Keep The Home Fires Burning

DAN WILT, M.MIN. Family life must be kept alive and passionate in worship. Here are some tips for breathing on the embers of family devotion. Every family needs to develop some way of spending time with God... together. In today's fast-paced and self-absorbed societies, families can choose to turn their attention to God, as a team, in the midst of the demands of school, work and living. Here are a few ideas for developing a family worship life at home:

Use Daily Rhythms To Read Together.

If morning comes too early for you, consider having a short time, after supper, where your family reads a few chapters in the Scriptures (Proverbs has 31 chapters – enough for one per day for one month), an inspirational fact or fiction book. Well-written books about the children's heroes, or about inspiring followers of Jesus, can seed great ideas in the heart of the whole family. Always end in a brief prayer (the family that prays together, stays together), asking God to energize your family with the themes you just read about.

Create Holiday Worship Rituals.

Favorite family times often surround a pattern or practice that occurs every year at the same time. With young children, you may want to read the Easter story out loud and act it out with your giggling actors. You may all snuggle up with popcorn on Christmas Eve to watch It's A Wonderful Life, and to discuss the importance of each member of the family to the other ones. Celebrate Thanksgiving with a post-meal time of spoken gratefulness and singing. Establish rituals – and let them take on a life of their own.

Use Bedtime To Its Fullest.

Whether a child is a toddler or a teen, the times when they are going to bed may be some of the most teachable moments you ever get with them. Many teens still love to be read to at night, even if only for a few minutes. Read the scriptures, or books (such as The Lord Of The Rings, or The Chronicles Of Narnia) to introduce ideas about how they are living their lives. As well, always pray for your children at bedtime, and bless them as a parent.

Make Your Home Into A Gathering Place.

Invite friends over for evenings of worship, Scripture reading and prayer. When children are younger, simply being in the atmosphere of passionately worshiping people can inspire their young souls toward God. When children are older, invite them to join the time in a way that honors them, and invite people with which they connect. Remember to keep your family worship times short, focused and well-planned – a rich inheritance will be passed on for generations to come.