Tag: Family Devotions (Page 5 of 11)

Focus: Joy in prayer

Before You Begin:

For this adventure you’ll need a digital recorder. (You can use the voice memo function on your cell phone.)

The Prayer Time!

Gather family members together and have everyone sit around your digital recorder(or cell phone).

Next, record each family member laughing with joy for 10 to 15 seconds. This may test your joke telling or tickling abilities! Leave a break of about three seconds between each person. Be sure to include yourself as well. Finish the recording with a segment that includes the entire family laughing together.

Begin a time of prayer yourself by completing this prayer, “Lord, something you brought into my life that brings laughter and joy is . . .”

After you’ve completed this prayer, turn on the voice recorder and play the laughter of the first person you recorded. When you come to the break, turn off the tape. Hearing the tape is sure to bring more laughter as family members recognize their own voices and guess as to who is laughing.

Then have another family member complete the same sentence prayer, thanking God for someone or something that has brought laughter and smiles to his or her life. After this person has prayed, play the voice of another family member laughing.

Repeat this until each family member has prayed, and each voice has been heard laughing. When you’ve said “Amen,” play the segment with the entire family laughing.

Let your voices of merriment be a joyful sound to God!

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Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home

Focus: Praying to God through worship music

Before You Begin:

It may be helpful to have a couple of hymnals, song books, or Spotify playlists on hand for family members to use as reference.

The Prayer Time!

Have each family member choose a hymn or worship song that expresses a theme about which they’d like to pray.

For example, if someone is thankful that Jesus is his or her best friend, that person might choose “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” A family member wanting to praise God’s glory might choose, “What a Beautiful Name.” Even the youngest family members can participate with songs like, “Jesus Loves Me,” and “My God is So Big.”

Some family members might enjoy the challenge of writing an original song or writing new words to a familiar tune. If so, encourage that creative expression.

When everyone has chosen a song, start with the youngest person and take turns sharing what your song is and why you’ve selected it. Have everyone tell how this song expresses their thoughts, thanks, or praises to or about God.

Then sing each song as a prayer to God!

If any family members play musical instruments, have them accompany you. Or sing along with recorded music. You could also sing your prayers acapella. Finish by singing a family version of “Amen!”

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Looking for More?

Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home

Focus: Praising God

Before You Begin:

For this creative prayer time of praising God you’ll need to make a fishing pole. Tie about two or three feet of string to a stick such as a tree branch or a yardstick. At the end of the string tie a hook made from a paper clip.

Then take the cardboard roll from an empty roll of toilet paper roll or paper towels. Cut this into five to ten circles. (It’s okay if they get a little bent in the cutting process.) These will be the “fish” your kids catch during the prayer time.

The Prayer Time!

Gather your family together and ask everyone to think of compliments they could give to God. If it helps, tell them to imagine Jesus is coming over for dinner, and they want to be sure to tell him all the things they like about him.

For instance, kids might want to compliment God on the great job he did making flowers, the pretty face he gave to Mom, the gift of his love, his incredible power, and so on.

As family members think of compliments for God, write each compliment on the outside of a different cardboard circle. When you’ve used all the circles, place them in a pile on the floor. Pass the fishing pole around and let each person “fish” for a cardboard circle. (For younger children, be sure the rolls are standing on their sides for easier hooking. Also, shorten the string by rolling it around the stick a few times.)

When each person has fished for and “caught” a compliment, take turns telling God how wonderful he is. Explain that this is a simple way of praising God–just telling him what you like about him Then continue fishing and complimenting until all the cardboard rolls are gone.

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Looking for More?

Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home

Focus: Long-term prayer needs

Before You Begin:

For this adventure you’ll need a separate picture of each family member, as well as blank paper, glue, and pens or pencils. You’ll also need a 3-ring binder.

The Prayer Time!

Give each person in your family his or her picture, along with a blank sheet of notebook paper and a pen or pencil. Have family members tape or glue their pictures at the top of the paper.

Ask family members to write two or three ongoing prayer requests that they have. These should be requests or goals that will need prayer for the next three to six months. For example:

• A parent may have an ongoing request for patience.
• A child may be in need of prayer in a continuously difficult school subject.
• Someone may be in need of healing of a long-term illness or condition.

Help younger family members write their requests.

When the papers are completed, gather them together and place them in a 3-ring binder. Tell everyone this is now your Family Book of Prayer. Then place the binder on a coffee table or other convenient location.

Each morning for the next three to six months, turn the page to a different family member’s page. That person will be the focus of your family’s prayer that day. You can pray together as a family for the pictured person, or leave the book out for those who pass by to see as a reminder to pray.

Update the pages as needed, or every six months at a minimum. If you like, tell extended family members (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins) what you’re doing, and have them send pictures and request pages to be added to your Family Book of Prayer as well.

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Looking for More?

Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home

Focus: Praying for the world around us

Before You Begin:

You might need a blanket or lawn chairs.

The Prayer Time!

Take your family outside and sit together on your porch, patio, or back yard. If you don’t have an area such as these, go to a local park, spread a blanket or set up some lawn chairs, and sit together.

Tell your family to listen quietly to the sounds around. After three to five minutes of quiet, say, “Now let’s talk to God about the different sounds we hear.”

Then begin with short, sentence prayers as you are guided by the sounds around you. For example,

•Pray for the neighbor children whose voices you hear.

•Thank God for all creation as you listen to crickets chirping.

•As you hear birds singing, thank God for music.

•If you hear the siren of a fire engine, pray for the safety of those who are waiting for help.

Finish by thanking God for each family member, as you’ve heard each other’s voices.

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Looking for More?

Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home