A Time to study and pray together with spouses and children of all ages
These devotionals are the first three in a nine-part series designed to be used on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for three weeks. For the next two Mondays, the other devotionals will be posted for your free use.
This study is an introduction to family worship. Many couples and parents have found using the Westminster Catechism a great resource for regularly gathering the family together to teach about and remind their family of God’s daily involvement in their lives.
Each family devotional takes your family through the Lord’s Prayer over a three-week period, assuming you meet together three times per week. Each devotional takes about 8 to 10 minutes. Everything needed for the study is on one page. These studies are designed to help families enjoy regular devotions together around God’s Word.
Included in each study is something for everyone. The format of each devotional allows pre-school and elementary students as well as middle and high school students to participate in the discussion through the provided questions and activities. If you are a couple without children, you’ll also find the content insightful. Our prayer is that these devotions will help align you, your spouse, and your children with God’s Word by using a convenient format.
Enjoy your time together as you seek Christ as a family. There are few activities more rewarding than seeing your family gathered around to hear and discuss God’s Word. And during this time when small groups are suspended, now more than ever, we need to meet together as a family unit.
You may print as many copies of these devotionals as you need. And let your family and friends know these are available for them to use too.
Details on how to use the devotional material
First, set a regularly scheduled time when each member of the family can attend. We suggest a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday schedule at a time (like after dinner) when all or most family members can be present. Make the meeting time a priority so everyone can participate.
The pre-school and elementary school students (ages 4 to 10 years old) can use the Children’s catechism answers. Middle and high school students (ages 11 to 17 years old), as well as adults, can use the standard Westminster Shorter Catechism content (WSC).
The first question number (located on the top right) refers to the WSC. The second number is from the Children’s version of the WSC located on https://reformed.org/historic-confessions/the-childrens-catechism/. Also, bring a Bible so you can look up additional Scriptures when needed.*
The discussions can be read aloud or a family member can put the ideas into their own words. The questions are designed to inspire interaction with biblical thought. Use all or only a few of the questions depending on how engaging the discussion becomes. The video resource is specifically beneficial to pre-school and elementary children. The closing prayer may be offered by one person (parent or child) or said in unison.
For the most effective use of this material, keep it simple and the time frame brief (8 to 10 minutes). This will encourage attendance and keep interest high. It also makes it easier to develop the habit of regular family devotions.
God’s greatest blessings, Jim Klukow and Margaret Kiser.
*Biblical quotes use the English Standard Version (Copyright 2016, Crossway).
Family Devotions on the Lord’s Prayer #1
Monday What is Prayer? WSC # 98/ 105
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-8
The Shorter Catechism # 98 Question: “What is Prayer?”
The Shorter Catechism # 98 Answer: “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.”
The Children’s Catechism #105 Answer: “Prayer is asking God for things which he has promised to give.”
Discussion: True prayer is talking directly to God and listening to Him speak through the Bible. When we pray, we are to trust that Jesus Christ has given us access to God’s gracious presence. God’s Spirit leads us into God’s presence, directs us to focus on God as a person, and guides our minds and spirits to pray the things God wants us to say to him.
In prayer, we are not trying to impress anyone around us and especially not God. Rather, we come before Him sincerely and honestly to praise God and to ask Him for help. This is why it’s important to have regular times alone with God. He is eager to hear our thoughts and He enjoys time with us. Maybe a deeper issue we face isn’t the discipline of having time with God, but, do we really enjoy having time alone with God?
Key Verse: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7
Questions:
Is there anything we can do to get God’s attention when we pray?
How do we listen to God when we pray?
What are some empty phrases commonly used when praying?
What is the value of talking to God when you are alone?
Activity for Elementary Students: Philippians 4:6-7
Video Resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd35-M-xLX4&t=97s
Type in the address above to watch and sing the song.
Children’s Catechism Answer: Prayer is asking God for things which He has promised to give. (Sing the answer to this question to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Prayer is asking God for things, God for things, God for things,
Prayer is asking God for things which He has promised to give.
Activity for Middle and High School Students: Have everyone go outside and take a walk for five minutes. While on the walk talk to God and tell him how your day went.
Closing
prayer: “Our God and Father, we are together as a family seeking
to know you better. Thank you for listening to our prayers and for being
interested in us. And thank you for sending Jesus to pay for our sins so we can
enjoy fellowship with you every day. We ask that you be with our family this week
in ways that make us aware of how much you love and care for us. God bless
_______________ (insert each family member’s name) and remain close to them this
week. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Family Devotions on the Lord’s Prayer #2
Wednesday Who Do We Pray To? WSC # 100/ 106
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9a
The Shorter Catechism # 100 Question: “What does the preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?”
