I have gone through quite a few spiritual changes the last couple of years. Right now I am being convicted right and left over things in my life and my family. One of them I have been dealing with lately is that we do not have prayer or bible study time as a family. I didn't grow up in a home that did this and I have never done this with my kids. The Lord has dealt with me on this. My kids have learned most of what they know about God and Jesus from Church. It is not the churches responsibility, it is mine and my husbands. This is one major issuse that I feel quilt over. I have alot of years to make up for but I am ready to do so.
Where to start is the question?
I have 4 kids, all different ages. B-16, G-14, B-9, and B-5. How do I cover all of the needs?
How long do we meet for?
How often, daily or weekly?
What topics to study and do I prepare a lesson or something?
This will be a learning process for us all. I have been desiring to do this for a while. I mentioned it to DH at the counselors office a few weeks ago but I did not get any response from him. I hadn't shared it with the kids yet but when Dustin and Lauren came home from camp wanting to have study and prayer time at home I thought Okay this is the right time.
I would love some Godly wisdom on this issue please. It is important to me and the enemy has already been throwing the excuse at me.
Joshua 24:15 " But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
3 comments:
WOW! What a great update. I am looking forward to reading everyone's ideas, too.
We have a family devotional time - I bought a family devotional book at the Christian Book store . . . we read the devotional and discuss it together and end with prayer time. But my kids are closer together in age! We usually spend about 20 minutes together - about 3 times a week.
But I would love to get more creative - so I can't wait to hear what others are doing as well! :)
Thanks for your sweet comment today. I was so pleased to read this post because, I have so been there. We began a morning devotion, or um I should say I began a morning devotion with the kids (it took my hubby five years before he got on board). I modeled my time after a sweet sister at my church. She would find a verse in the Bible and share what came to her heart and would make sure that her three little ones left home with His word and a family prayer being the beginning of their school day.
First off, don't be so hard on yourself, it is never too late to start doing this with your kids.
Here is what we do...I have found great kids devotion books and gone by those, I have also read them stories from the Bible and most recently when my husband and I have our time in the word in the mornings, we will ask each other if something spoke to us that morning that we could share with our kids for our devotion time. After we share, read a verse or a story out of a devotion book, we ask each of our children individually what they just got out of that. We have been floored at some of the beautiful responses they have had, teaching us a thing or two! Then we have our youngest son Samuel lead us in prayer and we move up through the children, ending with their father closing us in prayer. In all it lasts about ten minutes or so. Having a Senior and a Freshman now in high school, after seven years of devotions, we have started having each one teach the morning devotion on the weekend.
The blessings have been abundant.
Please forgive the long post. I just can't wait to hear how the Lord works with your precious brood. And remember, no one is perfect, there have been quite a few devotion times that have ended in irritation. All I say, is push through.
Blessings, Joanne
Amy,
We didn't do family prayer or Bible study growing up either. I think it would have been a good thing.
Our Christian Bible store here, Mardel's, has devotions books and studies for kids. You might try looking for something like that.
Blessings!
Cheryl
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