A Guide to Family Bible Study
Ask any Christian parent and they will tell you – raising godly children in today's society is not easy! In fact, with social media, there are more temptations than ever before. But God promised that if you "Train up a child in the way he should go ... when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6. So, how do you, as a parent, fulfill your half of this promise? How do you train up godly children?
One of the most effective ways to train up your kids is to sit down and talk to them about God. To tell them about God’s love for them, and the plan for their lives that he laid out in the Bible.
Designing a family Bible study routine can sound a bit intimidating at first. But, here are some real world reasons for taking time out to sit down as a family and talk about the Bible.
The "Whys" of Family Bible Study
Don’t feel qualified to teach your kids the Bible? Most Christian parents don’t. So, here are five tips to help you get your kids excited about God’s Word!
The "Hows" of Family Bible Study
After the parents have led the family in prayer a few times, give your kids a chance to take turns doing the opening prayer. For the closing prayer, open the floor and ask each person to add in something specific that they would like to pray about. Encourage them to pray for themselves, or to intercede for others. This is a great hands-on way to teach them the power of prayer.
Be creative!
The most important family Bible study tip is to personalize this special time to fit your individual family. Here are a few ideas.
Remember that your family’s Bible time isn’t your chance to beat your kids over the head with the Ten Commandments and the dangers of fornication. This is your chance to share God’s love with them in a way they can both understand and enjoy. It’s also your opportunity to help them build a strong spiritual foundation that will stand up to the temptations that they will face in the coming years.
So, make the time to sow your ideals and values into your children. You don’t need a special degree or calling on your life. You already have one—it’s called Parenthood.
One of the most effective ways to train up your kids is to sit down and talk to them about God. To tell them about God’s love for them, and the plan for their lives that he laid out in the Bible.
Designing a family Bible study routine can sound a bit intimidating at first. But, here are some real world reasons for taking time out to sit down as a family and talk about the Bible.
The "Whys" of Family Bible Study
- It opens the door for you to share your faith with your kids.
- It sets a good example.
- It will help your family grow close, and stay close.
- It will open up channels of communication.
Don’t feel qualified to teach your kids the Bible? Most Christian parents don’t. So, here are five tips to help you get your kids excited about God’s Word!
The "Hows" of Family Bible Study
- Relax and just be natural! You don’t have to be the all-knowing teacher. You are just a regular family sitting around talking about the Lord. No need to be at a kitchen table or in the office. The living room, or even Mom and Dad’s bed, are great atmospheres for casual and comfortable conversation. If you have nice weather, moving your Bible time outside is also a great idea.
- It’s important not to read the Bible to your children like it’s a fairy tale. Emphasize that the stories you are talking about are real. Then, share examples of similar things that God has done in your own lives. This will build your children’s faith that God cares about your family and will always be there for them. It also makes God more tangible and real to your kids.
- Create a predictable family Bible study schedule, and stick to it. When you set an actual schedule, it adds significance to your Bible time. It also allows you to promote the event and get your kids excited about it. As your kids begin to get older, they understand that this specific time is family time, and they know to schedule around it. If possible, involve both parents in your family Bible time. It shows the children that their mom and dad both put a priority on God and on them. If one parent has a strenuous work schedule or travels a lot, it makes this family time even more important. It is better to do your family Bible study less often and have the entire family there, than to have it weekly, and miss out on everyone coming together.
- Always open and close your family Bible time with a prayer. Most families do not have a chance to really pray together outside of blessing their food. Allowing yourself to really open up and pray a heartfelt prayer in front of your children will teach them how to approach God in prayer for themselves.
After the parents have led the family in prayer a few times, give your kids a chance to take turns doing the opening prayer. For the closing prayer, open the floor and ask each person to add in something specific that they would like to pray about. Encourage them to pray for themselves, or to intercede for others. This is a great hands-on way to teach them the power of prayer.
Be creative!
The most important family Bible study tip is to personalize this special time to fit your individual family. Here are a few ideas.
- Do your kids have a favorite meal or restaurant? Do they like ice cream or fruit smoothies? Reserve these special treats for Family Bible night, and make it a tradition. Afterwards you enjoy, open the bible and discuss what you've learned.
- Turn your Bible time into a pajama party. Have everyone run and change into their PJs before you get started. Then, pop popcorn, and enjoy your time together.
- If you have older kids, have them lead the lessons. Let them pick Scriptures they want to talk about, and come up with fun ways to share it with the family.
Remember that your family’s Bible time isn’t your chance to beat your kids over the head with the Ten Commandments and the dangers of fornication. This is your chance to share God’s love with them in a way they can both understand and enjoy. It’s also your opportunity to help them build a strong spiritual foundation that will stand up to the temptations that they will face in the coming years.
So, make the time to sow your ideals and values into your children. You don’t need a special degree or calling on your life. You already have one—it’s called Parenthood.