Family Devotion

Some people have asked what we're using for our family devotion times. When we started this, it was a process of learning what worked best for our boys in their current stage (4,2, and 1 yr). Family Devotion is after dinner each night before we leave the table. We tried going to the den, but there were too many distractions, and when little boys get in a wide open space, they instictivly seem prone to roam! Family Devotion includes 5 things led by my husband and done in the following order: a hymn, Bible story, catechism, memory verses, and prayer; and we try to keep it to 15 min. Two resources guide our time: Truth and Grace Memory Book and The Rhyme Bible. The Memory Book offers age appropriate hymns, catechism questions, and scripture memory. We wanted to take them through the Bible chronologically in story fashion. In the beginning, I was really excited to use a book that included 365 stories and did just that; however, it was too mature for my kids. Then we tried another popular children's Bible which they weren't quite ready for yet either. We decided to stick with The Rhyme Bible. It holds their attention well, they love the pictures, and they can easily learn the stories by remembering the rhymes. Our main goal during family devotion is that we read through the Bible and not just Bible stories at random, so they begin to learn the order of events and see how God's story fits together. As we finish the Rhyme Bible, we'll move on to The Read and Share Bible. There are lots of great children's Bibles, so I would suggest finding one your kids enjoy!

Family Devotion has now become such a natural part of our nightly routine that if anyone tries to leave the diner table early, Caleb shouts, "Whoa! We have not done family devotion!" With three small children, it took some effort to add this to our routine. And honestly, it took awhile to get in the habit of doing it nightly. I remember the first week, we only had it 3 nights, and I thought this will never work with my kids in this season! They say it takes 21 days to make a habit, so the most important thing is start and don't give up! Kids learn best through repetition and regularity! Before you know it, family devotion time will be as natural as brushing your teeth!

I'll be sharing about other things we do to disciple our kids in a seminar at the Downline Women's Summit October 28-29 on Discipling Your Young Children. I don't have it near all figured out, but I'm excited to share the principles and Biblical truths in this area that motivate, challenge, and inspire me along with some practical things we've tried. The three main books I'll be drawing from are Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham, Discipleship in the Home by Matt Friedeman, and Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper. All wise people who have discipled their children well!