Keeping family devotions fresh and meaningful

is easier said than done. Thats why we wrote this

booklet, to help parents influence their children
and make a difference in their lives spiritually. It
wont answer all your questions, but it will give you
some guidelines for connecting your family time.
We wanted to give you a template for establishing
family devotions and provide practical, creative
ideas that can add new life and energy to them.

09020_WOL_QTConnect.indd 1 5/1/10 11:12:53 AM

 A Pa r e n t s G u i d e t o Fa m i l y D e v o t i o n s

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 quiettimediary.com

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 Recently in a conversation with parents about using
Word of Life Quiet Times for family devotions, one
of the dads asked, How do I lead family devotions?
Another mother said, I understand that the Quiet
Times are designed to connect the family, but how
does that work with multiple ages and when we are
all at various stages of life? What they were really
asking was, How can we use the Quiet Times to
CONNECT our family in a time of daily devotions?

We all need help to enhance our family times. Some

of us need instruction concerning how to institute
family devotions. Others may already have family
devotions, but they have become sterile, difficult,
boring or ritualistic. The challenge is to keep them
fresh while making them meaningful.

Keeping family devotions fresh and meaningful is

easier said than done. The purpose of this booklet is
to assist parents who want to influence their children
and make a difference in their lives spiritually. It
will not answer all of your questions, but it will
provide some guidelines to help you connect your
family time. This booklet gives you a template for
establishing family devotions and provides practical,
creative ideas to add new life and energy to them.

09020_WOL_QTConnect.indd 1 5/1/10 11:12:58 AM

 How
?
do the
Quiet Times
CONNECT

Word of Life offers Quiet Times for all ages

Early Learners (ages 4- 6)
Children (grades 1-6)
Challengers (grades 1-2)
Conquerors (grades 3-4)
Champions (grades 5-6)
Students (grades 7-12)
Adults (includes brief commentary of the passage)

All the Quiet Times CONNECT because

they are based on the same passages
Adult and Student versions contain the entire passage
Grades 3-6 cover a few less verses in the same passage
Early Learner and grades 1-2 cover one key thought
and use identical verses

Age-specific goals define the progression

of purpose for each Quiet Time age group
Early learnersEstablishing Biblical Thoughts
ChildrenEstablishing Biblical Habits
TeensEstablishing Biblical Principles
AdultsEstablishing Biblical Lifestyles

All the Quiet Times work with four

translations: KJV, NIV, NASV and NKJV

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 What do they cover?
Scope and Sequence

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

BOOK # WEEKS BOOK # WEEKS BOOK # WEEKS

Psalms 26-50 5 Psalms 51-76 5 Psalms 77-103 5

2 Corinthians 3 1 Timothy 2 Ephesians 3
Genesis 8 Leviticus 2 Joshua 3
Matthew 10 Mark 8 Titus & Philemon 1
James 2 1, 2, 3, John 3 Revelation 7
Proverbs 6-10 2 Ezra & Haggai 3 Judges 2
1 Chronicles 2 Nehemiah 2 Amos & Obadiah 1
2 Chronicles 3 Acts 11 John 10
1 Peter 2 Numbers 4 Proverbs 16-20 2
Exodus 7 Galatians 3 Zechariah 3
Philippians 2 Proverbs 11-15 2 Hebrews 6
Ecclesiastes 1 1 Thessalonians 2 1 Corinthians 6
Romans 5 2 Thessalonians 1 2 Timothy 2
Colossians 2 Jonah & Micah 1
2 Peter & Jude 2
Ruth 1

TOTAL 52 TOTAL 53 TOTAL 52

Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

BOOK # WEEKS BOOK # WEEKS BOOK # WEEKS

Psalms 104-113 3 Psalms 120-150 5 Psalms 1-25 5

2 Corinthians 3 1 Timothy 2 Ephesians 3
1 Samuel 3 Proverbs 26-31 2 Esther &
2 Samuel 1 Galatians 3 Song of Solomon 2
James 2 Daniel 4 Titus & Philemon 1
Proverbs 21-25 2 2 Peter & Jude 2 Revelation 7
1 Peter 2 Jeremiah 6 1 Kings 3
Luke 12 Acts 11 2 Kings 3
Ezekiel 5 Deuteronomy 4 John 10
Philippians 2 Job 3 Proverbs 1-5 2
Isaiah 7 Habk. & Zeph. 1 Hebrews 6
Psalms 114-119 4 1, 2, 3, John 3 Lamentations 1
Romans 5 1 Thessalonians 2 1 Corinthians 6
Hosea 1 2 Thessalonians 1 2 Timothy 2
Colossians 2 Nahum & Malachi 1
Joel 1

TOTAL 52 TOTAL 52 TOTAL 52

3

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 Gopher Buddies Challengers Conquerors
(ages 4- 6) (grades 1-2) (grades 3-4)

Proverbs 21:2 Proverbs 21:2 Proverbs 21:2-8

(ages 4- 6) (grades 1-2) (grades 3-4) (g

CONNECT
4

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A ll the Q u iet T imes are based on the same passages

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 Champions Students
Adults
(grades 5-6) (grades 7-12)

Proverbs 21:1-12 Proverbs 21:1-12 Proverbs 21:1-12

) (grades 5-6) (grades 7-12) Adult

T
imes are based on the same passages

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5

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 Helpful Hints
For a Daily QuietTime

The purpose of this Quiet Time is to meet the needs of spiritual

growth in the life of the Christian in such a way that they learn the
art of conducting their own personal investigation into the Bible.

