How do we do this? Thankfully God
has provided to us His own written Word, whereby He “has
given to us all things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by
glory and virtue, by which have been given to us
exceedingly great and precious promises
” (2
Peter 1:3–4). Our gracious God has revealed
Himself in the pages of Scripture, written down for us
as the infallible record of His person and work in
history. In the Bible we learn truth—“what really
is”—about God, ourselves, the world He made, the mess
we’re in as sinners in a cursed world, His provision of
the Savior Jesus Christ, the promise of salvation for
those who believe, and much more.
How Family Worship Helps Our Child Training
As parents, we want to help our children interpret life from God’s perspective. In this way we must have a God-centered worldview based solidly in His Word. So we must teach and meditate upon the Scriptures constantly, both individually and as a family.
Many people refer to this practice as “family
worship”—the regular practice of devotion to God in
Scripture reading, praying, and singing, for the purpose
of glorifying God and growing in His grace. The apostle
Paul noted that this was Timothy’s experience: “from
childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith which
is in Christ Jesus
” (2
Timothy 3:15).
Family worship flows from hearts that love God. It is to be the practical expression of consciously living in the presence of the Lord. As such there is no one correct formula, setting, or schedule. Rather it should be a natural part of our families’ lives, as we ask ourselves, “How can I speak God’s Word into this moment? What do my children need to know about God in this situation?”
Within the greater context of living at all times for
God’s glory, there should also be regular, formal times
in which we gather our families together for Bible
reading, prayer, and singing. Let us be sure to read the
Bible and not just books about the Bible,
honoring the Scripture as our God-given authority, our
source book. We may also intersperse our reading with
questions to encourage comprehension like, “What does
this passage say? What does it mean? How must we
respond?” We should pray also, blessing God, confessing
our sins to Him, giving thanks to Him, and asking Him to
work in specific ways. We may also want to sing “psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs
” as a further means of
“teaching and admonishing one
another
” (Colossians
3:16). This “agenda” is not difficult but it
can result in eternal dividends.
Family Worship Was Crucial for the Nation Israel
At the inauguration of the nation Israel, just before they were to cross over into the Promised Land, God explicitly commanded the parents (and grandparents) to carefully teach His Word to the next generation:
“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:1–9)
Here we see God’s plan that multiple succeeding
generations would learn and observe His commandments as
the practice of devotion to Him. Such a great work had
to start with the individual (most of the pronouns “you
”
are singular), as each person would love God wholly and
hold God’s Word in his heart. Such a heart would then
overflow in daily practice and conversation, teaching
God’s Word to the next generation at various times and
situations of life.
These informal, everyday conversations centering on God serve to counteract the worldly teaching that comes through so many different forms of media. So much of television, music, websites, books, magazines, and the rest advance a godless worldview. As parents we must wisely restrict the access such media has in our homes, and perhaps more importantly, help our children (especially as they mature) to discern truth from error while interacting with these resources. For example, when a children’s cartoon refers to “millions of years,” we should take the opportunity to present the truth of Scripture and God’s creation in six literal days. Let us evaluate our media consumption and commit to bringing God’s Word to bear on these powerful teaching venues.
Family Worship Is Just as Necessary for the Church
A similar expression of this important parental task
appears in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. There
he commands fathers in particular, “do
not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in
the training and admonition of the Lord
” (Ephesians
6:4). We see here that it is the parents’
primary responsibility to rear children, with the father
taking the lead. Others in the extended family and
church will necessarily assist in this process, but the
weight of responsibility rests with the parents.
Fathers are not to “provoke
”
their “children to anger
.”
Unfortunately there are so many ways that fathers can do
this, like scolding them too frequently, teasing them
inordinately, making promises and then not keeping them,
being violent, and withholding love and praise. The
parallel passage in Paul’s letter to the Colossian
church warns fathers against discouraging,
disheartening, or otherwise exasperating their children
(Colossians
3:21).
In contrast, Paul says that fathers are specifically
to “bring them up
,” that is, to
nourish and feed their children, providing them with
tender care so that they would grow to godly maturity.
Fathers are to do this by two explicit activities: “training
and admonition
.” First, fathers must “train” their
children, comprehensively teaching them truth (cf.
Acts 7:22;
22:3;
Titus 2:12). Sometimes called “formative
discipline,” this happens both by verbal instruction and
by personal example (cf.
Hebrews 12:7). Second, in what may be called
“corrective discipline,” fathers must “admonish” their
children, verbally correcting specific areas of their
children’s lives that are out of line with the truth
they know. In both instances the Scripture must be
central, as Paul affirmed:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God [and our children!] may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
The Importance of Our Family Worship
Many factors challenge our consistency in family worship. Perhaps we fail to plan when to meet, what Scriptures to read, how to pray, and what songs to sing. But many helps are available to assist us in this matter, like the Answers Bible Curriculum.
Perhaps we fear we are ill-equipped to lead family worship. Surely this is understandable, but it is not permissible. If you think you are not equipped to lead, then strive to be better equipped! When your children ask you questions that you don’t know how to answer, it is best simply to say, “I don’t know, but I will find the answer.” Then go study and report to them what you find. (See below for some recommended study resources.)
Another factor is that we are typically not consistent, plodding kind of people. We do get passionate and excited—for a short while. Throw into the mix busy, irregular, or even tumultuous schedules and it’s no wonder we often fail in leading family worship. Nevertheless, we must persevere, for the danger of failure is great!
But exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13)
While considering all these factors, ultimately we must acknowledge that the root problem and solution is our personal devotion to God: How must we grow in love, affection, and worship of our great God? The truth is that we do what is important to us, for good or for bad. Let us prove our love of God in the practice of our devotion, particularly in family worship.
Be Faithful in This, and May the Lord Bless Your Labor
Scripture should always be in our minds and ready to
be enacted by our hands. Let us prove our love of God
and our children as we strive to be more faithful in
ministering the Word of God to one another, so God
receives the glory and we grow in grace. May we pray as
Moses prayed, “Let Your work appear
to your servants, and Your glory to their children
”
(Psalm
90:16).