Family worship consists of at least five elements:

• Bible reading and Bible study

• Bible Interpretation (teaching about the Bible passages read)

• Praise/Singing

• Prayer

• Scripture Memory

Incorporating these five elements into the time of family worship insures that this time will be most productive. Several passages teach the concept of family worship. In Psalm 78:4 we read:

We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power and the wonders he has done.

Also notice Deuteronomy 11:19:

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Clearly these two passages are indicative of the Bible's intention that children be taught by their parents about the things of God. Doing this in an organized, regular fashion shows a commitment by the parents to the importance of Scripture. It is vital that the father take the active role in leading the family worship time. This place of religious instruction is given to him by God in Ephesians 6:4. Fathers who take this responsibility seriously not only strengthen their own families but their churches as well. Men who lead their families well are those who will lead their churches well.

To have regular family worship a time should be set aside each day for this purpose. To include all the elements listed above, this time should be at least 20 minutes and will often be more. We will examine each of the elements in brief detail.

Bible Reading and Study

It is important to actually use the Bible as the cornerstone of family worship. There are a myriad of helps, character studies, retellings, picture books, etc., available. As useful as some of these may be they should not be the foundation of the worship time. Just think of how you would feel if the pastor's sermon was about what somebody else thought about the Bible instead of what he had learned from his own study!

We need the Word of God; nothing else is inspired, inerrant and specifically designed to meet our needs. It would be good to supplement the reading with the use of a Bible atlas or dictionary. Effort should be given to make the reading clear and interesting. Refer to maps, charts or other helps to clarify the passage's meaning. As the family grows older, have the older children look up the items under discussion. This practice builds good Bible study habits from childhood.

Recommended tools:

• Moody Bible Atlas
  
• New Bible Dictionary
  
• Zondervan Pictorial Bible Encyclopedia

Bible Interpretation

Many parents will say at this point, "Well, this is all very nice if you have a Bible degree! But what am I supposed to do?!?" You do the same thing that pastors often do. You should select a reliable commentary and do personal study about what you are reading. "Oh, right! This is not the Sunday Sermon and I am not the pastor. How am I supposed to find the time and money to get this done?"

Fortunately there is a viable alternative. Catherine Vos has written The Child's Story Bible. This actually serves as a commentary. Her work is theologically sound. Her husband was one of the leading Bible scholars of this century. If this volume is read along with the Bible, it actually serves as a competent guide for studying for children. For example, the sacrificial system as put forth in Leviticus is often confusing. Mrs. Vos covers these sacrifices on pages 183 to 185 of her book in a straight forward clear manner.

By following the passages that she covers in her book one will find instruction and begin to build patterns of interpretation. This is useful for younger children and new Christian parents. As the children progress more detailed and technical material can be used.

Recommended tools for younger children:

• The Children's Story Bible by Catherine Vos
  
• Leading Little Ones to God by Mariane Schooland
  

for older children:

• Survey of the Bible by William Hendrickson
  
• What to do on Thursday by Jay Adams
  
• A commentary set that your pastor recommends

Praise and Singing

Use the hymnbook of your church and learn selections that center on God's goodness and might. Hymns based upon Psalms are very useful. God commands us to praise Him. Psalm 100 contains a good pattern to follow in singing. Two to four selection are appropriate for a time of family worship. A good example of a contemporary blending of doctrine, Scripture and praise are found in some of the Judy Rodgers tape collection.

Recommended tools:

• The Trinity Hymnal
  
• Go to the And and Why Can't I See God (tapes by Judy Rodgers)

Prayer

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. We should teach or children how to pray. Building on the Lord's prayer and other prayers found in Scripture we can begin to teach our children what to pray for and how to pray. Making a study of the prayers noted in Scripture is a safe guide to learn about prayer.

Scripture Memory

The psalmist says that we should hide God's word in our hearts so that we might not sin against Him. There is no better reason for learning Scripture. A Scripture memory program is vital to the well-being of a family. As we study the Bible we see that it has all that we need to serve him and for our families to prosper. The following pattern is offered as one way to begin Scripture memory as part of family worship.

Once these are mastered they may be repeated or new ones substituted.

These verses are intended only as a suggestion. Use one or all of the verses listed as you see fit. It is assumed that families are daily dealing with areas of salvation and our need of Christ's redemptive work. These verses are intended to touch on areas of day -to-day living in order to give parents and children a foundation upon which to carry on biblical discipline and life.