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Family Worship as a Single Parent or Lone Believer

Family worship as a single parent, or with a spouse who does not believe, is possible and worth doing. You can read the Bible, pray and sing with your children on your own, in a few minutes a day, and the Lord hears the prayers of His people. You do not need a second adult in the room to open God's Word.

If you are raising children alone, or you are the only believer in your house, you may feel that family worship is for other families. I do not think so. Here are some ways to begin, how to do it gently when a spouse does not share your faith, and what the Bible says about the Lord's care for you. Christ welcomes sinners from every kind of home, complete or not.

You can still lead

Nothing in Scripture says that a family worship session needs a particular number of adults. Paul wrote to Timothy, “having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you; which lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice” (2 Timothy 1:5). Luke tells us that Timothy was “the son of a Jewess who believed; but his father was a Greek” (Acts 16:1). A believing mother and grandmother taught him, and God used it.

Family worship as a single parent, in practice

  • Choose a time when you are not rushed, even if it is only five minutes after dinner.
  • Sing one verse of a hymn, read a short passage, ask one question and pray.
  • Let the children take a part, even if they are small, because you are the only voice.
  • Use a session with the questions prepared, so that you do not have to plan after a long day.

The worship page gives you a complete session for each chapter. Begin with the session for 2 John, which is one short chapter about walking in the truth and loving one another.

The Lord's care for a home with one parent

These verses show God's heart for homes that have lost a parent, and His people share that care. “A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5). And again, “He upholds the fatherless and widow” (Psalm 146:9). To those who belong to Christ, God has promised, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). You are not alone in your home. The Lord is able to care for a family in every situation, and His people are called to help one another.

When your spouse does not believe

Be gentle and be steady. If your husband or wife does not share your faith, do not use family worship to argue with them. Peter writes to wives whose husbands “don’t obey the Word,” that they “may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word” (1 Peter 3:1). Peter's point is that a godly life speaks where arguments do not, and that a wife should honour her husband even when he does not believe. Whether your spouse comes to faith is in God's hands. Hold family worship at a time when your spouse is not troubled by it, and invite them to join without pressure. Pray for them by name. Be a good husband or wife, and be ready to say sorry.

You may also speak with your pastor or an elder about how to handle particular tensions in your home. They can pray with you and advise.

You are not meant to do it alone

Paul says, “Bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), and James speaks of visiting “the fatherless and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27). A church family can help a lone parent, by prayer, by company and by meals and rides. Do not be shy to ask. Let the other families at church know your children, and let them know you. Family worship at home is the daily part, and the church is the weekly part.

Trusting God with your children

The same gospel is for your children as for any other. Christ died for sinners and rose again, and He calls every person to turn from sin and trust in Him. Tell your children, call them to believe and pray for each by name. You cannot give them new hearts, and neither can a two-parent home. Only God can. So you do what you can, a little each day, and you trust Him with the rest.

Tonight, open a short session with your children. The site is free, and if it helps your home you can give here so that other families can use it. May the Lord be a father to your children, and may He strengthen you day by day.