Family devotionals are great. Many families don’t do them because they take time and energy they don’t think they have. Others hesitate because they aren’t really sure what to do. Unfortunately, by not having family devotionals, you are missing out on great opportunities to teach your kids about God and what He wants from them and for them on a regular basis.
There are great family devotional books you can purchase, but not everyone has that kind of disposable income. So, I want to start sharing with you some fun family devotionals you can do with your kids. The best part is that they will be flexible. There will be one activity, but I will suggest multiple Bible stories and applications you can use with that activity. Then you can choose which story or application lesson your kids need the most.
Ready? Here’s what you need:
Supplies: Bible, fruits and vegetables that produce scraps when cooking – onions (roots), ginger (any small slice), lettuce (roots), garlic (clove), avocado (pit), celery (roots), etc., containers (you can use plastic disposable drinking cups or other similar containers if you don’t have pots), dirt
Procedure: Pick one of the following Bible stories and application ideas to be your focus:
- Creation: Genesis 1 and 2 – God created everything and placed Adam and Eve in a garden to care for it. God still blesses us with our food today. Discuss other blessings God provides.
- Ruth: Ruth (entire book or selections) – Ruth had to work to provide food for her and Naomi, but Boaz made it much easier for her by obeying God and sharing part of his crops with the poor. God wants us to work hard and help those who are less fortunate. Discuss ways your family can serve others while sharing your faith.
- Manna: Exodus 16 – God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and was leading them to the Promised Land. Yet the Israelites were not grateful. They complained because they didn’t have food. Then later they complained because they were tired of eating manna. We need to be grateful for ALL of our blessings – even when they seem “boring”. Discuss how your family can complain less and be grateful more.
Tell your kids the story you have chosen. If possible, read some or all of it from a NIrV Bible. As you discuss the application you have chosen from the story, take the kitchen scraps you have prepared. Explain that God takes great care of us. If money is scarce, God has provided a way for us to take the scraps we would normally throw away and grow more food for free. Talk about how wonderful it is that God can help us eat even when we don’t have a lot of money. (For older kids, you might also want to point out that ginger has medicinal purposes.)
As your kids plant the scraps, continue by discussing the application ideas that match the Bible story you chose. Make sure you include the discussion of what you and your kids will do to live out the lesson application you selected.
That’s it! You’ve taken things you may have around the house and used them to teach your kids about God. You were able to choose the Bible story and application you thought your kids needed the most. What do you think? Is this helpful? Does it encourage you to do more family devotionals? Let us know by contacting us through our contact feature or posting on our Facebook pages. Watch for more free Fun, Flexible Family Devotionals in future posts.