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The Blessing of Family Worship

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The Blessings of Family Worship @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Sometimes when you’ve done something over and over for years it becomes routine. Worship can be like that. Even going to church can become routine. And although I’ve always enjoyed our family worship times… sometimes it can feel dull – routine – commonplace.

This evening was not like that.

It began like most evenings. We were busy. Too busy really. I was preparing to leave for the weekend – for a weekend women’s retreat five hours from my home. I’d spent the day doing working on A Virtuous Woman – preparing ahead, knowing I would be gone and that I wouldn’t have time to get things done online for the next four days. And I like to make sure everything is scheduled and ready to go.

I had to do a couple loads of laundry, because despite my best intentions, some weeks just go awry and laundry piles up. Okay so it happens a lot. And then I had to make a run to the feed store to pick up medication for our injured horse. Then I had to trailer the horse back over to the pasture where she lives because she just couldn’t live in my front yard any more. Not with us being gone for the weekend!

For supper I set up a “pizza bar”  with all the trimmings for the kids to make and bake their own pizzas, all the while in the back of my mind I was thinking about the fact that I needed to get two more articles written before I went to bed, clean the house because my son’s girlfriend was coming for the weekend and I wouldn’t be home to welcome her and make sure things were done.

 

I was feeling a little stressed.

And then my husband called us all into the living room for worship.

Family Worship

In my heart I was hoping we could rush through it so I could get on with all those things I needed to get done. As we waiting for my son {who was taking his time joining us} my husband and I and the girls were chatting and laughing about silly stuff –  and then my husband was reading a funny article to us.

James, joined us. My dog Caroline started barking – loudly – because she felt left out and wanted to join us in the living room, but she’s not allowed.

So James left to take her somewhere else in the house where she couldn’t disturb us.

And we continued to laugh and chat. And it was pleasant and I felt myself relaxing and just enjoying my sweet family. James returned and we commenced with worship.

Anyway, so the children {now ranging in age from 11 – 23} all had their assignments for the evening’s worship. Emily led us in songs. Hannah had a compiled a list of Bible trivia questions to try and stump us with – my husband {since he’s a pastor} had to give us a 30 second head start before he could blurt out the answer. Then Sarah had the opening prayer.

James stood in the middle of the room. I made a quip about how he looked like he was about to preach to us. He’d been given the responsibility of choosing the evening’s devotion/Scripture reading. He made this sweet introduction about how important prayer was and how he wanted us to all kneel together to pray. He asked us to kneel in a circle and then one by one we would all say two things that we were thankful for and at least one prayer request.

I was very moved by his “speech” and told him I thought he’d missed his calling. Emily began. James ended. Laura was supposed to have closing prayer, but that’s okay. There is always next time.

There was nothing particularly unusual about the worship. We’ve knelt together many, many times to pray. But usually the girls are shy and don’t want to pray out loud – and honestly, being an introvert myself I can totally sympathize.

Maybe it was the fact that their big brother was leading and they didn’t want to disappoint him. Or maybe they didn’t want to be anything but agreeable. It was so sweet to hear each one name things they were thankful for and make known their petitions to our Creator.

It filled my heart with the sweetest kind of JOY. 

There is nothing in this world I want more than to see my children walk in the Spirit and see the Kingdom of Heaven. I want to meet Jesus face to face, my family at my side – every one of them. Nothing in this world is more important than that.

And you know what? For the first time in her entire life my daughter Hannah, {13} who has always been incredibly shy, prayed out loud with her family. And it was beautiful. No one made a big deal about the fact that she prayed. I mean, we’ve never even been able to encourage her to take her turn praying at meal time. But tonight she prayed a sweet prayer and gave thanks for things that meant something to her and asked God to protect me as I traveled this weekend.

Listening to each of my children talk to the Savior was a precious thing. Knowing that we can serve our Father in Heaven together is such a blessing and I am so grateful for this night.

I’ve said it many times that family worship bring families closer together and closer to their Savior and I was reminded again tonight how true that statement is.

Do you have a sweet memory of family worship?

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Hebrews 13:14 NLT @ AVirtuousWoman.org

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About Melissa Ringstaff

My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I've been blogging here at A Virtuous Woman since 2001. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern KY. I believe in finding freedom from perfection and living life with purpose and I want to help you do exactly that.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to visit with me. I hope we can be friends!

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This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Frances Okoro

    September 30, 2014 at 3:25 am

    Thanks for this... I recently took the reins and started worship in my family like God told me too and it has been awesome...more peace and untity has been seen in my family+the unity that wraps us up in Christ when we pray. It has been awesome. And oh, my younger ones feel so shy in praying out loud too. I feel glad to know that it's not just them.lol God bless you ma'am
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      September 30, 2014 at 8:53 am

      Frances, that's so wonderful! God is so faithful and He brings families together. I was very, very shy as a child. When we show our shy children unconditional love along with gentle encouragement, eventually they will blossom! God bless you!
      Reply
  2. Trickett

    October 5, 2014 at 9:50 pm

    This was very special. Thank you for sharing it.
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      October 6, 2014 at 5:34 am

