Dads lead family worship

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

Dads, you have a lot of expectations put on you – earning a living, providing for your family, keeping your family safe and well-fed, upkeep of the home and vehicles, coaching or at least attending your children’s sporting events, and so many more.

With all of those duties, your first and foremost duty that God has given to you is bringing your children to church. Your second duty is bringing church to your children.

God has given you the primary responsibility for bringing your children to worship with you at church. It is there that they hear you sing hymns, confess your failures as a husband and father, receive God’s forgiveness and power to live as the husband and father that He wants you to be, listen to God’s Word attentively in the Scripture lessons and sermon, and partake of the Lord’s Supper often. Your children learn best by watching. When they see that worship of the Triune God is important to dad, then it will become important to them. Have them get to know the pastor well as their pastor, preacher, friend and brother in Christ. Stake out the time of your Sunday morning worship and guard it zealously and jealously.

The second responsibility is for you to have church at home with your children. The Christian father is the pastor of his own home. Have them get to know you as their pastor, preacher, friend, father and brother in Christ. Have personal devotions. Have husband/wife devotions. Have family devotions. Have personal, spousal and family prayer time. Stake out the time of your devotions and prayers and guard it zealously and jealously.

Boys need to see their fathers exercise leadership in these areas. This is how they learn that worship is a manly thing to do. Girls need to see their fathers exercise leadership in these areas. This is how they learn that worship and faith is important characteristics to look for in the men they date and eventually marry.

It is vital that a Christian father not abdicate his responsibility to teach God’s word personally to his children.

Talking about God, discussing the Scriptures, commenting on favorite hymns and opening up to pray for each other only becomes “normal” the more you do it. But when your children see how valuable these things are to you, then these things will become valuable to them.

Seeking first the kingdom of God means seeking to know what God says and sharing it with those you love. That’s why we spend time in God’s Word with our children. God gives us the righteousness of his Son as our robe of righteousness. That’s a more precious gift than anything we can give our children. God gives this gift, not just in the Divine Service on Sunday mornings, but when his family is gathered around his Word at home. Seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness means bringing your children to church … and bringing church to our children at home.