“As mothers are children’s best nurses, so parents are (or should be) their best teachers. Solomon’s father was his tutor (Proverbs 4:3,4). And he never forgot the lessons his mother taught him (Proverbs 31:1).” – Matthew Henry.

God has commanded that our homes should be saturated in Scripture: “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) God’s Word is to be in our hearts and diligently taught to our children.  Unfortunately, the busyness of our everyday lives and feelings of personal inadequacy has caused many of us to have left off our sacred duty.  

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the thought of family devotions. However, they should be simple, easy, and doable. Implementing family devotions will change your home forever!  

Before you read this list, let me remind you that the devil hates family devotions. Starting them is a spiritual battle, so pray, pray, pray, and when you do start family devotions, you have won a tremendous spiritual victory! do

How You Can:

• You have the time!  Fifteen minutes is all it takes.  You can do them at breakfast, lunch, dinner, bedtime, or whenever the family is gathered.   Little to no preparation or forethought will be needed. 

• Simple and lively.  For small children, reading a Bible storybook and a few actual Scripture verses is a great practice; for those with older children who can read or married couples without children, a short chapter or paragraph of scripture can be read in rotation, reading one verse per turn.  You can start in the Gospels, Psalms, Proverbs, or wherever God leads you.

• Ask some questions for discussion at the end of the reading.  Some fact questions can be asked from the scripture: “How many smooth stones did David pick up?” or “In our Proverb, what happens if you dig a pit for someone else to fall in?”  (You can make these questions competitive, comprehensive, and fun.

They can be used like a game.)  We also should look together for application questions: “How do you think this pertains to school, sibling interaction, prayer, church, etc?”  “What does this scripture teach us to pray for?” (The boldness of Daniel or the wisdom of Proverbs…)  

• Close with prayer.  Take prayer requests.  Pray for upcoming family events at school and church, tests, or health needs. Pray for your church family, the President, a missionary, the upcoming revival, etc…

Why you Should:

• Family devotions acknowledge your family’s dependence upon God. By seeking Christ corporately as a family through His Word and prayer, you acknowledge and demonstrate Christ’s presence in your home, His leadership of your family, and His watchful care over all family members.

• Family devotions teach us God’s Word.  Reading from a good children’s Bible storybook can be a learning experience even for adults.  When our kids were babies, I would read a Bible storybook to them, and I would learn a fact or detail that I never grasped in my own Bible reading. Now that our children are a little older, we use a Bible story guide in which you read the scripture and the guide asks you questions from the text, or we read through a book one chapter at a time. We each read one verse at a time through the chapter (We are currently reading through Revelation, and we are on Chapter 21), and we all learn as a family together!

• Family devotions strengthen the family bond.  “Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.”  The strongest bond in any relationship is the spiritual eternal bond.  “A family that prays together stays together!”  Every Christian family’s desire is to be knit together by the Holy Spirit.

• Family devotions take your family’s spiritual temperature. Sitting down with your family regularly for devotions will help you better minister to their spiritual needs. You will be better able to discern which family members might need extra encouragement and attention. 

• Family devotions teach a Godly habit.  Success does not come from goals.  Success comes from implementing the proper habits.  The Bible gives hundreds of promises and blessings to those continually in God’s Word.  Giving your family the habit of opening the Bible and praying together is perhaps the greatest gift you can ever give them.  It establishes a culture of perpetual abundant blessing.  The habit of family devotions has the great potential to be adopted and passed down for generations!

• Family devotions leave a Godly legacy.  “The family that gathered together in the home to worship God.”  Perhaps your children would never remember specific scriptures read, topics discussed, or even particular prayers prayed. However, they will remember the legacy of their family, who regularly gather to worship God.  What a blessed recollection for spouses and children to carry in their memories.  This is a priceless family custom and a rich inheritance to be passed down to future generations.  

Start family devotions today! (Watch the “Family Devotions” episode below on the Pastoral Thoughts Podcast)