A Spiritual Exercise: Teaching Our Children to Know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Christine Hanus uses a simple physical exercise to remind kids (and adults!) who God is and to build a relationship with each person of the Blessed Trinity.

When my daughter was seven years old, she was raking leaves in our front yard and talking quietly to herself. The words she was reciting came drifting through the open window, “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit … three persons in one God.”

We never know how the Holy Spirit is working in our kids’ lives to help them process what we teach them (see John 14:26). What a great thought!

Create Opportunities to Catechize Your Kids

There are many ways we can foster faith in our children in the course of our day. This simple “stretch and pray” exercise is a perfect lesson on the doctrine of the Trinity and helps us to move “head knowledge” into the heart. It can be a powerful part of a morning routine, even for adults.

I include a little script as I describe this exercise, to make it easier to teach it to children.

Say, “The Trinity is God — God the Father … God the Son … and God the Holy Spirit. Three persons in one God.” (Be sure to point out that “the Son” is Jesus. Sometimes, especially with little ones, we can forget how basic and incremental we must be.)

Reach up with your hands as high as you can and stretching up to the ceiling with open hands. Pray, "Come Holy Spirit, fill me today — use me. Fill me with love." Don’t rush. (I like to start with the Holy Spirit, but you can switch it up!)

Then slowly roll down to touch your feet. "I bow down before You, Jesus, You are my King. Forgive me Jesus, for my separating myself from You through sin. I want to serve You and show You how much I love You. I want to sit at Your feet and be obedient to You. You are my Savior and my Lord."

Then roll up slowly until you are standing upright and wrap your arms around your upper torso in order to gently stretch the back muscles. Say, “Father, I thank You for Your love and mercy. I am grateful to be Your daughter/son. Please help me to live as Your daughter/son, knowing my dignity and worth … and help me treat others with the same dignity."

If your children are a bit older, read from Scripture together in preparation to do this exercise. For example, you can read and discuss the following passages over the course of a week and then introduce the Trinity “stretch and pray.”

Scripture Passages About Each Person of the Blessed Trinity

The Father:

Then [Jesus] said, “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father’ … So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. (Luke 15:11-24)

 

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17)

The Son (Jesus):

A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” … Go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-38, 48, 50)

 

As they continued their journey, he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

The Holy Spirit:

[At the time of the Last Supper, Jesus said to his disciples], “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans." (John 14:15-18).

 

Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).

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Copyright 2026 Christine Hanus
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