How do you lead family devotions as a dad?
I want to do this. I just freeze. I don't know what to say, and the kids roll their eyes.
Keep it to three moves and about seven minutes: read one short story out loud, ask one question, and let everyone pray one sentence. You don't need to teach. You need to show up on the couch with the Bible open, ten nights in a row, and then decide whether to keep going.
That is the whole plan below. Pick your kids' ages at the top and the questions change to fit.
Updated November 2026 · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible (public domain), labeled
Proof: the 10 minutes that come first
Where does FORGED come into this?
We make FORGED, a 90-day Bible plan for men. It does not run your family devotions. It is for the ten minutes before them: your own passage, your own prayer, so you are not leading from empty. Here is what that looks like, with our notes in orange marker.
Family devotions for kids: four ways compared
Shouldn't I just buy a family devotional book?
Maybe. Here is the honest comparison.
Devotional book
Ready-made and age-tuned. Can turn into Dad reading someone else's paragraph in a flat voice.
Bible + one question
This plan. Nothing to buy, your own words, real Bible stories. You have to pick the passage, which is why we picked ten for you.
Animated Bible videos
Kids love them. Easy to slide from family time into screen time.
Church kids' program
Good teaching, once a week. It does not replace the couch at home.
The best family devotion is the one you will still be doing next Thursday.
How it works in 3 steps
- Hook it to something you already do. After dinner, before bath, at bedtime. Same spot, same time. A new habit sticks better to an old one.
- Read, ask, pray. Read the passage out loud (about 2 minutes). Ask the one question for your kids' ages (about 3). Everyone prays one sentence, you first (about 2).
- Lead yourself first. Take ten minutes of your own earlier in the day. Kids notice when Dad has actually been reading.
One rule from Deuteronomy that makes this simple: talk about it where life already happens.
World English Bible“These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and 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 up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
The 10-night family devotion plan
Okay. Show me all ten.
- Night 1
The storm Mark 4:35-41
World English Bible“Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39)
Under 6: What makes you scared at night? Let's tell Jesus about it. Ages 6-11: Jesus was in the boat the whole time. Why were the friends still scared? Teens: What storm are you in right now, and where do you think Jesus is in it?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 2
The lost sheep Luke 15:3-7
World English Bible“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” (Luke 15:6)
Under 6: How do you think the shepherd felt when he found the sheep? Ages 6-11: Why would the shepherd leave 99 sheep to find one? Teens: Have you ever felt like the one who wandered off? What brought you back?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 3
Two builders Matthew 7:24-27
World English Bible“a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
Under 6: Build a block tower on a pillow, then on the floor. Which one stands? Ages 6-11: What does building on rock look like at school this week? Teens: Which of your habits would still stand if this year got hard?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 4
The good Samaritan Luke 10:30-37
World English Bible“Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37)
Under 6: Who could you help tomorrow? How? Ages 6-11: Why do you think the first two men walked past? Teens: Who is the person you would most likely walk past?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 5
David and the giant 1 Samuel 17:41-50
Under 6: David was small. Who helped him be brave? Ages 6-11: David said the battle was the LORD's. What did he mean? Teens: What giant are you trying to beat on your own?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 6
Daniel keeps praying Daniel 6:10-23
World English Bible“he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.” (Daniel 6:10)
Under 6: Let's kneel and pray like Daniel did, just for a minute. Ages 6-11: Daniel kept praying when it was against the law. Why? Teens: What would you keep doing even if it cost you friends?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 7
Zacchaeus Luke 19:1-10
World English Bible“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)
Under 6: Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus. Can you show me how? Ages 6-11: Zacchaeus gave money back. Why did meeting Jesus change him? Teens: Is there something you need to make right with someone?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 8
A boy's lunch John 6:5-13
World English Bible“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these among so many?” (John 6:9)
Under 6: The boy shared his lunch. What could you share tomorrow? Ages 6-11: The boy only had a little. What little thing could God use from you? Teens: What do you have that feels too small to matter?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 9
The shepherd psalm Psalm 23
World English Bible“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1)
Under 6: What does a shepherd do for his sheep? Ages 6-11: Which line of the psalm do you like best? Why? Teens: Which line is hardest for you to believe right now?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
- Night 10
Be strong Joshua 1:6-9
World English Bible“Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Under 6: Let's say it together: God is with me wherever I go. Ages 6-11: Where do you need courage this week? Teens: What would you do this month if you were not afraid?
Pray: one sentence each, starting with you.
Ten nights is a test, not a vow. If it works, keep going with a Gospel, one story a night.
Questions dads ask
How long should family devotions be?
Short enough to repeat tomorrow. For most families that means 5 to 10 minutes; with toddlers, 3 minutes is a win. This plan is built around about 7: read for 2, talk for 3, pray for 2.
What if my kids won't sit still?
Let them move. Young kids can act out the story, hold the Bible, or build something (night 3 is literally a block tower). Stillness is not the goal; hearing the story is.
What if they ask a question I can't answer?
Say “Good question. I don't know, let's find out.” Write it down and come back to it. Kids learn more from a dad who looks things up than from one who bluffs.
Does Dad have to be the one who leads?
No. In many homes both parents lead, and Deuteronomy 6 is written to parents generally. This page is for dads who want to start and feel stuck, which is common.
Which Bible should we read with kids?
Any translation your family can follow aloud. We quote the World English Bible because it is public domain; many families use a children's Bible for under-6s and a full translation after that.
Is FORGED a family devotional app?
No. FORGED is for the dad himself: about ten minutes a day of a challenge, one passage in plain English, and prayer. It includes a 7-day Fatherhood Focus Forge, which is part of FORGED Premium. Day 1 is free.
Who this plan is not for
If your kids are already in a steady family worship rhythm with a catechism or hymnal, keep it; this plan is a starting ramp, not an upgrade. And if you want an app the kids use themselves, FORGED is the wrong pick: it is written for men, not children. Its honest limits: Day 1, Bible Basics and the Bible Words glossary are free; Days 2 to 90 and the Fatherhood Focus Forge need FORGED Premium (monthly, annual or lifetime). iPhone only.
Get FORGED free, then take the couch
Ten minutes for you, seven for them. Start Night 1 tonight.
Get FORGED free on the App Store. Updated November 2026.
Related
- FORGED: the 90-day Bible plan for menA 10-minute daily Bible plan for men: one challenge, one passage in plain English, quiet prayer. Day 1 is free on iPhone.
- A free 7-day challenge for Christian menNo men's challenge near you? Pick your situation and get a free 7-day plan: one passage, one action and a few minutes of silence a day.
- A 10-minute Advent devotional for menA free 27-day Advent devotional for men, Nov 29 to Christmas Day 2026: four men of Christmas, one short reading and one action a day.
- Best Bible app for men: 5 compared honestlyFORGED, YouVersion, He Reads Truth, Daily Bread for Men and Man of God compared on price, ads, minutes a day and structure. Checked Nov 2026.