How to pray and read the Bible together at home in about ten minutes a day, with a free 12-week family reading plan
Most Christian parents want their children to know God, and most of them feel they are not doing enough about it. Family devotions sound like something other families do: the ones with quiet children, a long table and an hour to spare. In practice the habit is much smaller than that. A short reading, a question, a prayer, a blessing. Ten minutes at breakfast or at bedtime, most days, for years.
This page is a plain guide to that habit. It covers what the Bible says about faith at home, how the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions have each kept it, a simple pattern you can start tonight, ideas for every age, prayers for the table and for bedtime, and a free 12-week family reading plan with a question for every day. Every Bible quotation is from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain, so you can copy anything here into a church bulletin, a Sunday school handout or a note on the fridge.
What the Bible says about faith at home
The Bible’s picture of passing on faith is mostly a picture of ordinary family life. These are the passages Christians have turned to most often, each with a note on its setting.
At home, on the road, at bedtime
These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and 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 up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (WEB)
Moses is speaking to the whole people just after the Shema (“Hear, Israel…”, verse 4). The teaching he describes is not a class. It happens in the ordinary hours of a household: sitting, walking, lying down, getting up.
Telling the next generation
We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of Yahweh, his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.
Psalm 78:4 (WEB)
The psalm goes on to retell Israel’s story, failures included (verses 8-11). Passing on faith here means telling the true story, not only the flattering parts.
A proverb, not a guarantee
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (WEB)
Proverbs are wisdom about how life usually goes, not promises with a refund clause. Many faithful parents have children who wander. The verse is an encouragement to keep at the slow work, and it is no verdict on a family when a grown child walks away.
A grandmother and a mother
having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you, which lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice
2 Timothy 1:5 (WEB)
Paul credits Timothy’s faith to two women in his home. Acts 16:1 says Timothy’s father was Greek, so the faith came through the household members who had it. Faith passed on at home does not need a perfect household.
Without exasperating them
You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4 (WEB)
The command comes with a warning first. Instruction that leaves a child angry and crushed misses the point; the “nurture” is meant to be patient.
Let the children come
Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.
Mark 10:14 (WEB)
The disciples thought children were an interruption. Jesus was “moved with indignation” (verse 14) and took them in his arms (verse 16). Children are not a project to finish before real faith begins.
How the traditions have kept it
Every Christian tradition has taught that the home is a place of prayer, not only the church building. The words differ, and so do the customs, but the shape is strikingly similar: pray together, read Scripture, teach the faith simply, and keep it short enough to keep.
The domestic church
“the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the family the Ecclesia domestica”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1655-1658 (Vatican website)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (§1656) calls the family the “domestic church” and parents the “first heralds of the faith” for their children. Catholic families often pray grace, the Rosary or night prayers together and keep the seasons at home.
A little church at home
“Traditionally, the family gathers morning and evening before the icons, and appropriate prayers for that time of day are prayed together under the leadership of the parents.”
Orthodox Church in America, Archdiocese of Canada, “The Nature and Purpose of the Home Icon-Corner or Place”
Orthodox homes usually keep a prayer corner where the family prays, and the same source adds that this “need not be very lengthy.” The home is spoken of as a “little church.”
Family worship
“Prayer and praises performed with a special reference, as well to the publick condition of the kirk of God and this kingdom, as to the present case of the family, and every member thereof. Next, Reading of the scriptures, with catechising in a plain way”
The Directory for Family-Worship (Church of Scotland, 1647)
The Directory for Family-Worship, approved by the Church of Scotland in 1647, set out daily prayer, praise, Bible reading and simple questions at home. Martin Luther wrote his Small Catechism (1529) so that each part could be taught “in a simple way” to a household.
Churches differ on some of what a family does at home, such as icons, the Rosary or sung psalms, and on who should lead. This guide describes each practice in its own terms and does not settle those questions. Whatever your tradition, your pastor or priest will gladly suggest the prayers your church uses at home.
A simple ten-minute pattern
You do not need a curriculum. Four steps are enough, and they work at every age. Do them in the same order every time; the sameness is what makes it easy to start when everyone is tired.
