Tips For Family Worship

“I am implementing this STAT” is one of the responses I’ve gotten since posting last week’s article on family worship. Since that time, I’ve been so thrilled that my article made such an impact, even in the life of one person, that I had to write this follow-up list of tips for family worship. I wholeheartedly desire that you start leading, or asking your husband to lead, this family spiritual discipline. You won’t regret it and your future children will thank you. So here are some crucial tips you need to know to establish this practice in your family life and teach your family the Bible.

• Start simple. Start with singing, scripture reading, and prayer for five minutes. Establish the habit, then add elements, length, and depth.
• Be firm. The husband ought to lead in winning his wife over in this endeavor. Once the routine is set, both husband and wife ought enforce this rule to each other and the children, with the responsibility on the husband ultimately.
• Do it everyday. This sets the rhythm so there’s no excuses or confusion which day is the day – because it’s everyday.
• Do it at the same time everyday. We do it right after dinner because everyone is at the table already. This sets the rhythm so there’s no excuses or confusion what time to gather.
• Read through Scripture. Don’t pick a verse today and then one tomorrow based on your mood. Go consecutively through each verse, chapter, and book.
• Don’t make it boring. Be enthusiastic and excited about it. Use fun props or illustrations. Allow spontaneous discussions and tangents.
• Teach from the heart and to the heart. Allow God to work in you through the passage. Seek transformation in yourself and allow that fruit to bear for your family. Show them you are impacted by the passage and what your response is.
• Prepare beforehand. Husbands, spend some time preparing for the given passage that day. Note areas where it might be difficult to understand for children, doctrines that are hard to explain off the cuff, and ways to apply the passage. There are a lot of resources to help you with this.
• Include every family member and those present that day. Try your best to gather everyone, even the baby and the rebellious teenager. There should be a “no excuse” atmosphere regarding family worship. Include even those present at the table that day, because their presence does not nullify your responsibility.
• Encourage everyone to speak. You shouldn’t be the only one talking. Ask the young ones to read passages. Ask others to summarize. Ask Bible trivia. Prepare thought provoking questions.
• Allow time for sharing and discussion. This is the time to share passage responses, testimonies, personal struggles, or prayer requests. Answer the questions your children have.
• Lastly, don’t get discouraged. Like any habit, it is hard to keep. You will miss days – it’s okay. Ask for help from God and move forward with greater resolve. Furthermore, you might not see any fruit for many years. Keep at it! Be in it for the long haul and out of obedience to God rather than for the reward of fruit. God’s word will go out effectively and the Kingdom will move in mostly hidden ways.

Those are the crucial tips for family worship that have shaped how I lead it. God will surely give you and your family the grace to persevere in this endeavor of worshiping Him everyday together!

Do you have any tips? What has worked for you and what has not? Let us know in the comments below!