First of all, find a time and place. This will differ according to the age and activities of parents and children. The best setting is often after a meal, before people leave the table, but it can be any time and place that the family agrees to use. Just as with private Bible-reading and prayer, the family time needs to be relaxed and uninterrupted. Ten minutes is enough for a start.

The ideal is to read the Bible rather than a devotional guide. Everyone agrees that knowledge of the Bible among Christians has declined to drastic lows. Daily reading together offers a chance to hear it, become familiar with it, learn it. Good as they are, devotional guides are human words. It is God’s Word that nourishes our lives with revealed truth.

We suggest starting with the Contemporary English Version (CEV), published by the American Bible Society. It is a “user-friendly translation that can be read aloud without stumbling, heard without misunderstanding, and listened to with enjoyment and appreciation” (CEV, p. 1). We have copies of the CEV available for you and your family; just ask.

Wherever we start our reading, we should read straight through each book. For example, starting at the beginning of the Gospel of Mark (CEV p. 645), you can read one or more sections each day, straight through the book. Then, you can go on to another book. Don’t be afraid to move around. Try Genesis (p. 1), full of powerful stories. Try the other Gospels—Matthew (p. 619), Luke (p. 660), and John (p. 687). Try Psalms (p. 331), in which you’ll find every human emotion, from depression to exaltation. Try Acts, the story of the early church. Try Amos (p. 586), a collection of short and direct sermons on justice. Try Philippians (p. 761), a short book written while Paul was in prison. Try Proverbs (p. 385), full of smart truths that will make you think. Try them all! There are 66 of them all together.

Each person should have his or her own Bible and follow as the reading goes ahead. You can take turns reading around the group or or take turns day by day. The CEV is easy enough for even younger children to follow and read.

To read the Bible is to hear from God. That’s how you start family worship. Then, you let God hear from you, by talking to him about yours and your family’s needs. That’s one way of thinking about prayer: It’s talking to God. Let each person pray in turn, even the youngest, or a different person may pray each day. A simple prayer-agenda can make it easy and natural for each person to pray or learn to pray, and we’re preparing a collection of sample prayers to use as you learn how to do it.