What is Family Worship?
Family worship can seem intimidating, but it is a simple concept that helps your family grow closer to the Lord and to disciple your children. If family worship seems overwhelming, think about it as family devotion time. It is simply a time your family can come together on a regular basis to read scripture, briefly discuss it, and pray together. My family endeavors to get together every night around 9:00 p.m. Realistically, with everyone's crazy schedule, we average about four or five times a week. We are currently reading through the book of Matthew one chapter at a time. We use the Family Worship Bible Guide by Dr. Joel Beeke to discuss the chapter. Then we pray. I start, then one of the kids prays (we alternate each night), and then Kristi prays. It takes about 30 minutes in total. This is one way to do it but not the only way. If you have younger children, it might look different.
The point is not really how you have a family devotion but that you have one! Studies show that the greatest single factor in determining if a child will grow into a faithful Christian adult is regular Bible reading while growing up (https://research.lifeway.com/2017/10/17/young-bible-readers-more-likely-to-be-faithful-adults-study-finds/). Other factors like prayer, church, Christian music, and the influence of friends are important, but they pale in comparison to children simply being exposed to the scriptures. This information, coupled with the mandate we as parents have in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 to disciple our children, should be enough to start a regular family devotion time.
Family devotion time can be tough and messy. Kids don’t always sit still. Sometimes they get bored, sometimes they pass gas and you lose total control (I speak from experience); however, if you stay faithful in this endeavor, you will see spiritual rewards for your family. The biggest challenge for parents will be busyness and tiredness. I know what it is like to run from work to practice, inhaling a sandwich on the way. I know what it is like to work all day and come home exhausted. I would challenge families to do their best to be consistent, but don’t beat yourself up if you miss one day. Shoot for five nights a week. Statistics show that regular Bible reading is enough; regular doesn’t necessarily mean every night. Just try your best to be consistent, and don’t give up!
Resources abound for family devotions. I have many resources I can recommend, but the one I have been using recently by Dr. Joel Beeke can be found here: https://heritagebooks.org/products/family-worship-bible-guide-hardcover.html. This is a great resource if you have older kids and teenagers in your home. He also has a book that teaches parents how to do family worship, you can find it here: https://heritagebooks.org/products/family-worship-beeke.html.
Family worship, or family devotion time, is crucial for raising children that will love and honor the Lord. If they see that you love, trust, and live God’s Word, there is a greater likelihood they will also. If you are a Christian father, you have the specific calling to lead out in this area. Don’t let your wife be the spiritual leader in your house. If you feel ill-equipped, that is ok; you can learn. You don’t have to be a theologian to lead family worship; you just have to be faithful. Moms, if you are single or your husband is not a believer, it is okay for you to take the lead in this area. Your children will benefit greatly from the regular reading of God’s Word. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar; you simply must be faithful!
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