Consider the following helpful hints:

1  ive priority in choosing your quiet time. This will vary with
G
each individual in accordance with his own circumstances.
The time you choose must:

3 Have top priority over everything else

3 Be the quietest time possible.

3 Be a convenient time of the day or night.

3 Be consistently observed each day.

priority

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 attention
2  ive attention to the procedure suggested
G
for you to follow. Include the following items:

3 Read Gods Word.

 ark your Bible as you read. Here are
M
some suggestions that might be helpful:
a. After you read the passage, put an
exclamation mark next to the verses !
you completely understand.
b. Put a question mark next to verses you
do not understand.
?
c. Put an arrow pointing upward next to
encouraging verses.
d. Put an arrow pointing downward next to
verses which weigh us down in our spiritual race.
e. Put a star next to verses containing important truths or major points.

3 Meditate on what you have read.
In one sentence, write the main thought. Here are some suggestions as
guidelines for meditating on Gods Word:
a. Look at the selected passage from Gods point of view.
b. Though we encourage quiet time in the morning, some people
arrange to have their quiet time at the end of their day. God
emphasizes that we need to go to sleep meditating on His Word.
My soul shall be satisfied and my mouth shall praise thee with
joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditating
on thee in the night watches (Psalm 63:5-6).
c. Deuteronomy 6:7 lists routine things you do each day during which
time you should concentrate on the portion of Scripture for that day:

q when you sit in your house (meals and relaxation)

q when you walk in the way (to and from school or work)
q when you lie down (before going to sleep at night)
q when you rise up (getting ready for the day)

Continued on the next page

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 APPLY 3 Apply some truth to your life.
Use first person pronouns I, me, my, mine.
If you have difficulty in finding an application for your life,
think of yourself as a Bible SPECTator and ask yourself
the following questions:

S Is there any sin for me to forsake?

P Is there any promise for me to claim?

E Is there any example for me to follow?

C Is there any command for me to obey?

T Is there a TRUTH for me to embrace?

A Is there an ATTITUDE for me to adjust?

T Can I give THANKS for something?

O Is there an OUTLOOK for me to change?

R Is there a RELATIONSHIP for me to develop?

Pray
3 Pray for specific things
Use the prayer sheets found in
the My Prayer Journal section.

8
Helpfu
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 remember
3  e sure to fill out your quiet
B
time sheets. This will really
help you remember the things
the Lord brings to your mind.

4  Purpose to share something you

gained from your quiet time with
someone else each day.
This can be a real blessing for
them as well as for you.

share
Note: These helpful hints can be found in all Quiet Times.

ful Hints 9

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 Family Time Devotion Insights

q Choose the best time of the day for your family, since every family is
different and has unique schedules.
q The ages of your children will help determine if you should have
devotions in the morning or evening.
q It is important that all family members complete their personal
Quiet Time before family devotions.
q The length of time spent in family devotions will depend on the ages of
the children or students. You might consider the following times if you
are new to family devotions:
Children: 5-10 minutes | Teens:10-20 minutes
q  Strive to make your time together fun and not just the fulfillment
of a daily duty.
q  Perhaps begin by selecting two days a week for family devotions and
add more days as you grow together and become more comfortable.
q It is important that you use variety
in your family times. (See some
of the practical ideas listed
in this booklet.)

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 Suggested Template for
Family Devotions using
the Quiet Times

1. Passage: Read the passage out loud before you discuss it. You
may have one family member read it or all participate
by taking turns reading a verse.

2. Participation: Although you may have certain family members take a

lead role, strive for participation from everyone.

3. Principle: Discuss the key thought of the passage, realizing that

family members may have focused on different aspects
of the passage. As a parent, you can get help with this
in your commentary each day.

4. Practical Truth: Discuss some ways to apply the key thought in

everyday life.

5. Practice: ( Application) Have each person decide an action step

to apply in their personal life. This may come from
your discussion of the practical truth. Your goal is to
help your family learn how to go from the principle
(truth) to practice (lifestyle).

6. Preview: Take time to mention the next days Quiet Time and
create some excitement and anticipation.

7. Prayer:  ont just begin/end in prayer, but use a variety of

D
ideas for your prayer time. The next page gives some
ideas for creativity in prayer times together.

Visit quiettimediary.com to download this form.

