This past Sunday, I taught on the importance of discipling our children and raising them in the instruction of God’s Word. So many parents feel totally unequipped to carry out this important task and they let fear paralyze them. Please don’t let this be true of you and your family. As I said in my sermon, God doesn’t expect you to be the perfect teacher; He simply expects you to show up and do your best. You will fall and stumble in your responsibilities (I know I do) but you will learn from your mistakes and grow in your ability as a discipler and teacher. I want to offer you 5 quick tips that you can apply to your family devotional times right now.

1. Start and End with Prayer - Prayer is the cornerstone of any devotional time. It is a wise practice to bookend the reading and studying of God’s Word with prayer. Before you open up the pages of the Bible, bow before the Lord and ask for His wisdom and guidance. As you close the Bible, ask the Lord to help your family act upon what you just learned. This is the perfect time to walk your kids through the ACTS Prayer Model: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Kids need to know that prayer isn’t just asking for things and treating God like a divine vending machine. When we pray, we praise the Lord, we confess our sins, we thank Him for all His good gifts, and we lift up our requests as well as the needs of others.

2. Sing to the Lord - As you read through Scripture, the Psalms in particular, it becomes abundantly clear that the Lord loves to be worshipped in song. We are constantly commanded to sing to the Lord and praise Him for who He is and what He has done for us. Singing songs as a family may be awkward for some of you but it’s a powerful practice and learning tool. I know my son loves to sing popular songs like Wheels on the Bus and Circle of Life but we have also trained him to sing Christian songs like Jesus Loves Me and The Lord is My Shepherd. He may not understand what he’s singing right now but the lyrics are burned into his brain and we are teaching him important theology. During your devotional time, pull up a solid and theologically rich song on YouTube that you can sing along with as a family. Classic and contemporary hymns are a great place to start: Amazing Grace, In Christ Alone, Crown Him with Many Crowns, etc.

3. Focus on the Gospel and the Major Storyline of the Bible - As you read through a book of the Bible or devotional as a family, never lose sight of the basics. Constantly and clearly lay out the basics of the gospel message to your kids. They need to hear it and you need to hear it. The gospel shines through every book of the Bible and your kids need to know that God’s grace is evident on every page. We need to read the Bible through the lens of Jesus Christ. Also, the Bible is the greatest and most important story of all and it has a structure that your kids need to understand. Here’s the structure: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration (C.F.R.R.) God created the earth and mankind but we rebelled against Him and chose to sin. That could have been the end of the story. But the Lord chose to show grace by sending His son to live a perfect life, die upon a cross, rise again, and ascend back into Heaven. Anyone who believes in Christ and trusts in Him alone for forgiveness will be saved. One day, Jesus will return to make all things new and destroy evil forever. We will then spend eternity with Him and other believers in perfect peace and harmony. Make sure that your kids understand the four major points of the biblical story. For younger kids, The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a fantastic resource. It will point your kids to Christ and lay out the basics of C.F.R.R.

4. Ask Your Kids Questions and Make Room for Their Questions - Obviously, this is a time for you to teach your kids so you’ll end up doing most of the talking. But make sure to ask your kids good questions that don’t lead to simple “Yes” or “No” answers. Quiz them on what you just studied as a family and ask how they can apply the lesson to their lives that week. Before you wrap up in prayer, check to see if they have any questions. To be honest, they’ll most likely say no or ask a totally off the wall question that has nothing to do with what you just studied. THAT’S OKAY! Most days, they’ll look at you with blank eyes or try to be silly but some days, they’ll ask a profound question that sparks a great conversation.

5. Be Patient and Don’t Expect Immediate Results - There will be days when your kids don’t want to engage in family devotions. They’ll looked checked out and bored. They may even complain, roll their eyes, or let out dramatic sighs of annoyance. Please, don’t let this discourage or dissuade you from engaging in this important discipline. Some of the teenagers in my previous ministry who seemed the most checked out were actually the most dialed in. They listened to me and absorbed way more information than I ever thought possible based on their prickly demeanor. You never know how God is moving and working in your kids’ hearts. Let us take a page out of our heavenly Father’s book as He is continually long-suffering and patient with us despite our complaining and grumbling. Be patient even where there appears to be no immediate fruit from your labors. Remember that you’re playing the long game with their kids’ spiritual development. Consistency and faithfulness over a long period of time can lead to amazing and astounding results.