Family Worship in 15 Minutes

Men, you can have a simple family worship night, which will be a huge spiritual benefit for you, your wife, and your children.

Stop overthinking this. You don’t need to wait until you “feel ready” or delay until the kids are older. God has already told you what to do: open the Bible with your family, pray with them, and sing about Christ. That’s it. This is not about putting on a show or crafting the perfect devotional.

So tonight, grab your Bible, gather everyone, and take the first step. Light the campfire. Keep it lit. The Lord will meet you there.

The Basics

Big idea: Simple, sustainable, personal routines beat splashy events every time.
Texts: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalm 78:1-7.
Hook: A three-part template you can run tonight: read, pray, sing.

Why this matters

God commands fathers to lead with the Word at home. This is not a new tactic. It is the biblical pattern that formed Israel, fueled the early church, and has kept countless families anchored throughout the centuries when culture drifted. One of the ways that Christianity is true is because God has spoken in Scripture and raises real people to new life through that Word. When a dad opens a Bible, prays in Jesus’ name, and sings about the cross, the living Spirit of God works.

Men, don’t let fear deter you. You do not need a perfect voice or a seminary degree to do this nightly. You need a Bible, two or three minutes of courage, and a plan similar to the following.

Scripture foundation

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV)
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Psalm 78:1-7 (ESV)
“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.”

The 15-Minute Template

Think of this like a small, faithful “campfire” you keep lit daily. Here are three steps you can take:

Read the Word
Pray together
Sing one worship song

That is it. If the night goes sideways, keep it to 5 minutes. If hunger for God rises, linger. The important thing is, no matter what, keep making an effort.

Step 1: Read the Word (5 minutes)

Pick a short passage. Aim for around 8, 10, or 12 verses.
Read it out loud. If children can read, take turns by verse, or a couple of verses at a time.
Ask one honest question and make one clear connection to Christ.

Simple questions that work with any passage:

What does this show us about God?
Who or what is God saying this to?
What does this show us about sin and our need for Jesus?
What should we thank God for or obey today?

Starter passages for a first month:

Psalm 23
Mark 4:35-41
John 3:16-21
Ephesians 2:1-10
Proverbs 3:1-8
Luke 15:1-7
Romans 8:31-39
Philippians 4:4-9

Keep a small notebook. Write the date and at least one sentence that someone said, or one prayer request that got answered. This reminds you that God is at work.

Step 2: Pray together (5 minutes)

Use a short pattern everyone can remember:

Thanks – Sorry – Please.

Thanks: each person thanks God for one thing from the passage or the day.
Sorry: each person confesses one sin in simple words.
Please: each person asks God for one help.

Coach it to be brief. Thirty to sixty seconds each is plenty. Dad opens and closes. Invite the youngest to say “Amen” with you. Children learn the Gospel by hearing you confess and run to Christ.

Step 3: Sing one Song (5 minutes)

Singing is truth set on fire. It fastens doctrine into memory.

Easy picks everyone can learn:

The Doxology
Amazing Grace
Jesus Paid It All
In Christ Alone
How Great Thou Art
A metrical psalm such as Psalm 23

If singing feels awkward (and it probably will in a lot of cases!), start with the Doxology every night for two weeks. It can be one verse, unhurried.

Troubleshooting in “real” homes

Don’t be surprised if you encounter resistance, fussiness, or busyness. “Life happens,” and you have to roll with the punches:

Wiggly toddlers: hand them a soft toy Bible or let them color a Bible picture during reading. Keep it upbeat and short.
Eye-rolling or disinterested teens: ask them to pick tomorrow’s passage or to read tonight. Invite their honest question first. Respect thoughtful pushback.
Late sports nights: got kids who play sports on different nights? Run a 5-minute version of this in the car or at the table with dessert.
“I am not a singer”: speak the lyrics like a prayer this week. Try singing again next week.
Mixed or hurting home: if you are a single parent or your spouse is not yet in Christ, keep it gentle and consistent. The Lord sees you. The pattern still works.

A Four-Week plan you can plug in

Week 1: Who God Is
Mon. Psalm 19:1-6, Tue. Psalm 103:8-14, Wed. Isaiah 40:27-31, Thu. Exodus 34:5-7, Fri. Revelation 5:9-14.

Week 2: The Gospel
Mon. Romans 3:21-26, Tue. Isaiah 53:4-6, Wed. John 10:11-18, Thu. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Fri. Titus 3:3-7.

Week 3: Christian Life
Mon. Colossians 3:12-17, Tue. Galatians 5:16-24, Wed. Philippians 2:1-11, Thu. Matthew 6:9-13, Fri. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18.

Week 4: Mission and Hope
Mon. Matthew 28:18-20, Tue. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, Wed .1 Peter 3:13-17, Thu. Romans 8:18-25, Fri. Revelation 21:1-5.

Use Saturday to review. Ask, what did we learn about God? Use Sunday to prepare for the Lord’s Day. Read the sermon text if you know it.

A first night script

How should you introduce this to your family? Of course, first discuss it with your wife (I’m a firm believer in having clear communication with one another). Then tell your whole family something like the following paragraph. You can even read this word-for-word if it helps:

“Family, we are going to start a short time together with God each night. God tells parents to teach their children His ways. He promises to use His Word to give life and hope. Tonight, we will read a short passage, we will each pray a short prayer, and we will sing one verse. Let’s ask God to help us love Jesus more.”

Then, go through the routine. So if your passage is Psalm 23, read it. Ask, “What is one thing this shows us about the Lord as our Shepherd?” Pray through the Thanks – Sorry – Please. Sing the Doxology.

Getting through this the first night is a huge win.

Then, discipline yourselves to complete this every evening.

What this builds over time

Clarity about God: children hear the true story of the world from Scripture, not from TikTok or from woke streaming shows.
Confession as normal: sin is not hidden, grace is trusted.
Songs in the heart: truth will rise uninvited in hard moments.
Courage for dad: leadership “muscles” will grow by daily use.
A Stronger Family Unit: a family that prays together, stays together.
A living witness: guests will see a family that actually believes God is real.

Final encouragement

Men, by doing this, you are not trying to impress God. You are standing on His promises. Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 78 give us God’s way to pass the faith along so the next generation hopes in Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. I urge you to light this small campfire tonight, and keep it burning tomorrow. The Lord blesses work like this, and will make it grow larger and larger over time.