Faithful Worship

August 5, 2023

As Christians, we worship God because he is our Creator, and we are thankful for all that he has done for us. We pray that the Holy Spirit will lead our children in faith as we integrate prayer, Scripture, and praise into the daily routines of our busy family. We hope that with God’s guidance and our faithful modeling that our children will worship God too.

Faith must be practiced. Worship should not stop at the end of church service or confined to a specific place or time of day. God commands parents to teach their children God’s commandments in many different ways and to love him at all times (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Encourage kids to worship God throughout the week in everything they do from playing, talking, singing, and reading his Word.

And kids need to see us sing, shout, bow, kneel, and clap our hands as we worship God. Scripture encourages us, saying, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6 NIV). We can’t expect our children to worship God as adults if we don’t equip them with the spiritual tools they need for the future.

Worship is not only about giving God praises in the good times but also about taking our concerns to God and confessing our sins to him. As parents, we need to model for our children prayer practices to worship God during difficult times. Using Scripture, we can come to the Lord with our struggles, laments, and sorrows just as biblical characters like David did. For example, in Psalms 22:1-5, David begins with despair, crying out to God to save him from the taunts and torments of enemies but ends in triumphant hope.

Here are some ideas to help kids experience how to worship God:

• Attend worship services as a family and be an example for them. Create a worship space where they feel that they belong, where they can worship with you and learn the story of God and his people.

• Set aside time at home to listen to simple songs of praise with phrases that say to raise your hands, bow your head, sing, and clap. Playing a game of “Simon Says” is a creative way to teach kids to worship God! Simon says, “sing, shout, bow, kneel and clap!”

• Lead evening prayer time and ask the kids to thank God for two things that he has done for them.

• Have a verse of the week that appears on sticky notes throughout the house. The bathroom mirror is a great place. Make cards for the kids to recite Bible verses about worshiping God on their way to school.

• Take kids to your church’s sanctuary/worship space when it’s empty. Show and explain to them the different pieces of furniture and different places that make up your church.

Be creative whenever you can. Don’t worry if leading family devotions doesn’t go exactly as you plan, because God is calling you to lead your children faithfully not perfectly. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as God blesses you and your family. Regularly practice worship. Give thanks in prayer. Read the Bible together. Encourage and repeat each week.

Want to do a deep dive? Check out Family Fire's article Spiritual Parenting: Catch the Passion