Parents and grandparents. The Lord has entrusted you with the wonderful gift of children. The single most important task you have as a parent is to teach your children about the faith you have in Jesus Christ, in who He is and what He has done for you. It’s how God designed us to pass on our faith. But how? How do we teach our children? How do we do family devotions? What is a devotion? A devotion is based on that word, “devote.” A devotion is anything that we do as we set aside time in our day for God.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

• Read God’s Word daily yourself and together daily as a
• Ask children questions about the
  • Content: where was Jonah supposed to go?
  • Exploring: why didn’t Jonah want to go to Nineveh?
  • Application: who is someone that needs to hear about Jesus’ love?
• Children’s Bibles are useful, but are made to be outgrown (unlike our )

Singing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

• Sing a hymn together as part of your daily
• For learning, try staying with the same hymn for at least a week at a
• Ask for a hymn from next weekend’s service to learn ahead of
• CPH’s “My First Hymnal” is a wonderful tool for

With thankfulness in your hearts to God.

• Keep praying: by yourself, as a family, throughout the day, and at set
• Use Luther’s Small Catechism, which includes a guide to daily
• Rote prayers (pre-written), like the Lord’s Prayer, Luther’s Evening and Morning Prayers, the Psalms, and our hymns are wonderful prayers.
• Spontaneous prayers can also be useful As a family, it helps you know what your children are wrestling with in their lives.

Our family pattern with our four daughters happens at dinner each night. I’m the fastest eater, so I’ve got the opportunity to read God’s Word to them before they start wanting to run around. I read them a chapter of the Bible, then we speak together the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, and then we sing a hymn. It takes roughly 10-15 minutes per evening. We aren’t perfect at keeping our routine, but on those few days we miss, the girls will often remind us!

That’s why perhaps the most crucial part of family devotions is to make it a routine. Pick a place and a time where your family can be together. Carve it out intentionally as something of primary importance, as this will teach your children what you value in life.