Regarding Family Worship
“For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice...” (Genesis 18:19, ESV).
Before the church there was the family. Before the Temple in Jerusalem, before the Tabernacle in the wilderness, there was the family. Have you ever wondered what the Old Testament saints did to worship the Lord before there was a formal time and place to do so? Have you ever realized that in the early days of the New Testament church, there were no church buildings? That initially there were no set times for gathering together? In both Old and New Testaments, worship was centered around the family and took place in the home.
In both Old and New Testaments, worship was centered around the family and took place in the home.
The first use of the word worship in Scripture is found in Genesis 22:5, “Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.’” Isaac did not seem to think it strange that he would worship with his father. In fact, worshipping with his dad was common enough that Isaac realized they had not brought a sacrifice. Worship with his father, and presumably with his family, was something that he was used to doing.
I thank God for the local congregation that I am a part of. I look forward to gathering with my brothers and sisters on the Lord’s Day. I look forward to feasting on the Word together, and often breaking bread together. The church is vitally important to growing in Christian maturity (Ephesians 4:11-14). Gathering together is a necessary part of our encouragement, as well as our service to the Lord. “We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming” (Hebrews 10:24-25, GW). We cannot do without the church.
Yet, just going to church is not enough. Two hours on Sunday morning, an hour or two of corporate weekly Bible study, is not enough to counter hour after hour after hour of the world’s bombardment. School, secular work environments, rubbing shoulders with unbelievers, social media, television, all too often conspire to pull us away from our love for the Lord and our desire to serve Him. Differing worldviews vie for our attention. Different standards of living pull us from God’s standard of holiness. Family worship can help counter the call of the world.
What exactly is family worship? What does it look like? How do you do it? There are three essential elements—reading, praying, and singing.
First, read from the Bible. Read a psalm, or a few verses from one of the gospels. Choose one of Paul’s epistles and begin to work your way through it. You don’t have to read an entire chapter, unless you want to. If you have young children at home, you will probably want to keep the Bible reading brief. Perhaps you will want to read some of the familiar narratives that the little ones love. Explain what you are reading, and if there is time, discuss the text.
Gathering together is a necessary part of our encouragement, as well as our service to the Lord.
Second, pray. Take turns leading the prayer time. Pray Scripture, if you don’t know what else to pray. Pray through the Lord’s prayer, or one of Paul’s prayers. Ask each family member for a prayer request, which often reveals what is in a person’s heart. Pray something provoked by the Bible reading. Again, prayer time does not have to be lengthy. Just pray.
Finally, sing. Singing is a wonderful act of worship. Choose songs that point to Christ. Find songs based in Scripture as a way of learning and reinforcing God’s Word. Choose songs that are theologically rich and that nourish the soul. There are so many wonderful songs available, even kid-friendly albums that present Christ and His gospel.
If you have never practiced family worship, it will feel very awkward to start—particularly if your children are older. Set aside a particular time (perhaps right after supper), a particular place (maybe the living room) and begin today. Let every day be given in worship to the Lord and watch and see the amazing things that He will do.
“…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
Things to Do:
Begin some form of family worship as soon as possible. Make it as much a part of your life as eating a meal together or watching your favorite television show.
Choose a psalm to read together. May I suggest Psalm 121. Pray about the Lord’s protection and give Him thanks. Sing, or listen to a worship song together. I would also suggest “I Lift My Eyes (Psalm 121)” by the Gettys as a good song to learn. It is infused with Scripture. Here is a link to my favorite version of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVTvMVFiV98.
If you prefer a “quieter” version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeFa6iSP_XQ.
Here is a link to the music and lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxtMjBsN2FE.
Consider reading Donald S. Whitney’s little book (only about seventy small pages), Family Worship. He has helped me greatly in understanding the importance and history of family worship.
Some Recommended Resources:
Songs to help your kids love God: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/songs-to-help-kids-love-god-14-artists-to-know/
A challenging article about catechizing your children (with some good resources recommended): https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/catechize-kids/
Some good reasons for family worship: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/11-reasons-to-worship-with-your-family/
And another encouraging article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/then-what-when-and-how-of-family-worship/
If you have any questions, or I can help you in any way as you begin (or continue) your journey of family worship, please do not hesitate to let me know.