11
Note: See worksheet on page 17.

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 Creative
Prayer
Time
Ideas
We have used your devotional
materials for the past year
with our family, and I tell my
friends how fabulous they are.
Having Mom and Dad doing
the same devotional passage
and then adding the kids is
amazing! We have children
in grade 3, and I always have
the kids asking if they can work
ahead! Fantastic! Thank you
to all. We have become closer
to God and our family through
these materials.
12
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Establish a prayer focus for each night, such as
a family member, your church, friends
or missions.
Pray for individual missionaries that your
family or church supports. You may also
use the requests listed in the Quiet Time
Commentary each day.
Focus on a particular family member and a
personal prayer request.
Pray for the pastors and teachers in your
church and schools.
Pray for unsaved friends and family, and help
your family understand how important it is
to know Christ personally.
Pray for those who are sick.
Pray for your country and leaders.
Create a prayer bulletin board and post
pictures of those for whom you are praying or
handwritten requests from family members.
(Make it portable for easy use.)
Use the prayer pages located in the front
of all the Quiet Times to record prayer
requests as well as the answers to those
prayers. It is important to focus on how
God is working in your family members lives.
Get out of the house and take a prayer
walk with the familytake turns praying
as you walk.
Use your Christmas cards as a way to pray for
family and friends.
If your children have cell phones, pray
through the people in their phone contact list.
5/1/10 11:13:38 AM
 How to create
enthusiasm
for personal
Quiet Time

Parents, help your children actually do a quiet time

if they are struggling.
Model for the children how quiet time is
important in your life as an adult.
Show interest in what they are writing in their
Quiet Times and allow them to share with you.
Be transparent in sharing your observations and the
things you have learned from your Quiet Time.
Have older siblings assist younger brothers or
sisters in doing their Quiet Times.
Remember that every child is different and some
will embrace the idea more quickly than others.
Meet each child where they are spiritually and help
move them forward. Be careful not to compare
children.
The Quiet Times are designed to teach greater
responsibility as the child grows and matures.
They have been written with this thought in mind.
Therefore, you will see two basic approaches from
the Early Learners to the Adult Quiet Times:
1. From the Early Learners through Grade 4, we
try to communicate you need to do this, to
help them know what to do. It is a little more
direct and less subjective.
2. From the 5th grade forward, we try to help
them think in terms of I need to do this,
since they are growing and maturing in their
walk with God. This allows for subjectivity and
encourages greater personal application.
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 Discussion Starters

Beginning dialog can be one of the most difficult

components of family devotions. Here are some
discussion starters to help jump-start your time together:
Ask, What is the writer saying in todays passage?
Ask, How does this apply to my life?
If you are having devotions in the morning,
how can you apply this today?
If you are having devotions in the evening,
how did you apply this today?
Write your own specific questions from the
passage as you do your personal quiet time.
Ask about the characters in the
passage (if applicable).
Ask who is talking in the passage.
Ask who the writer was talking to in the passage.
Look for any words used multiple times
and ask why you think the writer did this.
Ask if the writer was happy or sad when
he wrote this.
Ask where you saw God in this passage.
Ask what was learned about God from this passage.

Family devotions have taken us from being close to being a tightly-knit

family. When we were asked to be Word of Life leaders, the family
devotions did not even enter our minds; we were just reading through

books of the Bible one at a time. The Word of Life program for our children
helped us establish our family devotions together around the Quiet Times.
14

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 Creative Ideas
for Family Devotions
Variety and creativity will keep your family time fresh and encourage
participation. Use some of these ideas or create some of your own.
q Draw a picture of the key thought in the passage.

q Make a mosaic from different objects to illustrate the passage.

q Role play the passage or key thought.

q Make up a song to illustrate the passage.

q Sing a song that goes with the passage.

q Use a Game Show format for discussion.

q Quiz each other about the passage.

q Use rewards to encourage participation

(especially for smaller children).

q Print the verses on cards or poster paper, and put them on the wall.

q Print selected phrases on index cards, and give them to family

members to use for review.

q Write an encouragement card to someone using a verse from

the passage.

q Send an encouraging text message to someone using a verse from

the passage, and tell them it is from your family.

q Watch a video together on the Quiet Time topic.

q Have a friend come to your home and do the devotions for

your family.

q Take a family walk or hike and discuss the passage.

Creative Ideas Continued On Next Page 15

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 One great thing we have done for family devotions is to talk about
our Quiet Time toward the end of our meal. We set a goal to ask each
other, What did you learn from your Quiet Time today? Since we are
all on the same passage, we all have a common, yet individual response.

Creative Ideas Continued

q Use props (such as homemade costumes).

q Have a missionary in your home to share their ministry.

q Look through different sections of the newspaper to find illustrations of the

conditions or situations you saw in the Quiet Time.

q Identify prayer requests for each other from the passage

q Write a letter to God.

q Put on a puppet show to illustrate the passage or truth.

q Share from the Praise pages in the Quiet Times.

q If you or a family member is involved in an online community or blog, share

some observations from your family time.

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 Family Devotions Worksheet
(For use with Quiet Times, see page 11 for guidance.)

1. Passage:

2. Participation:

3. Principle:

4. Practical Truth:

5. Practice:

6. Preview:

7. Prayer:

Visit quiettimediary.com to download this form.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

3 John 1:4

2010 Word of Life Fellowship Inc. Photocopy of this page is permissable.

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