Family Worship for Busy Families in Ten Minutes

Family worship for busy families can be ten minutes at the end of the day, with a prayer, a hymn and a short passage of the Bible. If you miss a day, begin again the next. A Christian parent is not measured by a perfect record, and for those who trust in Christ the Lord does not keep a tally of missed evenings against them.

Work, school, sport, church activities and tiredness all compete for the same hours. I want to help you find ten minutes that you can keep, show you what to cut and what to keep, and give you a word for the days when it all falls apart. The Lord knows how full your days are, and He invites you to come to Him.

A ten minute session for busy families

1. Begin with a one sentence prayer, asking the Lord to speak.
2. Sing one verse of a hymn you know.
3. Read a short passage, about ten verses, and ask one question about it.
4. Pray together, thanking God and asking for help with tomorrow.

A ten minute session that happens five days a week will serve your family better than a long one that never gets held. The session for Philemon is a one-chapter book that makes a short and complete reading for a busy evening.

Where it fits in a busy day

Look for the one time when most of the family is at the table. For many homes it is dinner. For others it is breakfast or just before bed. Fix it to something that already happens, such as the end of the meal, so that you do not need to remember it. Moses said to teach God's words “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:7), which means the ordinary rhythm of the day is the place for it.

Shift work, travel and sport

If a parent works shifts, hold family worship when that parent is home, even if it is not at the usual time. If someone is away, read the same passage and pray for them by name. A phone call can carry a prayer and a verse. On a night with sport or a late event, shorten the session to a prayer and a verse, and keep the habit alive.

What to cut

Family worship does not have to carry everything. Cut the long prayer, the extra hymns and the lengthy discussion on the nights when you are short on time. Keep the Bible reading, because that is where God speaks. “So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Part of wisdom is choosing what matters most in a full day.

When you miss a day, or a week

You will miss days. Begin again without a speech about the failure. “It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22 to 23). Each morning is a new start, and so is each evening.

Guilt, grace and the one thing needed

Busy parents carry a lot of guilt. Jesus said to Martha, who was “anxious and troubled about many things,” that “one thing is needed” (Luke 10:41 to 42), and Mary had chosen to sit at His feet. Family worship is a small way of sitting at His feet together. He also says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Come to Him as you are, with your unfinished list.

The gospel is the reason we can rest. Christ died for sinners and rose again, and He calls every one of us, parents and children, to turn from sin and trust Him. Our standing with God depends on what He did and not on how many evenings we managed. Tell your children this plainly, and ask Him to give each of them a new heart.

Tonight, pick ten minutes and open a session. The site is free, and gifts at this page help other busy families use it. May the Lord give you rest, and may your short evenings in His Word bear fruit.