Share these doable family devotions with parents at your church. The first devotion helps parents point their family members’ hearts to joy and gratitude for each day. The second devotion looks at how God’s patience with us can help us show patience too.
2 Family Devotions To Share
1. God Gives Us Each Day
Read aloud: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
Say: Some days, saying and meaning the words in Psalm 118:24 is easy! Other times, those words might say the opposite of what you’re feeling. On hard days, choosing to rejoice—to celebrate and be glad—can seem impossible.
Life has ups and downs for everyone. But no matter what’s going on each day, we can choose to have joy because of God! Complete one of these sentences, picking the one that’s closest to how you feel about today.
- This is a hard day, but I can choose joy because God has given me…
- Today’s just OK, but I can still have big joy because God is…
- This day has been amazing, and my joy is overflowing because God…
With practice and being patient with yourself, you can find joy in each day. You can always ask God for his help, too! And for the days it’s just too hard, our loving God is ready to help you try again with a fresh, new day.
Think & Talk
Ask: How have you seen God’s love and goodness today?
Read & Do
Read Psalm 118:1. Then go through the alphabet in order, naming something to thank God for that starts with each letter. Family members can take turns naming things and can help each other as needed.
Say & Pray
Pray together and give each person a chance to personally say “thank you” to God. Saying those two simple words can turn hearts toward gratitude for God—melting away stress, hurt feelings, worries, and more. Then brainstorm together something joyful you can do as a family with what’s left of this day that the Lord has made.
Fun Fact
Joy is more than an emotion, and it helps us physically and spiritually. Joy can lower stress, help you fight illness, and boost your mood. Choosing joy is kind of like taking vitamins each day—helping our bodies, minds, and souls rejoice and be glad!
