A Prayer for Holiness: Raising a Family That Is In the World but Not of It
Every generation faces the temptation to blend in.
To keep up.
To stay relevant.
To know the latest trends.
To accumulate more.
To be admired.
To build a platform.
To make a name for ourselves.
Modern life constantly pressures us to measure our worth by visibility, success, possessions, influence, or cultural approval. As Christian parents, that pressure doesn't disappear when we have children—it often intensifies. We begin wondering whether our family is doing enough, buying enough, achieving enough, or keeping pace with everyone around us.
But Scripture calls God's people to something entirely different.
Not popularity.
Not relevance.
Holiness.
The Christian life has never been about fitting into the culture around us. It has always been about belonging to Christ.
Listen to the podcast episode: A Prayer for Resisting Worldliness
What Does It Mean to Be Holy?
The word holy simply means set apart.
God has always called His people to look different—not because they are better than others, but because they belong to Him.
Peter reminds believers:
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" — 1 Peter 1:14–16
Holiness isn't primarily about appearances.
It's about allegiance.
Who shapes your thinking?
Who defines your values?
Whose approval are you seeking?
These questions matter deeply because our hearts are always being formed by something.
Renewing Our Minds Instead of Following the Crowd
Paul writes one of the clearest calls to holy living in Romans:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..." — Romans 12:1–2
Every day the world is discipling us.
Through advertising.
Social media.
Entertainment.
News.
Consumer culture.
None of these influences are neutral. Each one is constantly telling us what success looks like, what beauty looks like, what happiness looks like, and what should matter most.
Scripture invites us into a different kind of formation.
Instead of allowing culture to shape us, we allow God's Word to renew our minds.
The more deeply we know His truth, the easier it becomes to recognize the subtle lies that compete for our affection.
Living in the World Without Being Owned by It
Before going to the cross, Jesus prayed something remarkable for His followers:
"They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world... Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." — John 17:14–19
Notice what Jesus did not pray.
He didn't ask the Father to remove His people from the world.
Instead, He asked that they would be protected and sanctified while living faithfully within it.
Christian families are not called to withdraw from culture completely.
We are called to engage it without being mastered by it.
To love our neighbors without adopting every value our culture celebrates.
To participate in society without allowing society to determine our identity.
To shine as lights precisely because we belong to Christ.
The Pursuit of Holiness Begins at Home
Holiness isn't cultivated only in church buildings.
It is formed around dinner tables.
During family devotions.
While choosing entertainment.
In conversations about money.
In the clothes we value.
In the words we speak.
In the attitudes we model for our children.
Our children are learning every day what we treasure most.
Do they see parents chasing status?
Or seeking God's Kingdom?
Do they see contentment?
Humility?
Generosity?
Joy?
The greatest discipleship often happens through the ordinary rhythms of family life.
Trading Worldly Success for Eternal Fruit
Our culture teaches us to build our own names.
Jesus calls us to glorify His.
The world prizes self-promotion.
Christ models self-sacrifice.
The world celebrates being noticed.
The Kingdom celebrates quiet faithfulness.
This doesn't mean Christians avoid excellence or creativity.
It means our deepest desire is no longer the applause of people but the approval of God.
When we seek Him first, everything else finds its proper place.
A Prayer for Holiness
In our fast-paced world
We confess to you
That we often are pulled and swayed
By a sinister pressure to keep up
To stay ahead of the times
In pursuit of trends and methods
To be the one in the know
Or simply to be “in”
Rid us now of this unwholesome desire
To be seen in the eyes of the world
As cosmopolitan or overly knowledgeable in transient things
Because worldliness is in many ways
The opposite of holiness
It is not easy to be set apart
While being indistinguishable from the world that surrounds
Heal us of our need to be seen and heard
And deliver us from the desire to make a name for ourselves
We want to want you
More than any accolades or material comforts
Help us to flee from the rat race
And the pursuit of more
Seeking instead You Yourself,
The standard for holiness
And the judge of our own value.
In humility, help us look to the needs of others
Rather than fixating on our own self image
Form us into figures who clothe ourselves
With the fruit of the spirit
Rather than the finest clothing
And make us people who sing your praise
In word and in deed
Before we strive to be the first singing the latest hit song.
Make us more like you
Holy, set apart
Living in the world
But not being owned by it or ruled by the desires of the flesh
May we long for your approval alone
So that we may glorify you alone
Amen