How to Read the Bible So Kids Will Listen

When I was a kid, most families I knew read a denominational devotional booklet for suppertime devotions. The Bible passage was read first, then the daily devotional, then, finally, the prayer at the bottom of the page was muttered in monotone before everyone fled from the table.

In many cases, we heard the Bible reading, but we never really listened. While the content of those devotions was probably great, what was missing was enthusiasm—the kind you show when you’re about to sink your fork into a fabulous piece of pie or head outdoors on an exciting adventure.

In his book Helping Our Children Grow in Faith, Robert J. Keeley talks about the importance of sharing stories in a way that encourages kids to “live into” them. Keeley does this by asking “wondering questions” about the story and inviting listeners to think about how the people felt and why they did the things they did. Asking questions like these—with no right or wrong answers—gets kids interested in Bible stories because they invite kids to actively listen and respond.

Consider changing locations to go with the story—sit outside to read the story of creation or crawl under the table to read a psalm about how God surrounds and protects us. Or connect stories to your meal—try fish for supper or talk about what it means to be “fishers of people” during dessert!

Pay some attention to the Bible version you choose for reading with kids. With my school-age kids we’ve been reading The Message. Try the Contemporary English Version or the New International Readers Version for kids younger than grade 5, and challenge older kids with your favorite “adult” version.

Finally, remember that the people in the Bible were living, breathing, moving people just like you and me. Put yourself in their shoes. Ask your kids what they would have done if their brothers had put them in a well and left them there . . . or what they would have done if there was one type of tree whose fruit they were not supposed to eat. Their answers may surprise you!

This article was adapted from Home Grown: Handbook for Christian Parenting by Karen DeBoer (Faith Alive 2010, www.faithaliveresources.org). Karen is an early childhood educator and a curriculum editor who's been involved in children's ministry for more than 25 years. She and her husband, Ron, are the parents of four girls.

Devotions Don’t Have to Follow Dessert

If you’re one of those on-the-go families who have a hard time pulling off regular family meals, you don’t have to give up on family devotions.

There’s nothing “magic” or sacred about the after-dinner time slot. In fact, when your kids have full stomachs and a whole evening of activities ahead, their attention spans aren’t likely to be at their peak. So give yourself permission to find a time for family devotions that works for you and your kids.

Maybe it’s bedtime, when things are slowing down (if kids think talking with you about God will delay their bedtime, you might be surprised at how chatty they’ll become). Maybe it’s Sunday afternoon or Sunday evening. Or right before kids leave for school in the morning—sending them out the door with God on their mind could be a great way to start the day.

Try different options until you hit on the best time for your family to connect with God and each other. You just might discover longer attention spans, quieter moments together, and deeper insights.

Praying with Preschoolers

Prayers like “Lord, bless this food, for Jesus’ sake, amen” are great for getting preschoolers in the habit of praying regularly. But as your child grows, her prayer vocabulary should grow too. Here are some creative ways to make prayer a part of your preschooler’s life:

Prayer jar: One mom created a prayer jar for her preschool daughter to use. Here’s how. First, simply write prayer topics on slips of paper. (Be specific and concrete: instead of “Bless all the sick people” write “Please help Grandma’s hip to heal.”) If your child is old enough to help brainstorm the prayer topics, work on it together. Put the slips of paper in a jar with a mouth wide enough to get your hand inside. When it’s time to pray, ask your child to choose one or more slips from the jar, and pray for those items together.

Simple refrains: To involve the whole family, adults and older children can introduce prayer topics (“Lord, please be with the people in Somalia who don’t have enough food to eat”) and young kids can respond with a refrain like “Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayer.”

Prayer circle: Sit on the floor or around a table. Hold hands, and have each person at the table say one thing he or she is thankful for. End with a simple song of thanks your whole family can sing.

Praying with Elementary School Kids

When life is crazy, as it often is with young kids, we sometimes forget that God is right there, ready to help—anytime and anywhere! Here some are ideas for praying with elementary school-age kids:

Stop, Drop, and PRAY: During battles and worries, stop what you’re doing, drop everything, and talk to God. During one awful day, Mom sent Marissa to her room three times—the last time both were in tears. After a few minutes and a good cry, Mom calmly entered Marissa’s room and said, “Marissa, we’ve had a rough day. I think we need to pray. They held hands and prayed together for patience, good humor, and forgiveness.

