There are lots of ways to do family devotions…

from Dad leading the way, to Mom or a big sister reading a Bible story or leading some kind of game or activity. All of those are great ideas, and you should do them as they fit your family.

But here’s an idea for family devotions you may not have thought of…

I’m calling it Group Family Devotions.

The idea is that everyone gets their own Bible (whatever version and age appropriate style they have) and comes together in the same room. Someone can choose a passage (Psalms, Proverbs, or a gospel account in Jesus’ life are great places to start), and everyone reads it to themselves, silently. Smaller kids can look at the pictures in their story Bible.

Take your time. 15 to 20 minutes wouldn’t be too long.

Then, stop and talk about what you’ve read.

I see a few benefits to doing family devotions this way…

1 Everybody gets to see everybody else reading God’s word. Don’t underestimate the power of this. Younger kids see their siblings reading. Older kids see their parents reading. Some may even be taking notes. Some may be praying as they read. The power of a good example is HUGE. This way of approaching family devotions helps provide that important component.

2 Everyone focuses on the same topic, but approaches it on differing levels. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been reading to a younger child out of a Bible storybook, and been blessed by the simple way it presents the biblical truths of a passage. You can mine great nuggets of truth out of topics like faith, love, hope, trust, etc. – just from approaching the same topic from differing levels of understanding.

3 Everyone gets to discuss what THEY understood from the story/passage. Insight will come, I guarantee it. God uses the simple observations of a child and the more life-oriented insights of an adult, to enrich everyone. There’s something for everyone to contribute, and every contribution is important.

Those are just 3 of the benefits I’ve seen from this kind of family devotional approach. Can you see others?