Words of Faith: Three tips for great family devotions

Parents are the primary teachers of their children. The greatest truth we can impart to them is that there is a God and He is holy. He is faithful, powerful, patient, merciful, and loving. Biblical parenting includes accepting the responsibility given to us in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Verse 7 declares that parents are charged with teaching their children about loving and obeying God.

One of the best ways to accomplish this worthy task is through regular family devotions. Here are three tips to guide your family to life-changing times with God.

No. 1: Read a verse of Scripture. Any Scripture will suffice. Many Bible apps have a “verse of the day” that you could use. God’s Word is the only life-changing agent we have. Any devotion, therefore, that does not begin with the Bible has started off on the wrong foot. My family rotates this part of our devotions. Whoever reads the verse leads the devotion.

No. 2: Ask two important questions. Let’s say your verse is Philippians 2:4 which reads, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The first question to ask your family is, “What does this verse say about God?” Then, let your kids think it through. Guide them but don’t spoon-feed them. This verse causes us to see that God is our example. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for our sins on the cross. We needed salvation and He came to save.

The second question is, “What does this verse say about us?” It’s not our nature to put others first. We are bent to put ourselves first. This verse tells us that we need to be reminded to consider others more important than ourselves. That’s exactly what Jesus did. We should be willing to sacrifice for others so that we can show the love of Christ to those around us.

No. 3: Pray together. Ask each family member for prayer requests. Encourage them to think of a situation or a person for whom you can all pray. Next, ask what you can thank God for. It’s amazing to see your kids begin to think about all the ways God has blessed and to give Him praise. Finally, and this is very important, ask them pray the Scripture verse. This is a key element in learning how to pray. If left to ourselves, most of our prayers will focus almost exclusively on our own problems. While we are encouraged to pray for our needs, prayer entails so much more. Praying God’s Word will help us all to focus more on the majesty, glory, and faithfulness of our Almighty God.

God bless you and your family as you read the Bible, ask questions, and pray together.

This story was originally published July 10, 2016 at 8:28 PM with the headline "Words of Faith: Three tips for great family devotions."