It’s that time of the year again… the time that I solidify all of my homeschool plans for the year. I like to add new things, but I mostly keep things the same. When we have a good school rhythm, I don’t need to change that. As I talk to new homeschool mothers, though, they often forget the most important part of a homeschool day. As they strive to have a perfect schedule and just the right science curriculum, they forget that you must start your homeschool day together with your God Time. This is the most important element of your homeschooling day.
But what does that mean? What does that look like for each house? Here are some ideas for ways your family can have God Time to focus your hearts and minds before you begin school.
1. Read a chapter from Psalms or Proverbs.
One of the easiest ways to begin to incorporate Bible time into your day is to read a chapter together. Start by reading a Psalm or Proverb that corresponds to the day of the month. For example, if it is August 16, read Psalm 16. You can read the whole Psalm to the children, or you can take turns reading one verse at a time. I love having all of our children gathered around the table with their Bibles open to the same passage. It makes my heart happy. As each child reads a verse, it binds our family together. We are literally on the same page for those 10 minutes… from the youngest to the oldest. When you have finished reading, talk about the passage before praying.
2. Pray.
“What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” Like this old hymn explains, it is a special thing to talk to God each day and carry our burdens to Him. When we start the day this way, it is a good reminder to all of us not to keep our burdens to ourselves. Giving Him these things lightens our load. Having this time of prayer together helps us see each other’s burdens, connects us to family members or friends who need prayer, reminds us Who is ultimately in control, and helps us rejoice when we see an answered prayer. “Sometimes we think we are too busy to pray. That also is a great mistake, for praying is a saving of time.” (Charles Spurgeon).
3. Read a missionary biography or another Christian book.
Missionary stories are rich with faith stories that our families can connect to. We have been personally challenged in our theology, evangelism, consumerism and more by reading these books together. They can be a fantastic way for our children to develop heroes. Other Christian books like Pilgrim’s Progress or Mere Christianity are great tools for spiritual discussions. You don’t need to only read the Bible to begin your school day, other books can launch families in deep spiritual conversations as well!
Try this missionary series by Janet and Geoff Benge and YWAM Publishers. It is a rich addition to any Christian Homeschool. We have really enjoyed reading about Mary Slessor, Nate Saint, George Mueller, Jim Elliot, Lillian Trasher, Amy Carmichael, Paul Brand, and more!
*While I am reading these stories to my children or listening to them on Hoopla, our children can either find a quiet activity to do while they listen or color a picture that I have printed to correspond with the biography. For example, I may print a picture of the missionary or a map of the country they served in.
4. Read from a devotional book.
On a quick search from Amazon you will see many devotionals that your family could purchase. From themed books (like sports) to topic books (like money), there are lots to choose from. Pick a devotional that goes well with what your family can relate to or needs encouragement in. You can find some geared toward younger children while some are more for teens.
5. Study a book of the Bible, verse by verse.
Have you ever studied a book of the Bible together as a family? The rewards are endless! Take a few months and go verse by verse through one of the Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Studying the life and ministry of Jesus is a rich study for your family and will give you lots of topics for discussion. Using a good study Bible or simple commentary will help you as you navigate some more challenging passages together.
6. Memorize Verses together.
“I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). The book of Psalms is clear that knowing Scripture is a pillar in the life of a believer. Taking the time during homeschool to memorize verses or chapters together is a rewarding experience. If you need help in what to memorize, check out my post HERE about memorizing verses according to the alphabet. I also have tips for making memorization more simple HERE.
7. Study character qualities.
In our daily rhythm I don’t make time to teach about Biblical Character Qualities with my children. Having a morning Bible time gives me the opportunity to pour these values into them, teaching from the Word of God. Give the children time to identify the qualities that God encourages as you see them in others, whether in real life or in books. Challenge each individual to demonstrate those qualities as well. It has been sweet to announce at Bible time how I saw each of our children demonstrating one of the qualities.
8. Sing Hymns or other Christian songs.
A terrific way to introduce solid theology and history into your homeschool is by adding hymns! Whether you are good at singing or not, this can be a special time for your family. Incorporate rich hymns of our faith to introduce your children to great writers, new vocabulary, moments in Christian history, music appreciation, and more. We take about 2 weeks to learn a new hymn including memorizing the first verse and chorus and finding out the background of the song.
Do you need more ideas and insight? Check out my article called “Building a Firm Foundation: Adding Hymns to Your Family’s Life”, which includes a list of hymns to start your journey.
Starting your homeschool day with Bible is the best foundation that you can have. If nothing else goes right in the day, at least you have gathered your children and taught them from the Word of God. That IS the most important part. If we desire for our children to love the Bible and its Author, we must make teaching Scripture a priority in our school day. Why not make it the most important element in your homeschool day?
What ideas from this list are you going to implement this school year? Please share your ideas in the comment section below!
[…] example, we always start together with Bible. (Learn more about how we begin our homeschool day HERE.) It is a special time for us to learn and grow in our understanding of God and His Word and the […]