One Week Family Devotional: 7 Sessions to Kindle Faith Together
Introduction
With the hustle of daily life, gathering as a family to focus on God can transform your home into a place of peace and spiritual growth. This One Week Family Devotional, part of our series of week-long guides, includes seven sessions designed to be simple, meaningful, and engaging for all ages, helping you grow closer to each other and to God. Each session takes just 10-15 minutes, offering a chance to pause, reflect, and connect through scripture, activities, and prayer.
Regular family devotional sessions build stronger relationships, encourage open conversations about faith, and create lasting memories rooted in God’s Word. They help children and adults alike develop a deeper trust in God, fostering a home where love and faith thrive, grounded in His grace.
Session 1: Love in Action
Scripture: John 13:34-35 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.”
Context: Jesus spoke these words during the Last Supper, showing that His grace empowers disciples to love others sacrificially. This session helps families practice Christ-like love as a response to God’s grace.
Related Scripture: 1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us,” showing love flows from God’s grace.
Instructions:
- Gather in a comfortable space, like around the dinner table. Read the scripture aloud.
- Each family member shares one specific way they showed love that day (e.g., helping a sibling or friend, forgiving, etc.).
- Discuss: “How does God’s love help us choose to obey His command to love others?”
- Reflect: Write or draw one way you saw God’s love in your family or community today.
- Apply: How can you show God’s love to a friend or neighbor tomorrow?
- Memorize: Repeat the verse together, taking turns and emphasizing “love one another.”
- End with a family prayer, a short example can be seen below.
Prayer: “Lord, thank You for loving us first through Your grace. Help us show Your love through our words and actions every day. Amen.”
Benefit: Encourages kids and parents to actively demonstrate love, building empathy and unity while reflecting the grace that enables our love.
Session 2: Trusting God’s Plan
Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Context: Written by Solomon to Israelites seeking guidance, this verse calls us to trust God’s wisdom, even when His will is mysterious or involves suffering. It offers hope that God’s plan is good, even in trials.
Related Scripture: Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,” highlighting hope in God’s plan.
Instructions:
- Provide paper and markers. Draw a winding path labeled “Our Family’s Journey.”
- Mark 2-3 past challenges (e.g., a tough school year, illness, etc.) and write how God helped (e.g., provided strength).
- Discuss: “How can we trust God’s plan when life is hard? How can we find His hope in tough times?”
- Reflect: Write one way you can trust God this week, even in a hard moment.
- Apply: How can you rely on God’s guidance in a challenge this week?
- Memorize: Say the verse with a rhythm (e.g., clapping to a beat once every 4-5 words). Try this individually and together.
- End with a family prayer, a short example can be seen below.
Prayer: “God, we trust Your perfect plan for our lives. Guide us when we don’t understand, and strengthen our faith in Your goodness. Amen.”
Benefit: Builds confidence in God’s guidance, helping families process difficulties together and strengthening their faith.
Session 3: Gratitude Every Day
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Context: Paul wrote this to the Thessalonian church, facing persecution, to encourage steadfast gratitude rooted in God’s faithfulness. This activity fosters thankfulness that blesses both family and community.
Related Scripture: Psalm 100:4 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving,” connecting gratitude to worship.
Instructions:
- Create a gratitude jar using a jar or container.
- Give each family member paper slips to write or draw one thing they’re thankful for (e.g., family, a sunny day, friendship, etc.). Place slips in the jar.
- You can read them aloud together right before bed, the next morning, or at week’s end. Either way, continue the devotional as outlined below after placing your slips in the jar.
- Discuss: “How does gratitude help us see God’s work in our lives? How can we share thankfulness with others around us?”
- Reflect: Write one thing you’re thankful for that you can share with someone outside your family.
- Apply: How can you show gratitude to a teacher, friend, or neighbor this week?
- Memorize: Say the verse loud and boldly, emphasizing “in all circumstances.”
- End with a family prayer, a short example can be seen below.
Prayer: “Thank You, Lord, for Your countless blessings. Open our eyes to see Your goodness every day. Amen.”
Benefit: Cultivates a positive, thankful mindset, helping families focus on God’s provision and strengthening their joy.
Session 4: Forgiving One Another
Scripture: Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Context: Paul wrote to the Colossian church, urging unity through forgiveness as a response to God’s grace, which empowers disciples to follow Christ’s example.
Related Scripture: Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you,” reinforcing grace-driven forgiveness.
Instructions:
- Sit in a circle and read the scripture.
- Each member shares a time forgiveness was hard (e.g., a sibling argument, etc.).
- Role-play saying, “I’m sorry” or “I forgive you” kindly.
