A Family Altar will Alter Your Family

Opening Remarks:

A family altar will alter your family. One of the most important things you can do to secure your home's spiritual atmosphere is to establish a place of corporate prayer. For many families, this is a difficult thing to accomplish. Homework, ball practice, business, and extracurricular activities monopolize our time. Unfortunately, some homes go weeks and months without praying together. When constructing a family altar, remember these five essential suggestions:

• Consistency

Inconsistency stumps our efforts and limits our growth. Place this time together with your family as a top priority and stick to it. Do it until it becomes habitual in your schedule. We all struggle with making this happen frequently but stay with it until it becomes a vital part of your daily activities.

• Communication

This is not just a time to talk with God, but also to speak with one another. Share your burdens and your blessings. Keep a journal or notebook and record one another's thoughts and concerns. Remember, a family altar is about putting down the electronic devices, looking at one another in the face and speaking to each other like normal human beings.

• Consecration

Incorporate praise and worship at your family altar. Teach your children that worship is not confined to the walls of a church. Allow your home to become your sanctuary. Worship the Lord together and dedicate that special moment to the Lord as a family.

•  Creativity

Don't let your family altar become routine and boring. Change things up from time to time and make it enjoyable. Do whatever you need to do to keep your kids involved. Allow them to pray, lead the family occasionally. Go online and get some ideas. This is undoubtedly a time of sincerity and reverence, but that doesn't mean it has to be dull.

• Camaraderie

Remember, this is about building a family that functions in the body of Christ. The old saying is still valid, "The family that prays together, stays together." Twenty years from now, your children will cherish those small moments that you shared. Remember, you are not just building an altar; you are building a family.

The family altar will bring the ark of God; the presence of God into your home and build faith and confidence in God within your family members. What better thing than to daily have God's abiding presence in your home to help, shield and guide your family?

Welcome

Scripture Reading and Prayer

Genesis 18:19

For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."

Special Music

Main Feature

Here are some additional tips to help build your family alter.

Keep It Short:

Make the time active and exciting. Do not turn it into a seminary classroom. Adjust the time based on children's age and focus. Ten minutes for young children, 15-20 minutes for older children. Do you have On-the-go young adult children? Consider texting a scripture verse or short prayer.

Sing

Mingle a classic hymn with something from the children's Sabbath Schools or a contemporary praise chorus. Don't get stuck in a rut, but use music to encourage worship and scripture memorization.

Give Testimonies 

Share God-sightings ("divine encounters") that family members may have had that day. How did you see God at work today? Give everyone a chance to share. 

Read from the Bible

Children need to hear, read, and memorize the Word of God. As a family, read through a portion of scripture. If you're reading the Gospels, for example, take a few verses that focus on a particular event in the life of Jesus (i.e., any of His healing miracles, His parables, etc.) Read and discuss the passage asking who, what, when, where, and why questions.

Pray

Take turns sharing praises and petitions. Consider having a family prayer project (i.e., a mission project, the pastor and family, a missing/inactive member or family, the staff at the school where the children attend, a neighbour in need, the sick, someone in the family or neighbourhood who needs to know Jesus, etc.). Pray regularly for the family prayer project and keep tabs on what is happening in that person's life