The Importance (and difficulty) of Family Devotions

The Importance (and difficulty) of Family Devotions

By Emily Tink

Family Bible Time.  Family Devos. Family Worship.  There are many ways of looking at it and many names to call it but the important common denominator is coming together as a family to worship.  Many of us like the sound of it but then the reality of life sets in – busy schedules, noisy kids, tired parents – and it can be hard to take the first step to make it happen.

It’s Not Easy

Have you ever heard the joke, “I would be such a great mom if it weren’t for my kids?”  It’s funny because it feels true.  And the same could be said about family devotions. “We would love to do this if it weren’t for the people in our family.” In one episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast, Matt Chandler shares that the early years of setting this habit were not without struggles and that maybe 30% or more of their family devo time fell flat (or even ended with someone needing discipline).  I can definitely relate to that! 

But the people in our family are the whole point!  We gather together around God’s word at home not because He needs us but because we need Him.  We gather because His Word is food to our hungry souls (Matthew 4:4) and joining our voices around our kitchen table singing praise to God draws us near to Him and to each other.  We do it out of obedience to Colossians 3:16 which says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts.”

Getting Started

So how do we go about doing this?  There are abundant resources available for families to choose from but perhaps the best place to start is to keep it simple.  Pick a Bible that is age appropriate for your kids. If you’re having trouble finding one, check out our Children’s Bible Comparison for some help.  You could start at the beginning with Genesis 1, read the Psalms, or pick a gospel to work through.  In our house, we read a few verses, sing a song and pray.  

If it is helpful to have something more spelled out to walk you through the process, the new book, “Be Thou My Vision” by Jonathan Gibson contains scripture, creeds, songs and prayers from church history all written out for each day, in addition to catechisms and a Bible reading plan in the appendices.  As the habit settles in and kids get older, working through a Bible study together as a family can be an incredibly fruitful investment.

I have found it helpful when trying to set a new habit to peg it on to something else that is already established.  So add family worship to a regular family gathering time.  It can be 5 minutes at the end of dinner before you clear the table. Or at breakfast before everyone heads out the door in different directions at the start of the day.  Maybe evenings are busy but there is time to sit together in the family room before starting the bedtime routine.

I get it: getting started with a family worship routine can be challenging or awkward.  But God delights in our worship!  A pattern of opening the word together allows for many opportunities to discuss what the Bible teaches, how it relates to each family member’s life, and how to work through questions or doubts.  This time together enables a family to speak into each other’s lives and encourage one another on a much deeper level than can naturally happen when the days fly by in all their busyness.  May we lead our children to find refuge in the Lord through the truth of his word. (Proverbs 30:5)