Summer Sabbath - Week 4
“This is the most important thing we do together as a family” is a common refrain heard in our house as the sun sets. It is as much a reminder to me as anyone else in the family. After a long day filled with work, busyness, and the craziness of life, it would be easy to zone out and relax absentmindedly. However, I cannot. The time is too short. My wife and I are blessed with four children for whom we are responsible. This is not just a responsibility to feed, educate, and prepare them for adulthood. We are called to raise our children to know and love God.
Consider God’s call upon His people, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut 6:5-7 ESV). The practice of family worship is rooted in Scripture and observable throughout church history. Charles Spurgeon noted, “… in these evil times hundreds of families of so-called Christians have no Family Worship… How can we hope to see the kingdom of our Lord advance when his own disciples do not teach His Gospel to their own children?”1 But what does family worship look like? Family worship starts with three simple acts: read, pray, sing.
Read
The foundation of family worship is the Bible. A small passage read and explained will be sufficient (reading from a good storybook Bible will do if the children are little). It should be read with reverence and joy to communicate the nature of God’s Word to your family.
Pray
Reading the Bible should naturally launch you into a time of prayer. The prayer should reflect the passage just read along with the current needs of your family. The length of the prayer may vary based on the age of your children. There is never a need to weary the little ones.
Sing
We are called not only to know God, but to praise Him. Singing solid songs teaches children to do just this. Songs should be simple and accessible for your family. A good hymnal is a great blessing. Younger children will often gravitate toward this aspect of family worship first.
In each of these elements of family worship, it is essential that the whole family be engaged. Once able, children should take part in reading the Bible passage, leading the family prayer, and raising their voices in praise. Family worship is a journey that will be met with many challenges. However, it is always worth it. Summer often provides opportunities to be together more often with your spouse and children. This summer, make it a point to enjoy the Son together as a family.
Recommended Resources:
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung
Teach Me to Pray: Praying God’s Word from A to Z by Kristen Wetherell
The Sing! Hymnal by Keith and Kristyn Getty
1Charles Spurgeon, A Theology of the Family: 5 Centuries of Biblical Wisdom for Family Life, 2nd ed., ed. Scott Brown and Jeff Pollard (Church & Family Life, 2025), 62.
Consider God’s call upon His people, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut 6:5-7 ESV). The practice of family worship is rooted in Scripture and observable throughout church history. Charles Spurgeon noted, “… in these evil times hundreds of families of so-called Christians have no Family Worship… How can we hope to see the kingdom of our Lord advance when his own disciples do not teach His Gospel to their own children?”1 But what does family worship look like? Family worship starts with three simple acts: read, pray, sing.
Read
The foundation of family worship is the Bible. A small passage read and explained will be sufficient (reading from a good storybook Bible will do if the children are little). It should be read with reverence and joy to communicate the nature of God’s Word to your family.
Pray
Reading the Bible should naturally launch you into a time of prayer. The prayer should reflect the passage just read along with the current needs of your family. The length of the prayer may vary based on the age of your children. There is never a need to weary the little ones.
Sing
We are called not only to know God, but to praise Him. Singing solid songs teaches children to do just this. Songs should be simple and accessible for your family. A good hymnal is a great blessing. Younger children will often gravitate toward this aspect of family worship first.
In each of these elements of family worship, it is essential that the whole family be engaged. Once able, children should take part in reading the Bible passage, leading the family prayer, and raising their voices in praise. Family worship is a journey that will be met with many challenges. However, it is always worth it. Summer often provides opportunities to be together more often with your spouse and children. This summer, make it a point to enjoy the Son together as a family.
Recommended Resources:
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung
Teach Me to Pray: Praying God’s Word from A to Z by Kristen Wetherell
The Sing! Hymnal by Keith and Kristyn Getty
1Charles Spurgeon, A Theology of the Family: 5 Centuries of Biblical Wisdom for Family Life, 2nd ed., ed. Scott Brown and Jeff Pollard (Church & Family Life, 2025), 62.
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