Make 2017 The Year for Family Devotions {Kingdom Family Devotional Review}
Family devotions are a powerful way to include everyone in growing toward godliness. They give each member a chance to be heard. They are reinforcement for individual Bible time, strengthening and maturing what each person is learning on their own. However, Family devotions are not easy.
If your house is anything like mine, we have constantly changing schedules. Sometimes my husband is home for dinner. Sometimes he isn't. Sometimes we are home in the evening as a family, sometimes we are at piano lessons. No amount of busyness is ever an excuse to neglect family devotion time. For this reason, my husband and I are still shifting things around in our day, even if it's last minute, so that this precious time can happen together.
We are still striving toward consistency, how about you?
This year, a new resource has been developed for families!
Kingdom Family Devotional: 52 Weeks of Growing Together by Tony Evans and his son, Jonathan Evans is a book that will take you through the whole year. This book contains 52 separate topics; one topic for each week, and 5 devotions within that topic for each week. You can do Monday - Friday devotions for a whole year!
The devotions are short, to the point, and relatable. Each day starts with a scripture reading and is only one page long in content. These one page devotions are written to appeal to all ages and I believe the authors do an exceptional job at this. Many of the questions or statements posed within the devotions were enough to make me pause. Numerous ideas and analogies were completely new to me.
Each devotion also contains practical application. One of my favorite spots in the book is on week 42, day 4, there you will find this:
This is the activity at the bottom of that day's teaching. I enjoy how practical this is, but let's be honest, the real reason this is one of my favorite parts of the book is because I could not think of a more delightful application of wisdom than to show love to your momma by helping her with grocery bags! I don't know, am I the only one whose kids run for the hills as soon as I pull in the driveway with groceries?
Another portion that stood out to me was within the Week 2 which focused on Respect. There, you will find this gem of a quote:
“As we learn more about respect this week, look for ways to let the people in your life know you respect them. It’s okay to say, “Yes, ma’am” and “Yes, sir.” It’s also good to look people in the eyes when they’re talking to you and to use complete sentences when respond- ing to them. Try not to answer with “Huh?” or a grunt that can’t be understood.”
The people who wrote this book know what they are talking about. It also seems as though the people who wrote this book were in my house this evening. Hmm. This is another item we need to work on (respectful responses), but I am thankful they decided to include traditional concepts and manners that are now, often forgotten.
Here are a few more items to note about this book:
- Some days include a lot of verses to look up, other days have a more engaging activity- they switch it up.
- The activities are simple and use items that you probably already have on hand.
- This book is written in a conversational style. There isn't an elaborate layout listing materials and objectives. If you need supplies, the writer just tells you in parenthesis.
- The devotions consistently start off with attention grabbing statements or questions.
- The only negative thing is that the book didn't have much color.
Here is an example of what one devotion for one day looks like:
The topics this book addresses are relevant and needed. All the topics are top notch, but here is a short list of weekly topics that I thought were exceptional choices:
- Purity
- Spiritual Warfare
- Purpose
- The Holy Spirit
- Manhood
- Womanhood
- Witnessing
- Priorities
- Courteous Speech
- Greatness
- Kingdom
- Discipline
These are things we sometimes overlook in our discussions. Let's make 2017 the year we talk about these topics. Even more than that, let's go to God's Word and find answers to questions we have on these subjects and let's do it as a family!
Purchase Kingdom Family Devotional this year and see how your family grows together in HIM! I'm eager to see what God will do in our family and yours!
Lindsey Feldpausch :)
Disclosure: This is a sponsored review in collaboration with Tyndale. All opinions are my own.
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