- Discuss: “How does God’s grace help us choose to forgive as His disciples?”
- Reflect: Write or draw one way forgiveness brought peace to you or someone else.
- Apply: How can you show forgiveness to a friend or coworker this week?
- Memorize: Say the verse with a partner, alternating phrases.
- End with a family prayer, a short example can be seen below.
Prayer: “Father, thank You for Your grace that forgives us. Give us hearts that forgive others, just as You forgive us. Amen.”
Benefit: Teaches kids and parents to resolve conflicts with grace, fostering harmony and modeling Christ’s forgiveness.
Session 5: Serving Others
Scripture: Galatians 5:13 – “Serve one another humbly in love.”
Context: Paul wrote to the Galatians, emphasizing that freedom in Christ leads to humble service, empowered by God’s grace as an act of discipleship.
Related Scripture: Matthew 20:28 – “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve,” showing Jesus as the model for service.
Instructions:
- Brainstorm one family act of service (e.g., baking cookies for a neighbor, donating toys, or helping a community group like a food bank).
- Plan and do it within a week.
- Discuss: “How does God’s grace inspire us to serve others as His disciples?”
- Reflect: Consider the importance of serving to help others, not to make ourselves feel good.
- Apply: How can you serve someone at school, work, or in your community this week?
- Memorize: Take turns saying the scripture, reflecting on the importance of selfless love.
- End with a family prayer, a short example can be seen below.
Prayer: “Lord, thank You for Your love that inspires us to serve. Show us opportunities to serve others with joy and humility. Amen.”
Benefit: Encourages selflessness, strengthens family teamwork, and shows kids how to live out their faith practically.
Session 6: Finding Peace
Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God… will guard your hearts.”
Context: Paul wrote this from prison to the Philippian church, promising God’s peace as a gift that guards us in daily challenges, even amidst anxiety.
Related Scripture: John 16:33 – “In me you may have peace,” where Jesus promises peace in a troubled world.
Instructions:
- Sit quietly and read the scripture.
- Each member decorates a small card as a “peace anchor” (e.g., with a dove, heart, or anchor) and writes a prayer for peace (e.g., “God, help me trust You with [insert worry or fear]”). Display the card in your home for one week. When you see it, consider God’s sovereignty over everything, including this specific worry.
- Discuss: “How can we seek God’s peace in our daily routines?”
- Reflect: Write one way God’s peace helped you in a tough moment.
- Apply: How can you pray for peace during a busy or stressful day this week?
- Memorize: Say the verse slowly, spend time letting the words take root, breathe deep and offer your worries up to God.
- End with a family prayer, a short example can be seen below.
Prayer: “Lord, fill our hearts with Your peace, and sustain us with Your presence even in anxious moments. Amen.”
Benefit: Teaches kids to seek God in anxiety, creating a calm family environment rooted in trust.
Session 7: Growing in Faith
Scripture: Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Context: Hebrews, written to Jewish Christians facing trials, celebrates heroes who trusted God’s promises despite uncertainty, encouraging active faith.
Related Scripture: James 2:17 – “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead,” linking faith to active trust.
Instructions:
- Gather in a storytelling circle.
- Each member shares a time their faith grew (e.g., God answered a prayer, they felt peace come over them, they felt convicted to do the right thing, they forgave in a difficult moment, etc.).
- Discuss: “How can we grow in faith when we can’t see God’s plan?”
- Reflect: Reflect on one another’s answers and consider how it can help you think about other moments of faith and growth in your own life.
- Apply: How can you trust God in a new way at home or school this week?
- Memorize: Draw a picture of one of the stories from the storytelling circle. Write the Bible verse with the picture.
- End with a family prayer, a short example can be seen below.
Prayer: “God, strengthen our faith to trust Your promises more each day. Amen.”
Benefit: Encourages storytelling and reflection, building a family legacy of faith and trust in God.
Conclusion
These devotional sessions are a simple way to weave faith into your family’s life, creating moments of connection and growth. As part of our One Week Family Devotional series, this guide offers seven sessions to try over a week. See how God works in your home! Share your family’s experiences with us via email, post, or social media—we’d love to hear your stories!
About the One Week Family Devotional Series
The One Week Family Devotional series is crafted to bring families together in faith. Each devotional in the series offers seven short, interactive sessions—one for each day of the week—designed to spark meaningful conversations and spiritual growth. Rooted in scripture, these guides blend engaging activities, heartfelt prayers, and practical applications to help families deepen their relationship with God and each other. Whether you’re new to family devotionals or seeking fresh ways to connect, this series provides accessible, faith-filled moments that fit into busy schedules, creating lasting memories and a stronger spiritual foundation for your home.