      You're welcome! :)
      Reply
  3. Laura

    March 12, 2015 at 6:07 pm

    This sounds so beautiful and what I hope for my family. But I am just not sure how to do family worship right now. My son is only 1 1/2 and only says 5 words. I'm not sure how to engage him in this. What tips do you have for doing family worship with really little kids?
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      March 12, 2015 at 10:06 pm

      Laura, look for my answer to your great question on Sunday in a blog post!
      Reply

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Freedom from perfection. 🪁
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Proverbs 31 for modern women. 👱‍♀️
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Life: @melissa.ringstaff

Melissa Ringstaff
Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just because there was a pandemic. Our family has faced many trying times in the past but 2020 gave us some doozies.  I’m looking forward to a new year. The beginning of the new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like HOPE.  But the truth is, whatever heartaches and hardships you and I were facing on Dec. 31 will most likely still be there on Jan. 1.  That’s why it’s hard to keep New Years resolutions. It’s easy to feel motivated for a few days or a couple weeks until we realize life hasn’t really changed and things are still hard.  But if we want to see real change it takes hard work and real effort. It takes showing up every day - even when it’s hard.  Whether that means working on your fractured relationships or setting healthy boundaries or cultivating self disciple... whatever that hard thing is that you need to work on ... it will only get better if you work on it.  We aren’t promised an easy life. But we are promised an “Ever Present Help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1  *
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We’re coming into the new year with all the same We’re coming into the new year with all the same problems we had in the last year. And that’s okay! Life doesn’t have to be perfect to still be amazing. Perfectionism is a joy stealer. Let’s determine to enjoy life right now in all its messiness.  I believe you can find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose. #purposenotperfection  #christian #Jesus #love #quotes #quoteslife #quotestoliveby #godisgood #votd #lifequotes #inspirationalquotes #life #motivationalquotes #inspiration #bible #bb #bestoftheday #happiness #wordofgod
🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. 🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. It’s a ministry to your family and all who enter your home.  But I want you to know: You don’t have to be perfect. ❤️  There’s a fine line between teaching your children to be neat and insisting on perfection. No one can meet that kind of standard and it can be detrimental to the emotional health of your family.  What we want for our homes is to provide a space that is neat and clean enough that your family and friends feel comfortable and well loved.  There is freedom in accepting the fact that you’re not perfect. Not to make excuses for slovenliness - but to give yourself grace.  It’s when we recognize our weakness that we find ourselves reaching out to Jesus to receive the power that comes only from him. As homemakers, when we can find grace for the moment when we accept His Gift.  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8  Let His Grace wash over you, cleanse your weary heart. Homemaking isn’t about creating a perfect space. It’s about creating a home where loved ones feel cared for and nurtured. 
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❤️Your attitude about homemaking matters.⠀
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A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. 🏠⠀
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But, anyone can clean and organize a home. ⠀
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☑️ Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.⠀
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Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.⠀
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There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.⠀
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Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.⠀
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The good news is, even if you’ve been struggling with your homemaking, you can always go to God and ask Him for help. ⠀
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He sees the unseen work of your hands. And He loves you very, very much. He wants to help you succeed. ⠀
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking  #youngwife #housewife
🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regu 🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regular time with Jesus every day, you’re not alone. Lots of busy Christian women struggle to find time for a daily prayer and devotion time. ⠀
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But I still want to encourage you to start your day with God! ⠀
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⏰ If it’s hard to spend 30 minutes in the morning for a quiet time, I want you to remember you can still begin your day with God – even if that means saying a short prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning.⠀
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✝️ I also want to encourage you to memorize this verse:⠀
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.⠀
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 📖⠀
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In the morning you can recite this verse and say a prayer. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Although – if you do have time – you will be greatly blessed by spending more time in prayer and devotion.⠀
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📌 Free Printable Morning Prayer Prompts on the blog today: https://avirtuouswoman.org/morning-prayer-prompts/  #linkinbio ⠀
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🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be inte 🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be intentional with how I plan our days. I love any opportunity to create a good memories at home for my family and guests. ⠀⠀
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📌 If you're looking to make this holiday season really special, you need to be intentional. Goodness knows 2020 has had a lot of ups and downs. And maybe you feel like it's been mostly downs. ⠀⠀
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🎄 But the holiday season is a chance to focus on celebrating the life we have right now. Things don't need to be perfect for us to celebrate life right now!!⠀⠀
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☑️ Inside the pages of my Purpose 31 holiday planner, you'll find 8 weeks of planning and cleaning all laid out for you. Recipe pages, journaling pages, and more - 120 pages total. ⠀⠀
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✏️ The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner is by far one of the most popular resource I produce each year. ⠀⠀
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Thousands of women have downloaded it over the last four years I've offered it.⠀⠀
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So, even though it's early still, you can go ahead and downlaod it. Print it out and then set it up so you're ready to go.⠀⠀
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I usually take my holiday planner down to Office Depot and have them spiral bind it with a plastic cover for about $5.00. This year, though, I just bought a new 3 ring binder at Walmart, printed off extra cover pages to slip in the clear sleeve, and created a binder with it. ⠀⠀
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📌📌📌 If you use the planner this year, be sure to share and tag me in your photos! ❤️⠀  Download: https://avirtuouswoman.org/holiday-planner/ #linkinbio
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