Meetings. Rehearsals. Concerts. Competitions. Homework. And more! A family's daily schedule overflows with demands on each person's time. You’re living in that reality, and sometimes it seems like that reality is overwhelming you.
Do a schedule check-up before you read any further here. How much time is your family devoting to your daily meeting with God? Be honest. Is your family sitting down together, eliminating all distractions, and focusing on your Provider?
You're not alone in your desire to make more time for God and put God first in your lives. Here are some ways to shift your priorities and putting more of God into your schedule.
1. Start the day with God
Many families start the day in a panic: what to eat, what to wear, what to take, what's on the schedule, what needs to happen before the day is through. Phone calls. Texts. Facebook Messenger. Distractions are plentiful in today's world.
Counteract your morning panic with praise by taking at least 15 minutes to come into God's presence as a family.
Sit down together at the kitchen table. Put all devices in another room. Finish eating before you start your devotion time. Even if you stand in a circle by the door before everyone leaves, make time to sing a song, read a Bible verse or passage, and pray together before your day begins.
This is the best investment you can make in your relationships and activities for the day.
The more you honor this priority, the easier it will be for you to schedule other daily activities around it. And the more confidently and calmly you'll approach whatever the day holds for you.
Struggling with scheduling? Find some excellent time management and decluttering tips from Corie Clark, creator of Purposeful Planner and author of The Simplicity Project, at CorieClark.com.
2. End the day with God
Before everyone in the family surrenders to exhaustion or retreats to their private places, make sure to come into God's presence together before the day is through. Sit down together in the living room or family room floor. Leave devices on the stairs or in a basket by the door. Face one another and make eye contact. Check in briefly on the happenings of that day.
Sing a song, read a short devotion, and pray together. Even 5 minutes focused on God will send you off for a good night's sleep and a better start for the next day.
If you have small children, Freedom Kids Bible Videos on YouTube are a great way to honor God with your devices. Find this resource at https://youtu.be/r81Sxxg8Brw.
3. Trust older children and teens to lead family devotions
As your children grow, assign them the responsibility of planning and leading family devotions. Of course, they're going to complain and resist. At first. As the Holy Spirit inspires them and as they see positive responses from their parents and siblings, they will grow in their cooperation. And in their faith.
When you give them this assignment, be ready for them to shirk or "forget" their time to lead. Hold them accountable, and let them know that the rest of the family is depending on their preparation. Establish and enforce consequences when they miss their time. For example, teen boys often begin to remember after having to do 20 push-ups as a disciplinary action!
You may not see your children's enthusiasm for a while or ever, but growing them into mature believers is part of your responsibility as a parent. Counteract their displeasure with your positive feedback and offers to work with them in their planning. God will bless your efforts.
4. Pray together before important events
No matter how rushed you are to get ready and get to an event, take time as a family to pray before you go or before it starts. Ask for God's guidance, direction, and presence in your busy schedule. Send your children into competition or performance with the love of God — and their family — fresh in their hearts and minds.
Encourage them to ask for prayer when they are facing an important test, completing an important assignment, or preparing for anything new in their lives. Gather as many of your family members as possible for special times of prayer over these requests.
Need help in teaching and encouraging your children to pray? Find some excellent tips and resources at AllAboutPrayer.org.
5. Attend church together as a family every weekend
Real life creates real demands on weekend time for families. Parents often need to pay attention to work. Children often participate in sports events, social activities, and school competitions.
What is your family's first priority when you schedule your weekend time? Avoid the headlong rush from Friday at 5 p.m. to Monday at 8 a.m. Make sure to give God your time and attention. With many options for worship times at churches in your area, you can worship together as a family and still keep your other commitments.
Make sure to have a church home, a place where your family gathers with other families to grow in faith. Dropping in occasionally is not enough. Build healthy relationships and firm friendships for all areas of your life.
Remember the benefits of worshiping God with others. Corporate worship brings believers together for encouragement, learning, renewal, and re-energizing for the coming week. This is true for adults and children.
Worship time together as a family at church creates spiritual bonds that the enemy will not be able to break. Sing together, pray together, sit together as a family. When you focus on God, your distractions and discouragements disappear.
More Resources
For worship songs to sing along with and the best in contemporary Christian music — in English or Spanish — listen to Shine.FM
For family devotion ideas to reach all ages, find many helpful resources at Lifeway.com.
Jonathan Evans, chaplain for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and his wife, Kanika, offer parents practical ideas for effectively leading family devotions. Find their helpful episodes of "Growing Closer Through Family Devotions" on YouTube or at FocusOnTheFamily.com.
Still struggling with your family devotion time, even with all these suggestions? "Problems With Family Devotions" from FocusOnTheFamily.com is a resource with many helpful insights.
Laura Warfel is a writer, editor, and follower of Jesus Christ based in Chicago. She stepped in as mom to three teenagers when she married her late husband Gene. Her greatest joy is to bring others along with her on her faith journey. In 2015, she launched her ministry to widows called More Than A Widow. Today she blogs, tweets, and posts at LauraWarfel.com to help widows (and those who know them) find encouragement, hope, and resources for the journey. Her goal is to help all widows live beyond the label and live as more than a widow.
