(Deu 6:7) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
It’s the Mormons that have a saying, “The family that prays together, stays together.” And that is so true. But why should families of a cult be a better example of godliness and togetherness than those from the true Christian faith?
The goal is to get the family together on a daily basis to read the Bible and discuss and pray. When this happens you grow spiritually together and you will also experience unity and harmony that brings peace and joy to your household. This is because as you get closer to Jesus, you get closer to each other. Your family exists to serve God and be a witness to the world. No wonder the enemy seeks to keep Christian families from this spiritual discipline! So what are some reasons Christian families are so negligent or inconsistent in having family devotions?
LAZINESS. We just get lazy. We are so hang loose that we fail to set goals as families. We so often lack discipline when it comes to schedules and objectives. No wonder little gets done in a real sense of accomplishment that your family can be proud of. It’s time to put God first in our families! (Mat 6:33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
BUSYNESS. The typical family in our society operates non-stop throughout the day. Our culture thrives on going, going, going. So no wonder we are “gone” when it comes to getting home at the end of a busy work/school day. Families hurriedly eat dinner and then basically watch TV or view their personal devices for hours on end. Then family members start passing out one by one and off to bed they go. Families get wired and then they get tired. (Mat 13:22) . . . the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
So how do you do family devotions? Suggestion: When your kids are young, read and pray with them as you tuck them into bed at night. Kids love those Bible storybooks with the nice pictures. Then they drift off to sleep in the arms of Jesus. As your children get older then after dinner is a great time around the table or out in the living room. Maybe go through a gospel like Matthew and take one parable or story at a time to read and discuss and pray. (There might even be an app for that!) The family is integrated and the rest of the evening has a nice afterglow. There will be times when you miss, but make sure you have family devotions the next evening.
When you have a family altar, watch your family get altered in the right way!
Louie
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