Family devotion time is a vital part of life for the families of our churches. Spending time reading God’s Word together with our families centers our homes and hearts around God, allows us to grow spiritually together with our spouses, and gives us opportunities to teach the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to our children. This devotion time is very important! Yet, we can sometimes struggle to establish the right habits, and some parents may not feel equipped to lead their families through studying the Bible. We hope and pray that families will be encouraged by these tips to start or grow their family devotions. God is always able to take our efforts for His kingdom and give a bountiful increase.
Tips for Family Devotions:
- Decide how often your family will get together for devotional time. Daily devotions are awesome but may not be attainable, especially when first getting started. Weekly devotion time is a noble endeavor to begin establishing a routine within your family.
- Plan for a consistent time when members of the family are most often available. Life happens, and you will inevitably miss a scheduled time at some point. The key is to keep trying and not give up. Some suggested times to consider:
- Anchor with a meal or snack (during breakfast, after school snack, after dinner is finished, etc.)
- During bedtime routine
- Create a fun tradition like ice cream/dessert and Bible time
- Think about the content you will cover when the family is together. Here are some ideas:
- For weekly devotionals, the Wiseman Association has an awesome resource to guide families in a few minutes of prayer, Bible reading, and biblical discussion each week on topics that are very important for our faith. Check it out here.
- Read the same story Monday-Friday in the Bible or a children’s bible. This repetition can be especially helpful for young children.
- Read through a book of the Bible together and discuss it.
- Ask your children if they have something they would like to study. Focusing on topics that are important to them can help them stay engaged in the study.
- Don’t worry about having all of the answers to questions that come up. You can dive into the Scriptures and learn together. Ask your pastor if you need help.
- Seasonal studies can be a fun way to do something different throughout the year. You can focus on an Advent study before Christmas, a Lent study during Easter, or a Jewish holiday such as Purim to connect the season with the Bible.
- Discuss spiritual topics during regular family routines. Devotion time with God does not always have to be sitting around a table with Bibles open. Share Bible stories in your own words when doing chores together. Discuss spiritual topics when together in the car (prayer, salvation, living for Christ, loving your neighbor as yourself, the purpose of the church, etc.) When outside, let nature settings inspire topics (God created all that we see, how we can feel the Spirit like the wind but can’t see it, God’s promise to Abraham about the stars, God parting the Red Sea or Peter walking on the sea when around water, etc.).
- Prepare a special meal celebration on Sundays to celebrate the Lord’s Day. Light candles and talk about how Jesus is the light of the world. Make the experience different from your other meals, even if it is sandwiches and chips on paper plates.
- Select a hymn for your family to sing together throughout the month. Sing it before your Bible study time, during Sunday meals, on the way to school or church, etc. If you are not confident in your musical abilities, you can always sing along with a CD or YouTube.