Hello,
My family (12, 9 and 4 year old children, myself and my hubby) would like to start reading the bible together every night. Can you suggest a plan for us?
Amy C.
Amy, great question.
As far as family reading plans go, here are a few suggestions. Kudos for deciding to do this by the way.
A really good family devotional is the Jesus Calling devotional for kids. You can get it in book form on amazon or your local christian book store, or as an app on your phone. It only takes a minute or two each night, and you can discuss the daily topic if you want to go deeper. Eventually, your kids might decide to make this a personal habit that they do on their own.
You can also check out the YouVersion app for your phone or tablet. It’s the Bible on your phone. Some translations also have a button you can push to have the app read the bible out loud to you. This really helps my 9 year old who is still struggling with reading on his own.
Lastly, the YouVersion app also has bible reading plans you can check out. Under the “Family” category, there are plans that are as short as 3 days if you want to try something small to start, as well as longer plans such as “Kids can Pray” and “Courageous Kids”. The key is to pick something that will be interesting to them to read.
There are lots of reading programs available through ministers and a good start would be the Bible Book store. I have particularly enjoyed a Bible for kids with lots of pictures. The material is taken directly from the Bible. It is accurate and also captures a child’s attention. Past that, pick a portion of the Bible you love, for starters. Pray before the Bible Study for God to open your eyes of understanding and read maybe 20 minutes and ask questions after each point.