4 Books for Family Devotions

First used as a hymnbook by Old Testament believers, the Psalms help Christian fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters express their faith today, no matter what blessings or troubles they encounter together.

At Home With the Psalms contains one hundred interactive family devotions and will equip your whole family for the joys and sorrows of life, building up praise and thanks in your hearts through God’s Word.

Here’s what I like about this book:

These devotions are short—each is a page long, perfect for shorter attention spans and busy schedules. They all begin with a question or an activity that leads into the devotion itself and end with an applicable prayer. Since the devotions are based on the Psalms, you can also use a psalm from the Psalter to add an element of music to your family devotions.

Let’s face it—as parents and children race from work and school to extracurricular activities, chores, and more, finding time to stay connected in the Word as a family can be challenging. 5-Minute Bible Studies: For Families was written with busy families in mind. This second book in the 5-Minute Bible Studies series offers three short messages a week for a full year. Whether everyone has time only in the mornings or you finally see each other at dinner, this book will help you face the week’s challenges with reminders of God’s love.

Here’s what I like about this book:

5-Minute Bible Studies: For Families helps keep devotions simple and doesn’t set the bar too high. Three, five-minute devotions each week are more than manageable. Each devotion starts with an engaging, interactive question and includes a Bible reading, a short message, and two discussion questions based on the devotion. Each devotion also ends with some direction for what you and your family can pray to God about.

Through the experiences of a fictional family, your family can learn to navigate life’s day-to-day challenges. With more than one hundred engaging devotions that blend lighthearted humor with the serious presentation of law and gospel, Jesus, Our Family Guest is an ideal way to focus on God’s Word as a family and incorporate Jesus into every situation you face.

Here’s what I like about this book:

These devotions are written in the form of stories, which help engage children and teach biblical truths. The fictional children in Jesus, Our Family Guest are a wide range of ages, from 5 to 16, so the devotions focus on problems and challenges that kids face as they grow up. Each devotion begins with a short Scripture text and concludes with a brief prayer. This style of devotion book is different from others, providing family devotions with variation.

For centuries, Luther’s Small Catechism has been and continues to be a valuable tool for both pastors and parents in their spiritual teaching roles. The 365 brief, interactive devotions in What Does This Mean?—based on the questions in the most recent edition of Luther’s Catechism—will prepare your children for catechism class and prepare believers of all ages for a life of faith.

Here’s what I like about this book:

Each brief, one-page devotion covers a question in Luther’s Catechism. This helps kids prepare for and reinforce what they’re learning in catechism class, and it also helps them learn more about the truths of the Bible in a structured, easy-to-follow format. What Does This Mean? is a devotional book that can be used throughout life, not just while growing up. It also really helps provide parents with an outline for leading family devotions. (Click here to view a helpful infographic with suggestions for using this book.)