems that individually and corporately plague us.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell is also the author of four books.
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