Perhaps the most critical thing a family can do together is worship God together. In family worship, we direct our thoughts and praises to God, remembering that He not only created each member of our family, but made us a family, and He wants us to make our home a foretaste of heaven, where we will spend eternity with Him.
Making family worship a daily habit is also a great way to teach small children how to worship when they gather with a church on the Lord’s Day. Teach and expect children to sit still and participate just as you would in church.
Remember, God delights in our worship and enjoyment of Him. Good family worship is simple, joyful, brief and God-centered. Include the following:
Praise
Sing a hymn or two (preferably one that is sung with your church so your children will become familiar with them even before they can read, and you can take time to help them understand the words)
The Bible
Read a passage of Scripture and ask what it teaches about God, not a lot of comment other than to get the gist of what we are to remember about God and our salvation
Prayer
Prayer (ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication/Intercession) — alternate between who prays or having one or more pray depending on the time–be flexible
The 5 B’s
One of the most important things to remember with small children is the 5 Bs: Be Brief, Baby, Be Brief!
Timing
A good time is right before bedtime–helps everyone get settled down and fun to snuggle together as you worship.
Resources
You and your family might also find these tools helpful:
- Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
- Read Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall
- Discovering Jesus in Genesis by Susan Hunt
- My ABC Bible Verses by Susan Hunt
- Leading Little Ones to God by Marian Schoolland
- Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade
- Audio Scripture Memory: Seeds Family Worship