Inspirational Bible Verses about Family

Do you want to strengthen your family relationships? These Inspirational Bible Verses about Family give us wisdom and instruction on how to build a strong, loving family. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, child, or sibling, there’s something for everyone.

What the Bible Says About Family

Family is the building block of life. And love is the glue that holds a family together. That’s why God gave us so many valuable scriptures about love and family. Together they help us build the kind of family we all long for. A place that we can call home no matter where we are. And a place where we’re loved and welcomed with open arms.

With its emphasis on love, honor, and forgiveness, the Bible offers a roadmap for creating a family that is united in faith, hope, and love.

Whether you’re dealing with the joys and challenges of parenthood, navigating the complexities of marriage, or simply trying to build stronger relationships with your siblings and extended family, the Word of God has something to say to you.

 

Top Family Bible Verses

Here are some key verses that teach us about the importance of family in the Bible.

 

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15 NKJV

 

 

 

God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Psalm 68:6 NIV

As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Psalm 103:13 ESV

 

 

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11 ESV

And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Mark 3:25 NKJV

 

 

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Romans 8:15 ESV

 

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

1 John 3:1 New King James Version

 

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 89:1 ESV

 

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Genesis 12:3 ESV

 

 

 

 

Free Devotional 7 Simple Ways to See God's Hand in Your Life

Fathers and Mothers in the Bible

Christian parents have a responsibility to raise their children in faith. And throughout the Bible, we see that fathers and mothers play important roles in the lives of their families. By teaching them to follow God’s commandments and His will for their life, parents are passing on their faith to the next generation.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ESV

 

 

And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

Malachi 4:6 ESV

 

 

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Colossians 3:18-21 ESV

 

 

My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

Proverbs 6:20 ESV

 

 

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV

 

 

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127:3-5 ESV

 

 

Grandparents in the Bible

Grandchildren bring great joy and reward to grandfathers and grandmothers.

And these verses remind us of the joy that comes from seeing your children and grandchildren grow and succeed.

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Proverbs 17:6 New International Version

 

 

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

Psalm 103:17-18 NKJV

 

 

 

Children in the Bible

No matter how old we are, God commands us to honor our parents. This commandment reflects the importance of respecting those who have raised us by acknowledging the sacrifices they’ve made for us along the way.

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Exodus 20:12 ESV

 

 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Ephesians 6:1-3 ESV

 

 

A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

Proverbs 15:20 NIV

 

 

My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Psalm 6:20 NIV

 

 

 

 

Strengthen your Marriage with these Inspirational Bible Verses!

 

 

 

 

Husbands and Wives in the Bible

There are many Bible verses that offer wisdom for marriage and outline the roles of husbands and wives in a marriage. By studying these powerful verses and applying their wisdom to your own marriage, you can build a strong and lasting relationship with your spouse.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24 ESV

 

 

For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

1 Corinthians 7:14 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

Ephesians 5:25-30 ESV

 

 

 

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

1 Peter 3:1-7 ESV

 

 

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Titus 2:3-5 ESV

 

 

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:10-12 ESV

 

 

 

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Psalm 128:3 ESV

Bible Verse Art from Master’s Hand Collection

I Am the Vine Bible Verse Art Print

I Am the Vine Bible Verse Art Print

1 John 4:7 Love One Another Art Print

1 John 4:7 Love One Another Art Print

Greater Is He Bible Verse Art Print

Greater Is He Bible Verse Art Print

How to Build Strong Family Relationships

As a Christian, you know that the Bible is the ultimate guide for how to live your life. This is especially true when it comes to building strong family relationships.

The Biblical wisdom for family life found in the following collection of Bible verses will help you maintain build and maintain strong family ties.

Bible Verses about Family Love 

The Bible teaches that sacrificial love is essential in a healthy family. It requires us to put the needs of others before our own, but creates a safe and nurturing environment for our family to thrive in.

It’s the same sacrificial love God showed us by sending His Son to die in our place. And as we experience God’s love, we’re equipped to love others, including our family members.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

 

 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV

 

 

We love Him because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19 NKJV

 

 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34-35 NKJV

 

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:12-13 NKJV

 

 

 

A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17 NKJV

 

 

 

Ever wonder… Why Should We Love One Another? Find out in this Bible Study.

Forgiveness in the Family Verses 

Forgiveness is another crucial principle for building a strong family. When you choose forgiveness, you choose life and blessings for your family.

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Colossians 3:13 ESV

 

 

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 1:19-20 ESV

 

 

 

Discover the power of Forgiveness in these Bible Verses!

