Maybe you’ve tried family devotions, but you want a change. Or maybe it’s just hard to get everyone settled down for the devotion. I have a few ideas for ways to begin and end your family devotions.
Begin with a Signal
Have some kind of starting signal that works for your family.
- If you need them to settle down, you might want to light a special candle. When it is lit, everyone is sitting and quiet.
- Or, maybe your family is busy and scattered. Play the same music each time as a signal to everyone. You might all come and sing a verse together, like a family theme song.
- Try something physical. Maybe sitting a certain way or clapping a pattern would be a good signal for your family.
- If you are at the table, and you want everyone’s attention, you could even start dinging your glasses, like people do at weddings.
End with a Challenge
This might not be for everyone, but most people like to have a “takeaway.” They like to have some kind of action or thought to chew on until the next devotion time.
- You could focus this on the devotion itself. Perhaps it suggested helping others in a specific way that your family could do this week.
- Or, you could have a weekly Bible verse challenge. A verse is posted throughout the house. When you come together for Sunday night devotions, everyone says the Bible verse from memory, together.
- You could also do a reading challenge with older children. Usually devotions have a few verses as suggested reading. The family could agree to read the whole chapter independently before the next devotion time.
End with Prayer
I think most families do end the devotion time with prayer. You could do this a number of ways:
- One person offers a prayer.
- The prayer is read from a book.
- Each person prays aloud, in turn.
- People pray in no certain order, as they feel led.
- Everyone discusses prayers, but then each prays silently.
- Consider using a prayer journal to keep track of prayers and outcomes.
I hope I’ve given you a few things to try or think about. Let me know how your family devotions are going.