Family Devotions

Family devotions in our house do no always look pretty. Usually they go something like this:

Kids are done with their bedtime snack. 2 kids are dressed for bed. One is not. Daddy is dressed to go back to work. It is 6:00 which is story time, but we're pushing story time back today so that Daddy can leave at 6:15. Devotions only take about 7 minutes, so we have plenty of time.

Kaytlin is mad because her story is not being read NOW. She is fussing. She finds a glue bottle that the big kids left out and unknown to us, she is gluing the floor.

Allyssa and David are mumbling the words and one stops saying anything. That one gets a gentle elbow nudge and Mommy gets a dirty look.

We're now through the first part of the devotions ("The Lord grant us a quiet night and peace at the last..." to the Apostles Creed) and ready for the memory work.

Allyssa recites the first article of the Creed and its meaning. This week is technically the second article of the creed, but we just said that in the creed and the meaning of the first article needs a bit of practice. The point is to learn it forever, not just good enough for Friday, so memory work often goes for extra innings in our house.

David gets any of the 10 Commandments.

Allyssa gets a 10 Commandment and its meaning. She dawdles and David, Jr. prompts her on the meaning without being asked. She shoots him a dirty look.

We recite the books of the Old Testament to Obadiah because for the life of her Mommy is not able to get past Obadiah. Ugh. We recite the books of the New Testament. Another child gets a gentle elbow nudge. Mommy gets another look.

We sing the hymn for the week. Kaytlin climbs up in our laps and while situating herself smacks a kid or two (or Dad) in the face (OOPS!).

On to the Lord's Prayer and Luther's Evening Prayer. Kaytlin says a few words correctly with us and mumbles the rest. Sign of the Cross. Kaytlin crosses herself. "Amen."

And that's it. Some nights books have already been read and it is time to brush teeth. Other nights, we say bye to Daddy and read the bedtime stories.


Devotions are not always pretty. That really isn't the point though. Through these devotions, my kids hear the Law and the Gospel. The learn the faith. A foundation is built. When my kids are 80 and have dementia, a pastor might be able to come in and say the Apostle's Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Commandments, sing hymns, and more. This is the goal: that throughout their entire lives from birth to grave, these truths are put into their memory and will never leave them. I like the Learn By Heart that our church and school uses because the idea is that it is learned by heart, forever. At home we can reinforce these things by doing them each night as a family.

Looking for devotions to do with your family? Our Savior Lutheran Church has weekly devotions on their homepage. Scroll down half way to "Our Savior Lutheran at Prayer - Weekly Devotions" and click on the link for the right week.

Devotions at our house don't always look pretty, but we keep on keeping on because God imparts to us His forgiveness and we need it. We don't do the devotions to make us better people or because doing them earns us any merits. No, we do them because we are sinners. Because we need to be reminded of our sins. And because we need to be reminded that we are forgiven. We don't do devotions because we have to or because we want to. We do devotions because in them God gives us His gifts through His Word.