What Does the Bible Say About Family Worship?

What does the Bible say about family worship? The Bible does not use those two words together, but it commands what they describe. God tells parents to teach His Word to their children every day, and from Genesis to the letters of Paul we see households learning, praying and singing before the Lord.

Let us go through the main passages together. We will look at what each one asks of a Christian home, what the Bible leaves to your wisdom, and where all of it leads. Every one of these passages, in the end, points us to Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 6, teach them diligently

The clearest command is in Deuteronomy 6:4 to 9. Moses has just told Israel to love the Lord with all their heart, soul and might, and he goes straight on to the children.

“and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them 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, World English Bible

Notice the order. First God's words are on the parents' own hearts, and then they teach them to the children. And notice the places. At home, on the road, at night and in the morning, which means the whole day belongs to this work.

The Psalms, Genesis and Joshua, one generation to the next

Psalm 78 says that God “appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children” (Psalm 78:5). The purpose follows, “that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments” (Psalm 78:7). Psalm 145:4 says the same thing in a shorter way, “One generation will commend your works to another.”

The pattern begins with Abraham. The Lord says of him, “that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh” (Genesis 18:19). Joshua, at the end of his life, puts the same resolve into one sentence, “as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh” (Joshua 24:15).

What the Bible says about family worship in the New Testament

The apostles carry the same teaching into the church. Paul writes, “You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). He also tells the church, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

We see a home like this in Timothy's life. Paul remembers “the sincere faith that is in you,” which “lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice” (2 Timothy 1:5), and he reminds Timothy, “From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures” (2 Timothy 3:15). A mother and a grandmother taught a child the Scriptures, and God used it.

What the Bible leaves to the family

The Bible does not tell us how many minutes to spend, which time of day is best or what order to follow. It gives us the command and the content, God's Word read, prayed over and sung, and it leaves the details to each family. That is why a family with a toddler and a family with teenagers can do it differently and both obey the same Lord.

The Bible also does not turn family worship into a way of saving our children. Faith comes through hearing the Word, and God is the one who gives it. We read and teach, and we ask the Lord to do what only He can do.

Where it all leads, to Christ

Jesus said to the religious leaders, “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me” (John 5:39). After His resurrection, “Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

So when your family opens the Bible, you are listening for the voice of the Saviour, who died for sinners and rose again, and who calls every one of us, parents and children, to turn from sin and trust in Him. That is what Moses, the psalmist and Paul were all pointing to.

Common questions

Is family worship a command or a good suggestion?

The command is to teach God's Word to our children and to live in His presence at home. Family worship is the ordinary way a household does that together. The exact form is yours to choose.

Does family worship take the place of church?

No. The writer to the Hebrews says, “not forsaking our own assembling together” (Hebrews 10:25). The home and the church work together, and each needs the other.

Where should we begin?

Begin with a short time of prayer, a hymn and a chapter. The Gospel of Mark is a good first book, and the session for Mark chapter 1 has everything prepared.

My friend, if this has stirred you, do not wait for a perfect moment. Choose a chapter and open it with your family tonight. The Family Worship App is free, as a ministry of Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church, and if you would like to help other families begin, you can give here. May the Lord bless the teaching of His Word in your home.