As parents to a six-month-old, my wife and I have a little time before our family devotions with our daughter become more interactive.
Right now, our family devotion time is part of her bedtime routine. We read a section of The Beginner’s Bible, say our prayers, and then close by singing a hymn. But as she gets older, our family devotions will also change, and I’m starting to think about what that devotion time might look like.
If you have kids, maybe you already have a family devotion routine that works for you. (If so, great! I’d love to read what you do in the comments at the bottom of this post.) If you don’t have a routine, here are five tips to consider:
Keep It Simple
Sometimes, we think devotions and Bible studies must be these big, church worship service events. That can make actually implementing them in our daily lives quite daunting. We might even become discouraged if they don’t meet our expectations. (Click here for additional thoughts on why spending time in God’s Word can be so difficult.)
Devotions and Bible studies don’t have to be grand or overly complicated. Start small and go from there. A good outline for family devotions (depending on age) is a short Bible reading, a brief discussion about that reading, maybe a song, and a prayer. (If you’re looking for some recommended devotion books, click here.) [Link will be added for second post]
That’s it!
Engage Everyone
Family devotions should seek to engage everyone in the family. For kids, it helps if the devotions are interactive. A parent might lead the devotion, but the children should be encouraged to read (as able), ask questions, and share their thoughts about what your family has just read from God’s Word.
Creating an environment where children can ask the questions about the Bible that are on their minds is an excellent goal. Try not to be concerned if they’ll ask something you don’t know the answer to—you can always say, “That’s a great question! I don’t know the answer, but let’s ask Pastor and see if he knows.”
When you do that, you’re helping your kids see that spending time in God’s Word is a learning experience for the whole family. You’re also teaching them that they can go to your pastor if they have questions about the Bible.
Make It Relatable
With every family devotion, try to answer the question, How does this apply to us?
Making family devotions relatable and applicable helps your children see what God’s Word means for them. If your church has a children’s message during the worship service, that’s exactly what the pastor is trying to accomplish. The goal is to teach kids about something from the Bible, make it concrete instead of an abstract concept or idea, and help them see why it matters for them and their lives of faith.
Tying what happens in the Bible reading to personal experiences from your kids’ lives (as well as your own) helps!
Sing & Pray
Family devotions can also include singing a stanza or two from a hymn or a praise song. Listening to the hymns or songs works too—whatever you’re most comfortable with.
Songs are an incredible way to help kids memorize the truths of the Bible. They’re also a great way to praise God. (Click here for some thoughts about music and memory.)
Singing the hymns at home or listening to them can also help your kids become familiar with the hymns used in worship services, so they can participate during church even more.
Closing with prayer is a nice way to end a family devotion, and you can do that in many different ways. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Growing up, I remember we had a prayer jar with names of friends and family members written on popsicle sticks. We’d pick a name and then get to pray for that person.
- You can also go around the room and have your family members add to a “circle” prayer, saying one thing they’re thankful for and one thing they want to ask God for. The prayer ends with the last family member. (This also helps you know what you can privately pray about for your family members!)
- Prewritten prayers are also a great way to end an evening. (Some devotion books include prayers, but you can also use books like There’s a Prayer for That.)
Be Flexible
Life gets busy, especially as kids get older and schedules and calendars fill up. Times that worked for family devotions previously might not work anymore. That’s okay!
Family devotions don’t need to follow a rigid format or be done during a specific time of day. Do what works for you and your family. If you have time on the way to school and one of your kids wants to read the devotion while you drive, great! If you have a couple of minutes at the end of the day before bed, that works too.
Consistently having family devotions takes intentionality and commitment, but when you, as a parent, show that being in God’s Word is an important priority, that makes an impact on your kids. (Click here for some creative ideas about being in God’s Word despite busy schedules.)
The main thing is, no matter what your family devotions look like, keep pointing your loved ones to their Savior Jesus. Keep reminding them of what he has done for them by his perfect life, innocent death, and triumphant resurrection. Keep spending time in God’s Word together, sitting at the foot of the cross and then going out and reflecting Christ’s love to one another.
Click here for 4 recommended devotionals for you and your family!
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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