Starting Discipleship Rhythms at Home
Incorporating discipleship rhythms at home doesn’t have to be overwhelming! These 7 discipleship rhythms at home are simple and can make a huge impact in your family as you grow closer to Christ.
Biblical Parenting and Discipling Children
Whether we realize it or not, our lives consist of rhythms, or patterns, that guide our day-to-day life. God created nature, animals, and people to thrive on consistency, routines, and rhythms. For example, we get so thrown off when our circadian rhythm is out of whack even for a short period of time (hello, newborn phase!).
So what does that have to do with discipleship?
Discipleship, or the processing of growing as a follower of Jesus, is a lifelong process that will never be fully complete until we reach Heaven. Until then, we are called to follow Jesus’ example by living a life that glorifies God and teaching our children to do the same.
While that all sounds great in theory, how can we intentionally disciple our household?
Rhythms.
Daily rhythms are more than habits or routines because they are so weaved into our lives that we don’t even have to think about them any more. When something becomes a part of your daily rhythm, it becomes so automatic that it becomes part of who you are.
By incorporating the following discipleship rhythms into your daily life, you can become more like Christ without feeling overwhelmed or burdened. Instead, you can feel the freedom and hope you have in the Lord and make discipleship a part of who you are.
What does the Bible say about discipling children?
When Jesus lived on earth, he spent his adult life with a small group of 12 men whom He discipled throughout His daily rhythms. Most of the time, Jesus did not stop what He was doing to teach the disciples an important concept or impart wisdom; rather, He incorporated most of His teachings into whatever it was that they were already doing.
Just like Jesus, we as Christian parents do not always have to interrupt our daily to-do list to stop and teach our kids how to participate in one of these 7 daily discipleship rhythms. Now there are times when that may be necessary, but most of the time, our kids will imitate what they see us doing. So if we include all of these discipleship rhythms into our daily lives, our kids will begin to understand their importance and follow our example.
According to the Rooted Network, followers of Jesus incorporate seven discipleship practices into their daily rhythms. When we start to include these practices into the daily discipleship rhythm in our homes, we will begin to see spiritual growth in our children that will help them to build a strong foundation in Christ that they can stand on through all situations in their lives.
7 Discipleship Practices
- Daily devotion in the Word
- Prayer
- Repentance
- Sacrificial Generosity
- Serving Others
- Sharing Your Story
- Worship
Daily Devotion in the Word
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Acts 2:42
Spending time reading the Bible is one of the most important habits that we should have as Christians, just as they did in the early Church. This will look different depending on what season of life you’re in, so do not get discouraged if this seems like an impossible task.
For me, I have two littles at home and continue to work part time as a school-based occupational therapist while my husband works two jobs, so I know how it feels to have about 2 minutes of “free time” every day that really isn’t free.
Incorporating Bible reading into your daily rhythm may look like opening your Bible and reading a few verses to your family during a meal time or sitting down and reading a passage of Scripture before bed. No matter how it looks for your family, starting this discipleship rhythm is well worth your time.
Pray
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Acts 2:42
Prayer is another essential practice for a Christ-follower. Without prayer, our relationship with the Lord will be weak and our faith will suffer. Teaching our kids to pray regularly can be a bit more challenging than reading the Bible because it is more abstract.
“If nobody can see God, then why are we praying?” or similar questions may come up during prayer time, but it is important to encourage your kids that God always hears our prayers even though He cannot be seen.
Including a prayer time into your family’s daily rhythms may look like saying a quick prayer before everyone leaves the house for work or school in the morning or it could be a family prayer time related to the Bible passage that was read before bed. Prayer doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate as long as we are teaching our kids that they can always turn to God in prayer for all things.
Repentance
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
Repenting (acknowledging your wrongdoings and asking for forgiveness) can be a tough rhythm to get into the habit of, but it can be one of the most impactful things we can do as parents. Many times, we are quick to tell our kids to apologize for something they’ve done wrong, but we struggle to admit our mistakes to others (or maybe that’s just me?).
Modeling a heart of repentance to our kids every day gives them a chance to see the love and mercy of Christ through our actions and will help to strengthen their faith throughout their lives. Then when we require our kids to apologize for their wrongdoings, they will have our example to look back on and will be more willing to obey and turn from their sins.
Sacrificial Generosity
Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Acts 2:44-45 CSB
Generosity may or may not be something that is already a part of your family’s discipleship rhythm, but it can be an easy place to start. Whether it looks like paying for the car behind you in the drive-thru line or giving to a family going through a difficult time, teaching your kids to be generous with their resources can have a lasting impact on their lives.
Giving sacrificially doesn’t always mean giving large sums of money. Just like the woman in the Bible who gave her last two pennies to the Lord (Mark 12:41-44), the attitude behind the gift is most important. Showing your kids the importance of looking for ways to be generous throughout your daily rhythms regardless of the amount of money you’re able to give will help them to show the love of Christ to those around them.
Serving Others
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 ESV
This discipleship rhythm is so vital to teach our kids because it is where we put our faith into action. We can read our kids every verse in the Bible about serving others (link to post), but until we actually go and serve someone else, we will make little impact with our kids in this area.
Personally, this discipleship rhythm is one of my favorites because it can look so different for every family. God created each family with a different family culture and gave each of us different strengths, interests, and desires that He calls us to use for His glory. For example, we are a musical family and we have used music as a way to serve others in our church and community throughout the years.
Whatever it is that your family enjoys doing, use that to bless others in a way that glorifies God and shows His love to others.
Sharing your story
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, I Peter 3:15
Telling others of all that God has done for you can be one of the most impactful ways to be a disciple of Christ. When your kids see you sharing about God’s blessings and mercy toward your family to those around you, they will be encouraged to do the same.
Although your family may not be together most of the day between work, school, and other obligations, you can incorporate this rhythm into your daily routine by taking time in the evenings to share about the opportunities each of you had throughout your day to share about the love of God. This simple habit will grow your family’s faith as each of you become more bold in sharing your story to those you encounter every day.
Worship
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever. I Chronicles 16:34 CSB
Worship is the last rhythm to incorporate into your family’s daily routine. While the obvious way to do this is by attending and serving in your local church every week (which is important), worship encompasses much more than just going to church and praising Him through the singing and preaching.
In reality, every other discipleship rhythm that we have talked about is also a form of worship to God. When we obey His commands and strive to grow closer to Him in our daily lives, we are praising Him with our actions. We are able to worship the Lord whether at home, school, work, or church and those around us will be encouraged to do the same in their own lives.
Daily Rhythms for Discipleship at Home
Implementing these discipleship rhythms in our family can have a huge impact on the spiritual lives of our children and families. While it may seem overwhelming at first, just remember that these rhythms take time and intentionality to start and continue throughout our day.
If your family doesn’t practice any of these rhythms yet, that’s okay! Pick one rhythm and make it a goal to stick with it for a few weeks before adding in another rhythm. By taking small steps, your family will be able to incorporate these rhythms more naturally which will help them to stick with it for the long term. Doing this will reap great benefits in your family’s spiritual life and will help every member of your family grow closer to God.
Learn how to start a family devotion with your family here
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