How Family Devo Time Helps Your Kids

Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

Family devotions are such an important part of a godly household. So many of us know it—but it can be pretty tough to do it.

Growing up, my Mom and Dad did family devotions with my little brother and I each morning. Without fail, we’d be around the breakfast table, taking turns reading through the Psalms or another book of the Bible.

Now, as a teenager, I probably looked like a zombie most mornings. Sitting like a sleepy lump, barely showing signs of life! But you know what? Those mornings have had an impact on me a.

I learned the power of consistency.

Now that I have a kiddo of my own, I realize how much work it is to be consistent. But in our relationship with the Lord, it’s so important to be consistent in our time with him.

We’re encouraged to meditate on his Law day and night. And just like a tree that grows steadily over time, we flourish into an oak whose branches never wither (Psalm 1).

Today’s Proverb teaches us to train our kids in the way they should go.

There is a major difference between “should” and “want to.” The verse isn’t that children should be trained in the way they want to go—but in the way they should.

Training is hard work. It requires repetition, discipline, and commitment. But do you know where this starts?

Not with our kids—but with us parents!

In my life, I can pinpoint much fruit from consistent family devotions. Many mornings, I certainly didn’t want to spend time in the Bible and prayer as a family.

But my parents made it non-negotiable. I saw their commitment to the Word and to my brother and I. This is part of how they’ve passed down their legacy of faith to us.

The Fruit of Family Devotions

Consistency is so much work, but it yields much fruit. And we’ll do well to remember that saplings become trees because they’re fed by sun, rain, and soil.

Do you have consistent family devotions with your kids? If not, start today! Maybe you can start a Bible reading plan? Or even something as simple as reading a short Psalm and then praying for one of their friends or a neighbor.

No matter how big or small, the point is that you start. And parents, this one is on you 🙂

How are you nurturing a consistent devotional life in your children?

Today’s devotion by Jordan Loftis, author of two bestselling books Today We Win and The Men With Bare Feet, host of The Bible Better Podcast, and editor of Short Daily Devotions.