Family Devotions: Don’t Make It So Difficult! (keep your expectations low…)
Groans from the top three and smiles from the bottom three as Papa opened up Susan and Richie Hunt’s Big Truths for Little Kids family devotional book around the Shipley dinner table that night. From the “Why do we have to do this?” whine to, “Can we please read another story?” ask. There was a season of this in the Shipley household. There were also long seasons and stretches of just blessings at mealtimes. Some Advents, there were readings and candles and Jessie tree ornaments; some Lents, people gave things up. Each season was different…
As we end the school year, I want to encourage you. It is our aim to come alongside you as you rear your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. And to that end, we are closing out a nine month stretch of time doing just that. So, for these next three months while your children are at home, I want to encourage you to begin or to continue a habit of family devotions. This is not some hour-long at-home church service…But a simple leaning in to teaching your children to love God and their neighbor in whatever stage and season your family is in.
There may be three nights a week this summer where you eat dinner as a family. Before everyone clears their plate to the sink, simply pull out a book and read an excerpt. Or read a Psalm and talk about it. Some of you may do highs and lows around your table regularly (pit and peak, best and worst thing that happened today). But what if everyone went around and said three things they were thankful for each day? That would cultivate a heart of gratitude over time.
Start where you are, not where you think you should be. With my own children, I wanted to do family devotions every night. Never in the history of the 24 years in which I have had children did we do a family devotion every night. Not. One. Season. Not even one week! We were more like “failures at family devotions” than conquerors.
Family devotions show children that faith is important: that it matters what we believe about Jesus and God and the Bible. As you sit under the authority of scripture or even under the authority of a Bible story from a children’s Bible, they will be exposed to spiritual truths and the language of our faith, and your family will have meaningful conversations over time.
This is as simple as a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible, singing Jesus Loves Me (or any morning meeting song from CCS), and a prayer. You could even begin to memorize Matthew 5 as a family (or another passage of scripture). As your children get older, they’ll be able to sit longer, pray with you, ask questions, and answer those you ask.
Family devotions help us as parents declare and demonstrate our faith. YOU are the primary discipler of your children. They learn about spiritual things from you first and foremost. More is caught than taught. Let them see you pray as a couple. Keep your Bible near the chair in which you read it. Kids pick up on these things and come to understand over time that our faith is REAL and life-long and possible because of God’s great mercy in our lives.
If you’ve never done family devotions before, try Sunday night after dinner. If family devotion is a pretty regular occurrence at your house, keep it up and begin a new practice like singing together or popcorn praying or memorizing a passage of scripture together.
Together as a family, you’ll be fulfilling the great commission and Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Training takes time. It takes intention. It might even take “calendaring it in” if you’re going in 12 different directions through the week.
We can rest in the promise of God in Psalm 102:28, “The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you” when we enact Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…” and when you’ve finished dinner.
Recommended Resources:
The Big Picture Story Bible
The Jesus Storybook Bible
Wise Up: 10 Minute Devotions from Proverbs
Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
Long Story Short
Old Story New
The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New
WonderFull: Ancient Psalms Ever New
The New City Catechism for Kids: Children’s Edition
