When You Sit, Walk, Lie Down, Rise . . . Devotional Life at Home

by Samantha Neeb

But as for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord.
– Joshua 24:15 –

This bold declaration from Joshua that his household will serve the Lord is one that I pray each and every one of you is willing to make. But what does serving the Lord within your household look like today?

While you think about that, allow me to share a memory from my childhood. As our family sat down at the kitchen table to eat, we would start with the spoken prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let this food to us be blest. Amen.” After we finished our meal, it would be time for devotions, often using either My Devotions or Portals of Prayer from Concordia Publishing House. As we grew older, we would all want to take part, rotating through who got to read the devotion text or Bible passage. If it was Advent, lighting and extinguishing the candle was a coveted role. After devotions had finished, we would end the meal with either the Lord’s Prayer or a mixed translation of Psalm 107:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, His mercy endures forever.” Amen.

Does my story bring any memories to your mind? What picture do you see? In addition to Joshua 24, one Bible passage that comes to mind around households serving, following, and loving the Lord, is Deuteronomy 6:4-9, particularly verse 7:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

In this passage, God calls families and households, particularly parents, to teach their children the commands of God—for the commands to be on their hearts constantly and talked about at all times. The Hebrew word for “teach” in verse 7 could refer to teaching as an incising, a repetitive teaching with a sharpening result. This teaching of children is one that is continual. By pairing opposites like “sit” and “walk,” “lie down,” and “rise,” God is reinforcing that His Word should be remembered and talked about at all times.

Martin Luther echoed the importance of parents teaching their children in his 1522 writing on “The Estate of Marriage.” There he writes: “Most certainly father and mother are apostles, bishops, and priests to their children, for it is they who make them acquainted with the Gospel.” This is not to say that children are not acquainted with the Gospel through the Divine Service, just as all people are, but that parents have an important role in acquainting their children with the Gospel, both in the Divine Service and in the home, something Luther reinforces in his catechisms.

Let’s go back to my earlier question: what does this devotional life look like in households today? Whether you’re in a household of one or twenty-one, are these commands of God on your heart? Are they talked about at all times? I can tell you with absolute certainty that my answer to these questions is “no.” I am a sinner—I fall short of this, as did my parents. Even if my earlier story about the kitchen table sounded idyllic, it wasn’t perfect, and it didn’t always happen. That’s why I am thankful that God is gracious to us, and that we can come to Him when we fall short and receive His forgiveness as He gives us grace upon grace.

Whether we are young or old, we all need to hear and be taught the full extent of God’s Word, the Law and the Gospel, at all times. So, what could this look like for you?

When you sit in your house…
This could be a devotional practice, which is something that is adaptable for every household. Maybe it’s a conversation about your day, the good and the bad, and talking about how you saw God working. Perhaps it’s prayer with and for one another, or modelling repentance and forgiveness when you have done something wrong or been wronged.

When you walk (or drive!) by the way…
A few months ago, I was driving with my nephews and niece, and we had a Vacation Bible School CD playing in the van. My niece asked if this was the CD that had Luke 2:11 on it. It wasn’t, but I couldn’t help but be in awe that, at age six, she already has that Bible verse and other promises of God written on her heart because of music. Music is a great tool to help children with memorization and learning biblical truths.

Aside from listening to music in the car, you can also listen to the Bible; there are many audio versions available. Or perhaps you use this time for prayer, praying as emergency vehicles pass by, something as simple as: “Lord, protect them. Amen.” If you’re walking or driving around your neighbourhood, you can pray for your neighbours as you pass by their house, or for whatever activity you’re going to next.

When you lie down…
When visiting friends this past year, I noticed, as their children were getting ready for bed, that Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayers were taped to their headboards. As the three-year-old daughter got ready for bed, she started praying Luther’s Evening Prayer, with some prompts from mom. It was a simple reminder that young children model what they see and are taught, and that they thrive with repetition.

Bedtime stories are also common for little ones, so why not use a Bible story? Another practice I am hearing parents using more often can be referred to as bedtime blessings, which is the act of praying a blessing, a Bible verse, over their child before they go to sleep.

When you rise…
Mornings can be tough and are often rushed. As you start your day, you could follow Martin Luther’s suggestion in the catechism to make the sign of the cross in remembrance of your baptism. It can be a way to frame your day and remind you that you are God’s beloved child, who was been forgiven, rescued, and given eternal salvation, and that you are a new creation living before God in righteousness and purity.

The practices listed above are not meant to be exhaustive or prescriptive, but simply give examples of some simple ways households can daily talk about God and His love for us. If you’re looking to add more spiritual disciplines to your daily routines, the best place to start is by taking an inventory of what you’re currently doing and build from there. Start by adding one thing new or tweaking one thing you already do, like how you spend your time driving.

As you go on with daily life, loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5), I encourage you to talk at all times about what God has done for His people—for you—and to boldly declare with Joshua: “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (24:15).

Dcn. Samantha Neeb is Lutheran Church–Canada’s Associate Director for Family Ministries.

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