- Thank You Prayers
Take turns speaking out short thank you prayers “For how God has saved you and from what He has saved you.” Go back and forth a few times; at first it may seem awkward or you may begin with things that seem “Small”, but as you open your heart to Thanksgiving, you will begin to thank Him for greater, deeper, and more eternal things.
As Sunday’s sermon taught, Jesus saves us from death in the following ways:
- He saves us from the fate of death – nothing ever separates us from Jesus (Rms 8)
- He saves us from the fear of death – we are always protected by Jesus
- He saves us from the force of death – obedience brings life by Jesus even in the places where it seems obedience would cause our “good lives” to end. (Prov. 3:5-6)
NOTE: This may be a great opportunity to share your testimony with those in your home. Sometimes, the very ones we live with have no idea what Jesus has truly saved us from
- Praise through Scripture
Have each person choose a scripture to read aloud and use as a guide for their prayer of praise.
John 3:16-17:; For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Acts 4:12- And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
John 11:21: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Hebrews 2:8-9: “In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus . . . now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
Remember praise is about who God is even when we don’t experience that in our circumstances. So praise God for all the life and joy you are yet to have in Heaven and even in the middle of tough circumstances on earth.
- Family Communion
Communion is an easy way to worship as a family. The Bible invites us to receive it as often as we feel appropriate. It also allows for any disciple of Jesus to facilitate it (Acts 2:42-47). Here are some thoughts to get you started:
- To begin, have someone read some selected passages of Scripture that remind us of the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection:
- Psalm 22; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8
- Isaiah 53; Galatians 2:16–21
- Mark 15:21–29; Ephesians 2:1–10
- John 19; Philippians 2:1–11
- Next, pass the bread around and ask each member to tear off a piece, which represents the body of Jesus Christ that was broken for us.
- Read 1 Corinthians 11:23–26.
- Pass the cup of juice around and invite members to dip their bread into the cup.
- Encourage members to spend some minutes in personal prayer and reflection after they have taken the bread and juice. Consider sharing those reflections with one another.
- After all members have been served, close the time with prayer and praise.
- Worship the Savior with Psalms
We have an entire book of worship in the bible- Psalms! Read through Psalm 146 and after reading through it, ask each person to talk about their favorite line or stanza in the Psalm. Direct that discussion into words and prayers of worship and praise to God directly. You can do this by yourself as well – King David certainly did.
- Sing!
Youtube, CDs, iTunes, or your smart phone are great resources for family worship time.
You can look up your favorite worship song online or set up a Worship playlist on your phone. Invite your children to be a part of selecting the songs. If you have a musical member in your family, consider nurturing them into your family’s worship leader. Here are a few songs to get you started:
At the Cross- Chris Tomlin
Awe and Wonder- Brandon Baldwin
Man of Sorrows – Hillsong
My Savior Lives- New Life Worship
The Anthem- Planetshakers
Worthy is the Lamb – Hillsong
Hymns
My Jesus I Love Thee
Hallelujah, What a Savior
The Old Rugged Cross
Blessed Redeemer
Jesus Paid it All
Teachings On Family Worship On YouTube:
Leading Family Worship – Joel Beeke
http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/leading-family-worship
Family Worship – David Platt
https://youtube/hSGMT9cmJFE
Family Worship by Voddie Baucham at CHEC https://youtube/fwdsNRdYqCk