November 27, 2019

Thanksgiving is here! Like many of you, I’ve traveled home to be with my family and close friends back in my hometown for a few days. For me, this break from the usual is a wonderful time to hang out with some of my favorite people in the world—catching up over good, local coffee, gathering around a bonfire, and going on a hike in the mountains.

One of the traditions that my family has done since I can remember is to hear the story of the Pilgrims who came and settled in New England. My family line can be traced back to Governor William Bradford and Pastor William Brewster on the Mayflower, among others, and my dad loves sharing the history of our heritage—especially on Thanksgiving day!

Another tradition that we enjoy, is fairly common among many Christian families: taking time to think of tangible ways that the Lord has blessed us over the past year and lift up prayers of thanksgiving to God.

The Psalms are chock-full of hymns of thanksgiving, instructing God’s people to pray with grateful hearts of praise, cognizant of all his blessings. “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” says Psalm 107:1.

In the midst of our reflection at Thanksgiving, we recognize that seasons in life come and go. The Lord brings people into our lives for a time, and he gives and takes away in his divine providence. We experience times of sweetness and gladness of heart. We also experience times of sorrow and grief in our hearts, for we live in a fallen world yet awaiting redemption.

But the Lord himself is forever good. His steadfast love endures throughout the ages. It guards the hearts of his people in the midst of adversity. It strengthens the weary. Psalm 25 tells us that he guides the humble in what is right, and instructs the humble in the way they should go. It is nothing less than his glorious gospel of grace that holds us fast through both thick and thin. When we reflect upon God’s faithfulness to us in the midst of it all, we become more thankful in our hearts.

In our Reformed tradition, we understand that God is in covenant with his Son, our Savior, and that all in Christ are bound by his love and eternal pleasure. And as believers, our children are blessed by virtue of this covenant. They grow up in homes that are saturated with the gospel of Christ. They belong to him. And we therefore disciple them as children of the covenant, teaching them the law of God and how they are to know him and love him as their Redeemer, also (Deuteronomy 11:18; Matthew 28:18–20). And one of the best ways to disciple our children is through the instrument of family worship.

But as a culture, we have become progressively busier. Realistically, how often do our families come together for a meal around the table? How often do we pray together, for each other, for the needs of those in our lives, and in praise to God? While this may seem near impossible in today’s western world, what with our work schedules that tarry along into the night and sporting events that soak up precious time with our families, are we willing to sacrifice what society prioritizes for the sake of family unity? As men and women who love Christ, are we willing to lead our families in bowing our knees in worship to God rather than bowing out to our schedules? Friends, we all ascribe worth to the things that we prioritize in life. In other words, we give our worship to that which captivates us. To miss out on leading our families in worship is to miss out on beholding God at work in our midst. And implicitly, our negligence to lead in prayer sends the message to our children that God is in the background of our lives, rather than the center.

Admittedly, it is difficult to do a full-on recourse. But if you feel inclined to prioritize prayer in your family, there are many tangible ways of implementing this. One easy way that you can lead your family in worship of God is by catching your kids on their way out the door to school and praying for them—just make sure they have a few minutes beforehand! If you’re able to gather for dinner, consider taking a moment to pause as a family before eating, have someone read a psalm, and pray in accordance. If the late evening is best, I’d recommend praying with your spouse before “calling it a night” and taking a few minutes, prior, to pray for each of your children as they head to bed.

This all is likely common sense to us as believers, but it’s often the most common of practices that are easiest to fall by the wayside. If we desire to lead our families in worship, it often starts—and is sustained—through the most common of avenues available to us.

So how will you lead your family in worship through prayer? Can you think of a tangible practice not listed above? I would love to hear what your family implements and would invite you to share that with me via email or in person this Sunday!

In that same spirit, I hope each of you reading this have a wonderful time with your loved ones this Thanksgiving. May our God continue to pour out his covenantal blessings on you in this season, and may you be refreshed in the light of his smiling countenance over you.