What is Family Worship and How to Begin?
Sunday mornings are a time of family and joy as we meet corporately to worship our great high King. Many of us attend a local church for Sunday morning corporate worship. We know the importance of worshiping together on Sundays but what about other times? Are there other times and places that we should worship together? YES! There are many different times and places of worship. One of those places is in our own homes every day as family worship. Family worship is more than reading scripture alone. It is more than just reading a passage together, it is a time to join our hearts and voices and praise the Lord. There are many ways to do family worship, and no way is more right than the other.
The circumstances of families are so various, that no determinate rules can be laid down: nor has the word of God prescribed any; because, being of universal obligation, it is wisely and graciously accommodated to suit the different situations of his people. You must, therefore, as to circumstantials, judge for yourself. You will do well to pursue such a method as you shall find most convenient to yourself and family, without scrupulously binding yourself, when the Scripture has left you free.
John Newton
Family worship was something I had to learn over the past 12 years. I did not grow up in a home where we had family worship. I don’t remember ever reading the Bible around the dining table, or singing hymns in my home. I had never even heard the term family worship until I was an adult. Family worship may sound overwhelming, scary and like a lot of work. You may think of coloring pages, crafts, and formal devotionals that you must do, but you don’t need to do any of those things. I am a busy wife, homemaker, and homeschooling mom of 4 kids 11 and under. I like to keep things SIMPLE! There are no daily crafts, or set devotionals in our home. So what is family worship if not crafts, games, and formal devotionals then what is family worship?
The definition of Worship is the “feeling and expression of reverence and adoration for God.” according to Webster's dictionary. Worship is not about us, our feelings, or our emotions at that moment. Worship is about God. Worship is our expression of reverence and adoration to God our Father, our maker and creator. You might be thinking, we worship on Sunday mornings at church and in our small group, why do I need to worship daily in my family? God has called us to worship Him daily. We are to disciple our children every day through prayer, family worship and training.
And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sit in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Worshipping the Lord together, daily in our homes is one way that we teach our children scripture. It's a way we show our gratitude and reverence for our Lord. Starting family worship is a lot easier than it seems. Fist, talk to you spouse and make sure you are both on the same page. Ideally, the husband should be the one leading family worship. I know we do not live in an ideal world, so there are times when a women will need to lead worship for her family, and that is good too.
Next, choose your favorite book or the Bible, or follow along with your church and start reading. Family worship in our home typically happens in the living room before the kids go to bed. We start with a song of our kid’s choosing, which usually ends up being 4 songs, 1 chosen by each child. My husband or I will then read our 1 chapter for that day, which is currently from Joshua. If the chapter is too long and kids are getting antsy we will pause and finish it later that day or the next. While reading through the passage we will pause and ask questions based on the text to help keep everyone engaged and listening. When we are done with our reading we spend time in prayer. We will pray through our prayer list and give each child a chance to choose someone they would like to pray for. This gives them practice praying and lets them see family worship as a time that includes them.
That's it! Keeping it simple for our family. We have tried devotions in the past but I wasn't a fan of the added stories and random passages all over scripture. I much prefer to read scripture verse by verse one book at a time. When it was just my 2 oldest kids we tried to do an activity every day that had to do with our lesson, but I quickly tired of all the extra work. The work of trying to find an activity for every day of reading got to be too much for me as our family grew. My favorite thing about this way of family worship is how flexible it is. If you can't read a whole chapter just pick up where you left off the next time. You are not just spending time in God's word but also showing your children, and yourself that God's Word is for everyone and anyone can read the Bible. Everyone can read and ask questions about God's word and find the answers in scripture. You don't need to be seminary trained to lead family worship.
Are you Looking for resources to start Family Worship? Check out some of our recommendations below!
Big Truths for Little Kids: Teaching Your Children to Love God
A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home
Exploring the Bible Together: 52 week Family Worship Plan
