Now that school has started, it’s a great time to re-instate some routine into family life, including something we often don’t think we have time for – family devotions! Developing the habit of family devotions is not that hard when you have the right tools! And that’s where I come in. I love researching resources for you so that your time can be spent investing in your child’s spiritual development, not searching online for ways to make those lessons interesting.
Finding Time for Devotions
Finding time for the Bible is fairly easy if you set it aside and have a plan. For many families, mealtime is a great time. The whole family is gathered and you can sneak in a few minutes of Bible fun and engaging conversation. Another family favorite might be bedtime. There is no doubt that a solid bedtime routine is a good thing for everyone! Why not include the Bible as part of winding down of the day? It’s an opportunity to fill your child’s mind with the things of God prior to drifting off into dreamland. WHEN you choose to include the Bible in your daily routine is not the issue, the issue is making the time for it on a regular basis. Your children will come to expect it and look forward to it! So, make the effort to develop the habit of family devotions!
Routine That’s Fun
When it’s fun and engaging, there is nothing routine about it! We want our children to be excited about devotions, not view them as a chore. So, how do you do that? Your attitude is the first step. Your excitement will spill over to your children. Before long, they will remind you when you’ve missed your devotion time. Another thing to keep in mind is the age span of your children. Many of you have children of various ages. Some can read, some can’t yet. So, when you’re thinking of family devotions, you want to be able to include all of the children. These are all the practical things to keep in mind as you are developing the habit of family devotions.
Devotional Dippers (Family Time Around the Table)
Devotional Dippers are a great resource to use around the table. There are three different sets of Devotional Dippers, Key Bible Words, Names and Attributes of God and Prayer. Each dipper has a read, think and pray section along with the word, attribute of God or prayer from scripture that your child is learning about. There are 40 sticks in each set and they are for ages 3 and up.
About Each Devotional Dippers Set
The Key Bible Words set tackles words like communion, grace, heaven and forgiveness. So for “forgiveness,” you would read Ephesians 4:32-5:2. Then you would ask your family the question printed on the dipper, “What does this teach us about why we should forgive people?” Be sure to give everyone a chance to answer. Finally, the dipper gives you a prayer to read, asking God to help you to forgive others.
Key Bible Words Dippers Click the Image to Order
The Names and Attributes of God set is divided into 3 sections where you learn about Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Father. There is also a dipper that explains the trinity. I’ll have more on that one in a later blog post, so stay tuned!
Names and Attributes of God Click the Image to Order
And the Prayer set gives you prayers from scripture that you can pray and think about. There are even several blank dippers in this set where you can write out your own prayers. What a great way to see God working when you can go back to these!
Prayer Devotional Dippers Click the Image to Order
Order All Three!
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The Jesus Storybook Bible (A Bedtime Resource)
One children’s devotional resource I love, love, love is The Jesus Storybook Bible. This little book is written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and it traces the purpose of God through some of the major stories of the Bible. The illustrations are wonderful and at the end of each story, the reader is reminded that God has a plan to rescue His people and restore them to himself. It’s appropriate for the littlest of littles (ages 4 and up, but I’ve used it with 3-year-olds). One way to include older children with this resource is to have them read the story to the other children. Or have your older children read the passage of scripture referenced at the beginning of each chapter.
The Jesus Storybook Bible Click the Image to Order
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Need More Suggestions on Using the Jesus Storybook Bible?
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