Family Devotions

What is it that keeps us from family devotions? What is so imtimidating about family devotions?

what should we talk about

how should we do this

will I be embarrassed

But consider that perhaps what our kids need most is to see us fumble through something. What if the search for the perfect, well-behaved, and well-planned family devotions was undermining one of the key formational aspects of your family? The space to share a mess and proclaim that God loves messy things like us. What if this core truth was the very thing that you are modeling for your children during family devotions?

Lets look at some stories from the Scriptures

Matthew 19:13–15 “Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.”

Parent’s wanted their children to have Jesus in their life. Even a little of Jesus is enough to change their children’s life.

This probably wasn’t a very clean scene, Luke tells us there were infants as well. It was probably like alot of kids who don’t want to stay in line, whine, crying was probably involved.

Jesus wanted the children to come unto Him, so He must have been pretty likable.

Luke 18:10–14 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

The Pharisee looked good while the publican was a mess.

What’s the point of these stories? The point is Jesus likes messy things.

He loves broken people. He loves even the half-efforts of people trying to do what is right. Because they know that even a little of Jesus is better than nothing at all.

Understanding grace in the story of God means that we understand that our mess doesn’t stand in the way of connecting with God, it is the means by which we connect with God. Hiding our mess always ends up meaning we hide from God. But bringing our mess to Jesus is the beginning of faith.

So what does this all have to do with Family Devotions? It means our family devotions don’t need to be perfect. Our goal is to move from nothing to something. God honors that move. Don’t let the fear of messy keep you in the nothing.

What do Family Devotions Look like?

what should we talk about

how should we do this

will I be embarrased

The most powerful truths are the simple ones

God is real. He loves you. Good and evil exist. Good will win. You are made in the image of God. You are also fallen. Jesus died for you. He also rose for you. God’s world is beautiful. We are tasked with caring for it. Men and women exist. Families happen when they unite. Families are like building blocks of a healthy world; we should try to keep them together, and not topple them over. Prayer is real; it changes you as much as it changes the world. Life is hard, but God is with you. Suffering will happen, but it will sanctify you. Love is not a feeling, it is a sacrifice, usually in small things. God loves you, period. Your good deeds won’t change that; your bad deeds won’t change that. I will never leave you. Neither will Mom.

The most dangerous lies are the simple ones

so the most dangerous lies are the same way: evil doesn’t really exist, you aren’t really lovable, your parents might leave, no one hears your prayers, you are essentially alone, things don’t happen for a reason, your body doesn’t matter, you are a cosmic accident, you have to fight to earn your place in the world, no one’s going to help you.

Biblical-based Catechisms are filled with simple truths that we can use.

Catechisms at a young age work like holds in a rock-climbing wall. They are sturdy things a mind can grab hold of and begin to work with.

Short Prayers

How does God want us to approach Him? Except ye be like LITTLE CHILDREN. Do children have long requests? no, they are usually short, simple, and direct.

A parking spot at the grocery store. Haven said, I prayed for one.”

My first thought was along the lines of “Does she think God is a vending machine for parking spots? What would have happened if she prayed and I didn’t find one? Does she think the number of times she asks matters?”

But really do I want my 6 year old to be self-conscious about how she approaches God? Or think that the little things don’t matter to God?

So I just said, I’m glad that God answered your prayer. He never lets us down.

Pray without ceasing. Illustration of pilot in constant communication with the tower. I’m not constanly conversing, but I am in constant communication.

The Lord’s prayer is short. The long prayers were done by the pharisees wanting to be seen by men as and religious.

Teaching our kids to pray is a work done mostly on the fly. Less in the pews and at Sunday school tables and more in the back seats of cars and the ends of grocery lines. Over skinned knees and missed catches.