Be Short

One of the greatest mistakes parents make when doing family worship is trying to make up for lost time by taking too much time. So, parents will often try and do devotions for 30-40 minutes. Family worship should be done daily, if possible, but weekly at least. The length of time should be 10-15 minutes max. 

Be Biblical

Devotional books are fun and can add spice at times to family worship. But family worship should involve you reading a passage of Scripture to your kids. Generally, the length should be a few verses if your kids are young, to no more than a chapter. Then you should explain that passage to the best of your abilities. One book I recommend to parents to help with this is The Family Worship Bible Guide by Joel Beeke. It gives a short summary of every chapter of the Bible. If your kids ever ask a question you don’t know the answer to, you can always ask a pastor or friend. But read and explain the Bible to your kids.

Sing Hymns

Why hymns? There are so many great modern worship songs, and I am grateful for contemporary worship. But in this setting, we are trying to sing theologically rich songs that the church has vetted throughout hundreds of years. The classic hymns that have endured have language and metaphor that paint a picture of God that is towering and majestic. We want our kids to be biblical but also theological. So, sing one hymn together in family worship. Kids will hear what you read, but they will always remember what they sing, so choose your hymns with care and purpose. 

Pray

Close your time together in prayer. Again, be brief. Avoid reteaching your Bible thoughts through prayer. Involve the kids in your prayer time by teaching them to pray and modeling for them what it looks like to pray. Keep a list of prayer requests you are making and prayer requests that have been answered. Prayer is vital because it is a humble reminder that no matter how much we know about God, His Word, and His world, we need His help, power, and grace in our lives. 

Start Now

If your kids are small, go less than 10 minutes and do family worship after dinner or before bedtime. It may be challenging to create a new rhythm in your home, but it’s worth it. 

 

The goal of family worship is not to guarantee that your kids will love Jesus as a result. The goal of family worship is for you to teach your kids through words and actions that Jesus is better than anything. To teach them that the goal of our life is not our happiness or comforts but the glory of God in the ordinary aspects of life. To tune our hearts to sing God’s praise in every season of life. My prayer is that your kids will grow to find Jesus more beautiful than anything this world has to offer.  
(taken from an article by Sam Luce published by ThomasNelsonBibles.com on August 22, 2022)