Family is one of the most beautiful words I know.
It’s the loom in which the fabric of our lives are woven. It’s where we are steeped in the slower rhythms of life, the circle that binds together a deep sense of belonging, the place where we establish an undoubted knowledge of being loved.
Family is one of those cloths of life that grow more and more beautiful the longer it’s worn. It seems the more its expanded the more complete it feels. The more it’s cultivated, the more flavorful the relationships are.
The family connection is one thing I want my children to experience to the most satisfying degree possible. That they would grow a deep sense of belonging to our family unit and establish an undoubted knowledge of being loved by all those in it. But even more than that, I desire that my children would come to know a family unit of the spiritual nature; that they would who they are and Whose they are in the eyes of Christ.
So in being intentional about giving our children a solid example of how the family of God functions, we are weaving the following three faith traditions into the fabric of our family…
Faith Traditions to Weave into your Family
Traditions of Prayer – The Bible instructs us to “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Now, it isn’t possible or practical for us to be in our prayer closet 24/7, but it is possible to take on a prayerful stature throughout our day. We may consult with our Heavenly Father any time through the wireless service He designed from the beginning of time! He’s quite modern in His communication services, don’t you think?!
For my sweet little family, one way we incorporate a tradition of prayer into our day is through recognizing specific moments in our day.
On our drive to school each morning, when we turn the last corner one of us calls out, “Prayer time!” and what follows is a few minutes of each child naming their requests and praying. We love our Prayer Time Road! It has become so much a habit that every time we turn that corner, someone hollers “Prayer time!” even if we aren’t going to school. One small step in building a tradition that will influence our children for a life time.
A few more prompts to turn into prayer traditions might be:
- pray before each meal
- prayer at bedtime
- when you see an ambulance or hear sirens
- before your feet hit the floor each morning
- prayer cards and email prayer challenges also help get us in the habit of praying
Traditions of Bible reading – Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8)
About 80% of Christians struggle with daily Bible reading (source). Many of us decide it’s because we get side tracked or just don’t have time in our busy days. Yet reading just one chapter of the Bible rarely takes longer than five minutes.
A few ways to build Bible reading traditions into our family are:
- read a short passage – 1-2 verses – and ask our children what it means to them.
- expect each member of the family read one chapter a day and report to an adult
- designate fifteen minutes strictly to Bible reading
- read the Word out loud while going to soccer practice
- use the book of Proverbs or Acts as a continual family Bible reading plan
Traditions of Scripture writing – Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 7:3
Scripture writing is a new tradition for our family, but one we plan to keep practicing throughout the years. Somehow writing out a few verses each day helps infuse the Word onto our hearts. This practice helps us see into God’s Word, feel His nearness, and remember His love letter to us better.
Our family will be working through this matching set of Names of Jesus Scripture Writing Journals during Advent. We invite you to join us in this celebration of His mighty name! Just click the image for more info.
What about you? What foundational traditions are you building into the fabric of your family?
Copyright: famveldman / 123RF Stock Photo
Copyright: kryzhov / 123RF Stock Photo