- 1ReadA short passage, read aloud. Four verses is plenty for small children; a chapter is fine for older ones. Use the plan below so nobody has to choose.
- 2AskOne question. What happened? Who was brave, or afraid? What does this show us about God? The plan gives a question for each day.
- 3PrayThank God for one thing, and pray for one person by name. Children can take turns. Close with the Lord’s Prayer if you like.
- 4BlessEnd the same way every time: a short blessing, a sung doxology, or a parent’s hand on each child’s head. The repetition is the point.
About 10 minutes · most days · same time, same order
Pick one time and attach it to something you already do. Breakfast, the evening meal, or bedtime all work. A habit tied to something you already do is easier to keep than one that needs its own slot in the day. Five short times a week is better than one long one.
Let children take turns. A seven-year-old can read a short passage, choose the question or say the closing blessing. Being given a job is how children come to see it as theirs.
Keep the Bible on the table. Leave it where you eat, with this week’s reading marked. If you have to go and find it, it will not happen on busy nights.
Ideas by age
Under 5
- Keep it to two or three minutes.
- Use a children’s Bible with pictures, and let them turn the pages.
- Teach one short prayer by heart, such as a table grace, and say it every day.
- Sing: a single verse of a hymn or a simple chorus counts.
Ages 5 to 8
- Read the story, then ask what happened and who was in it.
- Let them act it out or draw it while you read.
- Give each child a job: reader, question-asker, pray-er.
- Learn the week’s memory verse with a motion or a tune.
Ages 9 to 12
- Read straight from a full Bible and let them find the reference.
- Ask “why” questions as well as “what” questions.
- Let them choose the closing prayer or write one.
- Look up a place on a map or a word in a Bible dictionary together.
Teenagers
- Ask for opinions instead of right answers.
- Let them lead the reading and the question some nights.
- Take hard questions seriously; it is fine to say “I don’t know.”
- Keep it short, and keep it even when it is awkward.
When it falls apart
Every family that tries this has weeks when it does not happen at all. That is normal, and it is not a reason to stop.
- You missed a week. Start again tonight at the next reading. The plan below has no dates on purpose.
- The children are bored. Shorten it. Read four verses instead of twenty, and ask one question instead of three. Let them draw the story while you read.
- Someone asks a question you cannot answer. Say so, and look it up together later. “I don’t know, let’s find out” teaches more than a quick answer would.
- The teenagers roll their eyes. Ask their opinion rather than quizzing them, and let them lead the reading. With older teenagers, trade the quiz for a conversation: what did you notice, what bothered you?
- You are a single parent, or the only believer at home. Timothy’s faith came from his mother and grandmother; Acts 16:1 says his father was Greek. A household does not need two believing parents for faith to take root.
- Your child doesn’t want to pray aloud. That is fine. Pray for them by name, and offer a written prayer they can read with you.
Faith at home is not a test a family passes or fails. The proverb “Train up a child in the way he should go” is wisdom about the long run, not a guarantee, and a habit kept imperfectly for years matters more than a perfect week.
A 12-week family Bible reading plan
Sixty short readings, five a week, from creation to the first church. Each day has a reading of a few minutes and one question to talk about. Each week has a short memory verse. Tick the days as you go; the ticks are saved on this device only. A printable copy is below.
Your family’s progress on this device: 0 of 60 days
Week 1: In the beginning0 of 5
Memory verse“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (WEB)
Week 2: Promises0 of 5
Memory verse“I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.” Genesis 9:13 (WEB)
Week 3: Joseph and his brothers0 of 5
Memory verse“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” Genesis 50:20 (WEB)
Week 4: Out of Egypt0 of 5
Memory verse“Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still.” Exodus 14:14 (WEB)
Week 5: God’s good words0 of 5
Memory verse“You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (WEB)
Week 6: Courage0 of 5
Memory verse“Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (WEB)
Week 7: Psalms to pray0 of 5
Memory verse“Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.” Psalm 23:1 (WEB)
Week 8: Jesus is born0 of 5
Memory verse“For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (WEB)
Week 9: Jesus teaches0 of 5
Memory verse“Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them” Matthew 7:12 (WEB)
Week 10: Jesus helps0 of 5
Memory verse“He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!”” Mark 4:39 (WEB)
Week 11: Holy Week and Easter0 of 5
Memory verse“He isn’t here, but is risen.” Luke 24:6 (WEB)
Week 12: The church begins0 of 5
Memory verse“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.” Acts 2:42 (WEB)
For longer plans, from the Gospels in 30 days to the whole Bible in a year, see our Bible reading plans. For help reading a passage in its setting, see how to read a Bible verse in context.