The Shorter Catechism # 100 Answer: “The preface of the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.”
The Children’s Catechism #106 Answer: We should pray “only in the name of Christ.”
Discussion: Christians must learn how to pray just as people learn how to talk to each other. The Lord’s prayer reveals the pattern Jesus used when he was alone and talking to God. Jesus’ practice in prayer was not to recite memorized prayers. His disciples noticed this when Jesus prayed. He was having a conversation with God as his father. They wanted to speak with God as Jesus spoke with his heavenly Father.
God is our heavenly Father too, which makes us his children. Not everyone is a child of God and not everyone has the promise that God listens to their prayers. Thus, it’s important when addressing God in prayer to base communication on Jesus being our Redeemer. As our heavenly Father, God cares for us just like parents who are legally obligated to care for their children.
Key Verse: Isa 64:8-9, “But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people.”
Questions:
Who do we address in prayer, God the Father, Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit?
Where have you seen God be your parent?
God already knows what we need, so why are we told to pray and ask for things?
If praying is personal communication with God as my heavenly Father, then how often should I speak with him?
Activity for Elementary Students: Use part of the key verse and play “telephone” with it. Pass the part of the verse around the circle and have the last person repeat it out loud.
Video Resource: In Whose Name Should We Pray? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcwBAP8Vt2Y&list=PLM1Wl55UUJ7Sw_uP4vpGuqxfW1MID-VjZ&index=2
Activity for Middle and High School Students: Write down on a piece of paper what you appreciate about your parents. Now write the same things down on that paper but have those things refer to God. Pause and thank God for being your heavenly Father.
Closing prayer: “Lord Jesus, thank you for providing us with a model on how to pray. And thank you for taking responsibility to be our heavenly parent. Help us to follow you and obey you as we would our moms and dads. We trust in your ability to provide everything we need, including our home, protection for our family members, jobs, food and clothing, and friends. Truly you are a good Father and a wonderful Savior. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Family Devotions on the Lord’s Prayer #3
Friday How Do We Keep God’s Name Holy? WSC101/ 111
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9b
The Shorter Catechism # 101 Question: “What do we pray for in the first petition?”
The Shorter Catechism # 101 Answer: “In the first petition, we pray, that God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he makes himself known; and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.”
The Children’s Catechism #106 Answer: “That God’s name may be honored by us and all men.”
Discussion: Prayer is more than presenting a list of requests to God. In prayer, we don’t make deals with our heavenly Father. Rather, we speak with God with a hungry to give him honor and to advance his purposes in the world. God’s name is special and must be treated with the highest respect. And we must place God’s name and fame as more important than any other name or authority in our lives. He is the Most High God; He is our redeeming Lord.
In prayer, we speak to God as we would a King. There is no one like him in the whole universe. An obvious application of honoring God’s name then is to not use it wrongly, such as a swear word or used lightly in conversation. God is the one who brings life and we don’t want to curse things or people using his name. That’s improper.
Key Verse: “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Rev 15:3b-4
Questions:
How do we honor God’s name?
There is a proper order to how we pray. We are to seek first God’s will rather than asking for self-oriented things. Why did Jesus pray like this?
We know God is our heavenly Father, but what other names does he have in the Bible?
What is your favorite name or title for Jesus?
Activity for Elementary Students: Look up the names of Jesus in the Bible. Pick one and write it on a card. Decorate the card to help you remember to honor the name of the Lord.
Video Resource: Holy Holy Holy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttGPzo1r33A
Activity for Middle and High School Students: Go around the table and have each person say a name or title that relates to Jesus from the Bible. Keep going until you run out of titles. Who can remember the most names and titles?
Closing prayer: “God our Father, we want to keep your name special and holy. Help us to talk to you with the respect and honor you deserve as our Lord and King. Forgive us for thinking we only come to you when we want things. Teach us to ask for the things you want to do in our lives. And give us the courage to use your name in front of others in proper and respectful ways. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Copyright (C) Jim Klukow 2020
You may reproduce these devotionals as long as the copyright is included on the copies.
Picture attributions: Boy in bed by nappy from Pexels.com, Two boys sitting on a log by Victoria Borodinova from Pexels.com.
For additional resources on praying in troubled times see the video, “Praying in Crisis.”
