You Can Lead Your Family in Worship
Children are gifted in many ways — sitting still is not one of them. And yet, here they are, sitting…still…finally. It’s around dinner time, perhaps the meal has already been consumed. You still have another hour or so before bedtime, and there’s plenty left to do before you get there. But not right now. The dishes can wait. Clean-up can wait. Brushing teeth, putting on jammies, and tucking everyone in can all wait. It’s time for your family to worship.
Your children are not new to worship, even if you’ve never showed them how. They are born worshippers. It is as innate in them as it was in you. But, just like you, your children were not born worshipping God, but the world. And that’s why this time, right now, is so important. It is your opportunity, and calling, to show and tell your children Who they are designed to worship.
How will you do it?
Simple. You will read, pray, and sing. Maybe this takes your family five minutes. Maybe longer. Maybe you do this in the morning before you leave for work. Maybe you do this in the evening before bed. Maybe you do this in the living room, or at the dinner table, or out in the backyard. The length and location are yours to seek counsel on and decide. Find a way for your family to read, pray, and sing.
Read:
The Bible contains a variety of genres, and your children need each and every one. Yet, especially for younger children, story (narrative) often works best. The gospels work well in this regard because they’re broken into smaller stories (pericopes) that usually only take up a smaller section of a single chapter. The book of Acts also has short, captivating narrative that help kids draw a connection from our church back to the church of the 1st century. You can read word-for-word from your Bible, an ESV Children’s Bible, or even a Bible paraphrase such as Sally Lloyd Jones’ Jesus Story Bible.
Pray:
Pray out loud for your children in front of your children. Let them hear you intercede for them. Give them a glimpse into your heart as you pray for their own. Model for them how to thank God for the big things (Grace, love, truth, hope) and the small things (Crayons, caterpillars, pancakes, and peanut butter). Invite them to pray along with you — not only for requests within the family, but within the church as well. Invite them to pray for our pastors, CG’s, ministry within the cities, and missionaries around the world. May they grow up to say, “I know what prayer looks like in the good times, bad times, and everywhere-in-between-times because I took part in it with my parents.”
Sing:
You may not be what the world deems a “good singer,” but the Lord made your voice. And, he made it to sing. So, sing the Doxology. Sing Amazing Grace. Sing so-called kid songs: “Jesus Loves Me,” “This Little Light of Mine,” or “My God is So Big.” Sing any song that puts God’s word on your child’s tongue and keeps it there.
That’s it.
Read, pray, and sing. Make it a habit. Build it in to the day. It is that important. Show your kids to see it’s that important because it is that important.
Grace to you in this most worthy endeavor,
Mike Schumann