“I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel. I am to be their possession.” Ezekiel 44:28

This verse has solidified my resolve of raising daughters in today’s culture. Leaving God as your daughter’s inheritance is the only thing that’s really important.

How do you leave God as an inheritance to your daughter? Here are five truths about living an authentic faith in today’s culture.

1. Your daughters absorb your priorities.  There’s a country song which says, “I wanna do everything you do, so I’ve been watching you.” It’s true. You can teach your daughter a lot of things, but she’ll pick up what’s lived out in front of her. How you live, respond, and your belief system is absorbed by your daughter. She knows whether God is personal to you or just a Sunday priority. Your daughter watches you when no one else is looking.

2. Praying for your daughter is crucial. It’s tempting use prayer as an emergency intervention rather than the go-to for parenting. When you’re desperate for real answers to your daughter’s problems, prayer seems more lofty than practical. How can God help you respond to her friendship crisis, or the fact that she’s cutting?

The first step is praying about the situation and asking for His perspective. He answers every single time.

What does this look like? It’s when the Holy Spirit brings a different perspective to the situation than what you see. He gives you different solutions when you’ve run out of options, or when your emotions, insecurities, and fears drive you to respond in the flesh.

3. Praying with your daughter is important. When you pray with your daughter about struggles in her life, it gives her strength. It models intimacy, expectancy, and dependency of a relationship with the Living God. Praying with your daughter about small and significant things in her life teaches her an interdependence on God for daily matters.

4. Compromise is a tool of the enemy. A mom, you’re the gatekeeper for your daughter’s soul when she’s in your home. How do you know if compromise is entering your life or that of your daughter? You have to be in God’s word, seeking Him and His perspective. What might seem fine for one girl may not be good for your daughter. Or you. God has perspective about each deceptive priority bombarding your daughter.

When you compromise morals or biblical truth, you open the door for Satan’s influence in the life of your family. Guard the trust God has given you.

5. Praising God personalizes your daughter’s faith. When you praise God for the work He’s doing in your daughter’s life and yours, faith becomes real.

James 1:17 says,

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Acknowledge big and small things happen which happen in your day or your daughter’s day. Discuss how God worked. Stop and give thanks, even if it’s in the car or at an awkward time. Walking with an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ means your daily life is a conversation with Him. It also gives rightful praise and honor to Him in ways your daughter tangibly see.

Jesus is personal when He’s personally engaged in your life.

He’ll be personal to your daughter when her witness of Him is as common as other priorities in your home. When Jesus is first priority, it’ll impact her in ways unimaginable.

How can you start prioritizing Him today?