Written by: Justin, Next Gen Director
Worship is one of my favorite parts of following Christ. There’s something powerful about joining with other believers to praise him, whether that looks the same or different from church to church or person to person. For me, worship is a time to lay my heart before our loving and gracious Father. Guided by Scripture and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I aim to worship authentically, as if I’m at his feet.
In those moments, I’m often drawn to repentance and reconciliation with our Savior and King. I leave reminded that I am loved and often newly empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience.
But then Sunday morning ends.
And while I believe deeply that all of life is worship (Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 10:31), if I’m being honest, my worship throughout the week isn’t always as intentional or explicit as I’d like it to be. As a husband and father, I want my worship of God to be something my wife and children can see, hear, and participate in.
Scripture challenges me in this:
Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, - Ephesians 5:19
You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. - 1 Peter 2:5
Yes, our actions, decisions, and prayers are acts of worship. But Scripture also calls us to worship the Lord together in intentional and visible ways. Our homes should be places where God is clearly honored and worship is not just assumed, but expressed.
Family Worship
One of the most practical ways to cultivate this is through family worship by intentionally setting aside time to seek the Lord together. There’s no perfect formula, but here are a few simple ways to begin:
Set aside the time: Family worship can be as simple as a 10–15 minute gathering where you read the Bible, pray, and sing. If you’re not doing this yet, start with once a week, Sunday after church is a great option. If you’re already doing that, consider increasing the rhythm. There’s no “perfect” schedule, but chances are it’s more than what feels comfortable and something is always better than nothing.
Read the Bible: While individual Bible reading is important, there’s value in gathering as a family around God’s Word. This can include reading Scripture, walking through a devotional, practicing a catechism, or memorizing verses together. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s consistency and engagement.
Prayer: A helpful structure for prayer is ACTS:
You don’t have to cover all four every time, but they provide a helpful framework to aim for.
Singing: The Bible consistently connects music with worship. Not everyone feels comfortable singing, but that’s okay. Worship isn’t about performance; it’s about the heart. Play a worship song, sing along, clap, dance, or use instruments. Keep it fun and easy. God isn’t concerned with how polished it sounds, he cares about genuine worship.
*For many, this is the most uncomfortable part. But growth often happens outside of comfort. Focus on what matters to God, not how it feels to you or how it might look to others.
Conclusion
There is no exact formula for family worship but it is a practical way to prioritize God in your own home and teach your family that worshiping the Lord outside of church on Sunday morning is important. Focus on Bible, prayer, and singing and you’ll be in a pretty good spot. My desire and prayer is that we all find ways to worship God with our family on a regular basis.
If you have any questions or would like to brainstorm ways your family could start implementing worship into your lives, feel free to connect with the Next Gen staff and we’d be more than happy to talk to you about it.
Resources & Examples:
Bibles
Family Devotionals
Cathecisms
Prayer
Songs
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