90s Girl Faith Era
Because being a 90s girl is everything
When this idea hit me, I felt the 90s girl in me smiling big. Here’s the thing: We always talk about 90s music, TV shows, and even fashion, but we never hear about the 90s girl faith era. What is that, you ask? Let’s go on a journey.
I got saved on April 24, 1994, when I was nine. I fell in love with Jesus in the 1990s, when we still carried our Bibles to church and even had one in our pocketbooks; when wearing stockings to church even in the summer was considered classy; and when missing church as a kid left an ache in your belly until you returned the following week.
As part of Girls Anthem’s new section, Girls Anthem’s Closet, I wanted to offer a few throwbacks you may love. I’m inviting all my 90s girls (which means you were raised in the 90s) on this journey with me as I revisit some of our favorite things that made the 90s girl faith era so dope.
1) A physical bible. Especially the one that had the New Testament and Psalms and Proverbs. Man, listen, if you didn’t have one of these Bibles, you missed out. I remember getting a Bible for Christmas and how excited I was. When I got my first mini Bible, the one with only the New Testament and Psalms and Proverbs, I remember my brother and I racing each other to read through it. We stayed up half the night reading through the Bible, and didn’t mind the ‘thy’ and ‘thou’. If you’re missing the 90s girl faith era, try carrying your physical Bible to church and getting a smaller one to fit into your purse. You won’t regret it!
2) The black skirt and white blouse. Baby, listen. You were definitely in your 90s girl faith era if you had not just one, but multiple black skirts and white blouses in your closet. Whether for Youth Sunday or Communion Sunday, you pulled out that outfit because it fit the scenario; and you were excited to wear it because you were either a junior usher or singing in the choir. That black and white made you feel like you had a role in the church, okay?
3) The infamous Mary Janes. The ‘fit wasn’t right until that buckle was snapped in place and across your ankle. Having a pair of Mary Janes, the shoes that went with every church outfit, made you feel like you had your pair of special shoes, even though they weren’t heels. I had Mary Jane’s in black, white, and brown. They were the kind of shoes that if one of the little boys in church messed with me, I could kick him in the shin, and he would feel it until next Sunday. They made the 90s girl faith era solid.
4) Real Reverence. When I was growing up in North Philly, grown men who had a can of beer as they walked down the street would hide that same can behind their backs when they walked past the church. Sometimes, he would cross the street. We called that reverence. As a child, I feared God so much that there were just certain things I wouldn’t say and do because I had reverence for Him before I even knew what it meant. When I look out into the world today, especially on social media, I’m so disturbed by the amount of people who are way too comfortable disrespecting God. Even if you don’t believe, there’s no need to disrespect the ones who do. I miss the days when everyone reverenced God with a fear that showed respect even when they were running from God.
5) Nighttime Prayers. I never struggled to pray when I was a kid. In fact, not only did I say the old-fashioned, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” I also added my own words to that prayer. It felt weird not talking to God before I went to sleep. It hurts my heart when I hear people saying that they struggle to pray. We know this is a trick of the enemy to keep us from talking to God because he knows how powerful prayer is. I even remember my friends and I at church sharing what we prayed for, and we had the childlike faith to believe it would happen, even if it was something simple like for a boy to like us back (wink).
Now, let’s bring it up to 2025. Here’s how you can create your own 90s girl faith era experience, regardless of what era you were raised in:
1) Get your physical Bible and mark it up this year. Don’t just read it, study it. Ask God to highlight where He wants you to start and go from there. Don’t just do a “bible in one year” plan because people read the Bible in one year and never apply it. Ask God for the one verse, one person in the bible, or one chapter that will ignite your fire for His word. Once you have it, highlight it in your physical Bible and carry your physical Bible around like you do your cell phone. Get a pocketbook-sized one also, so you have no excuses. Remember, the Bible is one weapon you don’t need a permit to carry.
2) While you don’t have to get yourself a black skirt and white blouse, or even a pair of Mary Janes, I do encourage you to get some church clothes that make you feel like you’re going to church. I know we wear jeans and casual clothes to church these days, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but get you a few nice outfits and dresses you can wear to church. Even if you’re an e-member because your church is out-of-state, dress up on Sundays. Bring God your best and you’ll be surprised how you’ll feel. Let’s bring back the classic Sunday styles that made going to church so much fun. We used to want to play dress up so badly, but now we barely want to get dressed. Don’t let the post-pandemic slump get into your wardrobe.
3) I’m praying that we start to reverence God again. The body of Christ has lost their reverence, which is why the world doesn’t believe us. Pastors need to bring reverence back to the pulpit and the body of Christ needs to reverence God in our lifestyles, not just in our words and posts. If you read The Awe of God by John Bevere, it will blow your mind. He tells the story of a guy who went to prison because of embezzlement and other fraud activity. This guy was a leader at a church. He was confused about why if he loved God so much, how he could do the things he did. Do you want to know what John Bevere shares? You can love God all day, but if you don’t fear Him, and reverence Him, then that love is surface-level love. Father help us to live reverential lives so that others want to serve You.
4) I encourage anyone who struggles to pray to get a prayer journal. The enemy may try to attack your prayer life by trying to keep your mouth closed, but he can’t control every part of your body. Write your prayers out before going to sleep at night. If you can write one prayer every night, I believe God will meet you there and breathe on your prayer life. I heard of a story where a woman was attacked at night by the enemy while she was sleeping. He hit her with sleep paralysis (it’s a spiritual attack where the enemy causes you to be unable to move or wake up). She knew it was an attack, but she didn’t give in. She thought her way out! She prayed in her mind and the attack broke! We have to get back to a place where we stop making excuses about why we don’t pray and just do it!
I hope this 90s Girl Faith Era article blessed you! Is there anything I missed? Send me an email at info@girlsanthem.biz.
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