Leading Family Worship

The more we talk about family worship, the more I am convicted about how poor a job I am doing leading my own family, and the more I realize how little people understand what family worship is. I found some helpful instruction in Bauchum’s chapter, Mark the Home as God’s Territory. In it, he gives us Seven Steps to begin faithful family worship and then Seven Blessings resulting from faithful family worship. First, I would like to give my own definition of family worship just so we are all clear what I am talking about. Family Worship is the regular gathering of the family for the purpose of reading Scripture, singing and praying together.
Seven Steps:
Family Worship Must Be Born of Conviction. You must be convicted that this is something God is calling you to as a parent (Ephesians 6:4). If you are not convicted of this truth, you will not follow through.
Family Worship Begins with the Head of the Household. As the head of the household, family worship will usually rise and fall with me.
Family Worship Must Be Scheduled. If we do not plan for family worship, we will skip it. We must prove it to be a priority by our schedules.
Family Worship Must Be Simple. What a relief! All you need is a commitment to gather together and the Word of God. Read the Bible, sing a hymn or chorus, and pray.
Family Worship Must Be Natural. This is a big deal for me. I hate contrived things. “Just be you. Remember, God sent your children home with you, so He must want you to be the one to lead them.”
Family Worship Must Be Mandatory. No rogue family members get to skip out. Take a stand in your own home! Family worship is not an option. They may act like they hate it, but they will respect you for it.
Family Worship Must Be Participatory. Family worship is not performance. Get your family involved and engaged in the process. It can even touch the heart of a resistant teen.
Seven Blessings:
Family Worship Honors God. God is always honored when His people bless His name.
Family Worship Draws Your Family Closer to God. God will honor the family that honors Him.
Family Worship Draws Your Family Closer to One Another. Nothing draws a family together like prayer.
Family Worship Lays a Foundation for Multi-generational Faithfulness. Family traditions are powerful. “God ordains both the ends and the means of salvation, and we must do everything in our power to move our children toward faith in God.”
Family Worship Exposes Spiritual Weakness in Your Home. Many see this as a reason not to engage. However, family worship will force you to recognize unruly, ungodly, disrespectful and rebellious attitudes and hearts.
Family Worship Serves as a Training Ground for Smaller Children. It teaches young children the conduct and value of worship and allows them to participate in corporate worship at church.
Family Worship Makes Corporate Worship More Meaningful. Family worship causes your corporate worship to be an overflow of the worship of Almighty God from the sanctuary of your home.