Popcorn Prayer: One person begins and ends the prayer, pausing in the middle so that others may “pop” in and pray, like popcorn kernels popping in the pan. This prayer style is great for families or groups that include shy kids.

Clockwise Prayer: At dinner, in the car, or in the living room each person prays for the person to the left. If there’s time, reverse order and pray again.

Moving Prayer: While you’re on a walk or in the car, silently pray for the people you pass. Or make a list of people you see, and then pray for them aloud when you get home.

Prayer Planner: Write down family prayer requests and needs in a planner, calendar, or smartphone. Don’t forget to thank God for answered prayers!

Praying with Teens

When it comes to teens, the same person may appear at your devotional time each day—but not the same personality! Use the following ideas to help make your devotional time more of a blessing than a battleground.


Engage everyone. Invite each person to read a portion of Scripture aloud. (Accept the fact that your teen may intentionally read in monotone.) Or have one person read the narration of a Scripture story while others read the words of the characters in that story. You can also take turns reading a psalm one line at a time so that it sounds like it’s being read by one voice.

Ask open-ended questions that require more than one-word answers. Some examples: What do you wonder about this story? Which person in the story can you relate to the most and why? Where did you see God in that story? Listen to teens’ perspective and let them know you appreciate their insights.

Get creative. Find unique ways to spend time with God. Consider creation and what God is doing in culture as you view and discuss a talk from www.Ted.com together. Watch and listen to a praise song on YouTube; better yet, ask your teen to find one that the family can watch! Pray out loud with your teen before he or she starts a new job and when handing over the keys to the car.

Be open to discussion. Christian parents want their kids to have a deep faith, one that moves beyond black-and-white answers, one that they can hold on to when life gets tough. In order to do that kids need to make the faith you’ve been passing on their own. Don’t panic when they have questions or express doubts. Resist the temptation to lecture your teens or tell them what to believe. Be honest about your own questions—and your faith that God knows the answers.

Five Ways Your Church Can Support Family Devotions

1. Give children an easy-to-read version of the Bible when they enter or graduate from Sunday school. Check out the New International Readers Version (NIrV), which is designed for a third-grade reading level. Suggest that the family use this version for family devotions.

2. Give a set of God’s Big Story cards as a baptism gift to families in your church. These cards, available from Faith Alive (FaithAliveResources.org), are a fun way for families to connect with God and each other.

3. Consider implementing a church-wide home devotions program during special times like Advent, Lent, and Easter.

4. Schedule an adult education class on family faith nurture so people can gather new ideas for family devotions and share what works for them.

5. Include a note about this blog in your church newsletter. If they search for “family devotions” in the search box, they’ll find lots of great devotional series and resources to use at home.

Fresh, Fun Resources for Family Devotions

Dive Devotions (Faith Alive, $7.99)  Finding a devotional for middle schoolers can be tricky. Too adult and they’re bored. Too “babyish” and they won’t touch it. Dive Devotions by Brian Keeley hits young teens right where they live. With topics ranging from “belonging” to “decisions” to “what’s really important,” Keeley’s sense of humor and understanding of middle school life combine to create appealing, thought-provoking daily readings. Bible readings, quirky illustrations, a “Think about It/Talk about It” section, and space to write and draw make Dive “the whole package.”

God’s Big Story Cards (Faith Alive, $9.99) This set of 165 cards encourages families to have fun together as they explore God’s ongoing story. On the front of each card is a story symbol along with the scripture reference. On the back are six activities that families can do in response to the story (retell, wonder, pray, praise, share, and respond). Start by reading the day’s story in the Bible; then roll the included color-coded die to choose one of six ways to explore the story together. There are many creative ways to use these cards!

Faith Talk cards (Vibrant Faith Ministries, $24.95) Created to keep your family’s faith active and alive, these discussion cards pose questions focusing on one of four areas of spiritual development:
• Caring Conversation: Sharing Our Stories
• Devotions: Identifying God’s Presence in All of Life
• Rituals and Traditions: Living Out Our Beliefs
• Service: Actions that Honor Our Values by Caring for Our Neighbor