Less Than 1/3rd of Parents Pray With Their Kids

Guest Commentary

Audio By Carbonatix

By Amber Ginter, Crosswalk.com

Do you pray with your kids? Should you? What stops you from prioritizing prayer?

These are all questions that the American Bible Society’s second installment of “State of the Bible: USA 2026” attempts to find out. In their study entitled “Parenting with the Bible,” the Society aims to examine the spiritual practices of American parents, their experiences with the Church, and their prayer habits with their children.

Based on a study of 2,649 U.S. adults surveyed from Jan 8th to 27th, 2026, the research found that 29% of American parents pray with their children, with 16% praying daily and 13% praying often. 21% pray with their children “sometimes,” 15% pray rarely, and 35% pray never.

According to John Farquhar Plake, American Bible Society's chief innovation officer and editor-in-chief of the "State of the Bible" series, “parents are open to the Bible, but behavior hasn’t kept pace with that openness.” Plake’s assumptions seem to be supported, noting that 35% of parents never pray with their children, a percentage higher by 6% than the 29% who do pray.

The Christian Post explains that while parents are less likely than non-parents to be “Bible disengaged,” they were less likely to qualify as “Scripture engaged.” Parents are facing demanding seasons of life, but the Church can support them through this:

"With support from their church, these caregivers can establish life-giving rhythms of prayer and Scripture engagement with their children, and in their own personal discipleship," Plake said. "Parents are carrying a heavy load, and all of us in the Church can help them carry it."

While 72% of practicing Christians identify attending Church as important, and praying “often,” only 14% read the Bible with their children. 92% of practicing Christians feel supported by the Church, but room for improvement in facilitating their faith certainly exists.

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Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.