 

Unity in the Family Scriptures 

When you focus on unity, you create an unbreakable bond with your family members that will stand the test of time.

 

Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!

Psalm 133:1 ESV

 

 

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

Proverbs 15:17 ESV

 

Leadership in the Family 

Leadership includes providing for your family’s physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. By leading your family well, you’ll create a legacy of faith and blessings that will last for generations.

 

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

1 Timothy 3:2-5 ESV

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:8 English Standard Version

 

 

 

Be inspired by these Bible Verses for Leaders!

 

 

 

Discipline in the Family 

God’s Word tells us that it’s important to train and discipline your children in the ways of the Lord. Here are a few verses about training and discipline in the family.

Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

 

 

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Hebrews 12:7 ESV

 

 

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 ESV

 

 

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Proverbs 22:15 ESV

 

 

 

Obedience in the Family 

Obedience is a word no one likes. But it’s important for building a strong family. The Ten Commandments show us how to live in obedience to God. When you follow God’s commandments and teach your children to do the same you’re setting your family up for a life of success and blessings.

Read more in this Devotional, Bible Verses about Friendship!

Godly Character in the Family

When you develop godly character, you’re building a foundation for healthy relationships with those in your household and living a life that honors God.

The next scripture passage provides guidance on developing godly character.

Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

Proverbs 11:29 ESV

 

Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
but he who hates bribes will live.

Proverbs 15:27 ESV

Living Out Biblical Principles in the Family

The Word of God offers many principles for how to build a strong, loving family that honors God. And it teaches us how live out these Biblical principles within the family unit.

By following the guidance provided in the Bible, we’ll build strong family relationships that will withstand the challenges of life.

 

The Importance of Church in Family Life 

One of the most important things we can do for our families is to involve them in church. It’s where we can find a community of believers who will support and encourage us in our faith. And it also provides opportunities for us to serve others and grow in our relationship with God.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

Lessons from Proverbs 

The book of Proverbs is full of practical wisdom. It teaches us family values and the importance of discipline, respect, and honesty in our relationships. It warns us about the dangers of laziness, pride, and selfishness. And encourages us to put our trust in God.

 

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.

Proverbs 14:26 NKJV

The Vine and the Branches 

Jesus taught us to build a firm foundation for ourselves and our families through His story of the vine and the branches. Just like a branch can’t live apart from the vine, we can’t thrive without Jesus.

When we abide in Christ, we bear fruit in every area of our life, including in our families. And our relationships with our spouses and children will be strengthened because of it.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5 NKJV

The Fruit of the Spirit 

The fruit of the Spirit is reminiscent of the vine and branches and bearing fruit in our lives. When we’re filled with the Holy Spirit, we’ll show His qualities to those around us, including our family. And in doing so, our relationships will flourish, and we’ll be better equipped to handle the challenges of family life. So, show the fruit of the Spirit to your family and be blessed today.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

Relatives and Compassion 

In the most difficult times, it’s essential to show our relatives compassion. Because that’s exactly what God does for us. He loves us, carries our heavy load, and always has empathy for what we’re going through. So, let’s do the same for those we love and just like Jesus.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Dealing with Loss in the Family

Dealing with loss in our families is always hard. However, for a Christian grief is a little different. While we mourn, we still have hope for an eternal life in heaven with Jesus and our loved ones who have gone on before us. Plus, knowing God is with us in our grief gives us comfort and peace that the rest of the world doesn’t have.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18 NIV

Examples of Godly Families in the Bible

Throughout God’s Word, we see examples of families who love and honor one another, as well as families who struggle with loss and hardship. Each one provides us with valuable insight into how we should treat our own families and shows us the wonderful blessing of belonging. So, let’s explore some of these examples now.

For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

Genesis 18:19 ESV

 

 

And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

Acts 16:33 ESV

 


And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

Matthew 19:29 ESV

 

 

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Mark 10:13-16 ESV

 

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

Acts 10:1-2 NIV

A Prayer for Your Family

This Bible passage is the perfect starting point for a family prayer. Use it to pray for your own family. God is listening and He will answer.

 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV

As you can see, God’s Word has a wealth of wisdom for family life. By studying these Inspirational Bible Verses about Family and applying them to your relationships with your loved ones, you can create a home that is filled with love, respect, and harmony.

More Bible Studies from Master’s Hand Collection

Best Bible Verses about Reconciliation
Best Bible Verses about Obeying Your Parents