Prayers for the table and for bedtime
These short prayers have been said by Christian families for generations. They are short enough for a child to learn by heart, and each was checked word for word against its source. Many families say one before meals and one at bedtime, then finish with the blessing below.
Before meals
Come, Lord Jesus (a table prayer)
- Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest;
- And bless what you have bestowed.
Traditional Lutheran table prayer (German, 17th century), common English form.
Grace before meals (“Bless us, O Lord”)
- Bless us, O Lord! and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Catechism of Christian Doctrine No. 1 (the Baltimore Catechism, 1885 text), public domain.
The Doxology (“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow”)
- Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
- Praise Him, all creatures here below;
- Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
- Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Thomas Ken (1674), public domain.
At bedtime
Now I lay me down to sleep
- Now I lay me down to sleep,
- I pray the Lord my Soul to keep;
- If I should die before I ’wake,
- I pray the Lord my Soul to take.
The New England Primer (18th century), public domain.
Keep watch, dear Lord (a prayer at night)
- Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer (Episcopal Church, 1979), public domain.
Luther’s Evening Prayer
- I thank Thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast graciously kept me this day, and I pray Thee to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with me, that the Wicked Foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Luther’s Small Catechism (1529), Concordia Triglotta translation (1921), public domain.
The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)
- Our Father, who art in heaven,
- hallowed be thy Name,
- thy kingdom come,
- thy will be done,
- on earth as it is in heaven.
- Give us this day our daily bread.
- And forgive us our trespasses,
- as we forgive those who trespass against us.
- And lead us not into temptation,
- but deliver us from evil.
- For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
- for ever and ever. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer (Episcopal Church, 1979), public domain.
For more prayers from every tradition, including the morning and evening prayers of the church, see our page of traditional Christian prayers. For ways to pray in your own words, see how to pray.
A blessing to end the day
Yahweh bless you, and keep you. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 (WEB)
God gave these words to Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel (Numbers 6:22-23). Many parents say them over their children at night, often with a hand on each child’s head, changing “you” to the child’s name.
Through the church year at home
The seasons of the church year give a family natural places to start. Many families light an Advent wreath at dinner through December, read the story of Holy Week together in the days before Easter, or keep a simple practice through Lent. Our guide to the Christian year explains each season and how different churches keep it, and the reading plans page has Advent and Lent readings that work for families with older children.
Free printables
No ads, no sign-up, no email wall. Print as many copies as you need for your family, a Sunday school class, a parenting group or a church welcome table. Every verse is from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Our notes, questions and layouts are licensed CC BY 4.0: credit “Weekday Grace, weekdaygrace.com” if you adapt them.
Scripture. Every Bible quotation on this page and on the printables is from the World English Bible (WEB), which is in the public domain. The WEB renders God’s personal name as “Yahweh” where many English Bibles print “the LORD.” Each quotation was checked word for word against the WEB text, and each reading in the plan was checked against the passage it names.
The prayers. The table and bedtime prayers are traditional texts in the public domain or in common use, quoted as printed in the sources named beneath each one and checked against them. Your own church may word them a little differently.
The traditions. The Catholic quotation is from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; the Orthodox quotation from a teaching of the Archdiocese of Canada of the Orthodox Church in America; the Protestant quotation from the 1647 Directory for Family-Worship of the Church of Scotland, with its original spelling. Each was checked against the source text.
Fairness. Where churches differ about practices at home, each one is described in its own terms. Nothing here asks your family to pray in a way your church does not.
Corrections. If something here is wrong or unfair to your tradition, tell us on Facebook and we will fix it.