Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland

Reformed in Doctrine, Worship, and Practice

“Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.” Psalm 60:4

  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • What We Contend For
    • What We Believe
    • How We Worship
    • How We Are Organised
    • Important Documents
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Articles
  • Publications
    • Free Presbyterian Magazine
    • Young People’s Magazine
    • Gaelic Supplement – An Earrann Ghàidhlig
    • Synod Reports
    • Religion and Morals Committee Reports
  • Audio
    • Sermons
    • Theological Conferences
    • Youth Conferences
  • Congregations
    • Places of Worship
    • Current Ministers
    • Galleries of FP Churches
  • International
    • Zimbabwe Mission
    • Other International Congregations
    • Translation Work
    • Metrical Psalms in Various Languages
  • History
    • History of the FP Church
    • Congregational Histories
    • Deceased Ministers and Probationers
    • Obituaries and Synod Tributes
    • Moderators of Synod etc.
  • Spiritual Help
    • How to Find Spiritual Help
    • How may a sinner be saved?
    • How may someone know if they are truly saved?
    • Spiritual Mindedness
    • Scripture and Catechism Exercises 2020-21
  • Bookshop
Home / About Us / What We Contend For / Family worship / Family worship – a recent address to young people

Family worship – a recent address to young people

Time and again, the Bible tells us to worship God. So we go to church for the services on Sabbaths and we sing His praise. There should also be a response of worship to the reading of the Scriptures, and a response of worship to what is said in the sermon. Indeed there should be something of worship in every part of the service, for God is great and we are to declare His greatness – at least in our hearts – as we listen and think and sing.

But we are not only to worship God as part of a congregation; we are also to worship God as families. It is not every day we can go to church, but as families we can worship God every day. Of course, we can – and we ought to – worship God as individuals, but He has placed most of us in families. And as families we ought to acknowledge God.

There was a time when family worship was common. Indeed a minister in Birmingham, writing about 150 years ago, claimed that, in almost every part of the Christian church, people would think someone almost totally without religion who did not keep family worship. Sadly, that is not so today. People scarcely feel the need to worship God at all. But there is a clear duty on us all to worship God, and to worship God as families.

Every morning and evening, if at all possible, the whole family should gather together. The head of the household – usually the husband – should conduct the worship. Normally he would first ask God to bless His Word to them. Then they would sing some verses from a Psalm and read a portion from the Bible. Finally they would go down on their knees to pray. In this way, in the morning, the whole family seeks God’s blessing on everything they will do throughout the day; and in the evening, they again seek God’s blessing for the night. As they read, they hopefully learn something from God’s Word. But, as they ask Him to take care of them throughout that day or night, they are also acknowledging God as the One who orders the whole of their lives. It is an opportunity for them to come together to ask God’s blessing, especially on their souls; it is an opportunity to seek grace to live in a way that is pleasing to Him, and a preparation for eternity.

Very often people have found a blessing for their souls at family worship. An Englishman once spent some days with a godly friend in America. The English visitor was a man of great gifts but he did not believe the Bible. Four years later he paid his American friend another visit. Everybody in the family noticed that he was a changed man, but none of them at first realised how the change had come about. But he explained that it began when he was with them at family worship on the first evening of his previous visit. As they read a chapter and then all knelt down to pray, he remembered such times in his father’s home many years before. These memories so occupied his mind that he did not hear a word that was said. But he began to think and that led to him giving up his unbelief. Afterwards, we are told, he found “quiet rest in the salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ”.

Perhaps about the same time, a young Irishman and his family asked for a night’s shelter from a godly schoolteacher. He agreed, and when the time came for evening worship, he began to read slowly and solemnly the second chapter of Ephesians. The young man was astonished at expressions like “dead in trespasses and sins”, “children of wrath”, and “walking after the course of this world”. Sensibly, he asked the teacher to explain, and he was told that this was God’s account of the state of everyone by nature. The young man felt that it was indeed exactly his state. “In this way,” he told the teacher, “I have walked from my childhood. In the service of the god of this world we have come to your house.” They were on their way to a fair, where the man was going to spend the forged money he was carrying. But God’s Word found him out and he asked the teacher to burn it for him. Then he asked for a Bible for himself. The teacher gave him one and the next morning the family headed back home; the fair was forgotten.

Maybe family worship has not been such an obvious blessing for you as for the men in these two incidents. But if, each morning and evening, you have a place in your father’s prayers, as he asks God to bless each of you for time and for eternity, is it not good for you to be there? And if, day by day, you learn a little from God’s Word, then family worship is proving a blessing for you – though you must not rest satisfied until you believe on Christ for the salvation of your soul.

As young people grow up, they may have to take responsibility for conducting family worship in their home. If that becomes your duty, ask God to help you. If you marry a wife and set up home together, do not shirk your responsibility; take it up with seriousness and in dependence on God’s grace. At such a time, you perhaps need God’s blessing as never before. But here is an opportunity to ask God’s blessing, for Jesus’ sake, on your new life together. And it is also an opportunity to ask His blessing on the children He may yet be pleased to give you.

[Editorial from the February 2004 issue of The Young People’s Magazine]

About Us

  • Who We Are
    • The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland – Why It Exists Today
    • The Free Presbyterian Church Catechism
      • A Catechism of the History and Principles of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland – PDF
      • 1. Origins of the Free Presbyterian Church (1-13)
      • 2. The Westminster Confession of Faith (14–22)
      • 3. The Declaratory Act and the Free Church (23–53)
      • 4. The Infallibility of Scripture (54-67)
      • 5. Erroneous Doctrines (68-77)
      • 6. Innovations in Worship (78-93)
      • 7. Church and State (94-104)
      • 8. Church office-bearers (105-130)
      • 9. Church Courts (131-140)
      • 10. Church Unity (141-149)
      • 11. Modern Religious Cults (150-159)
      • 12. Modern Errors (160-170)
      • 13. Evolution (171-175)
      • 14. Christ’s Second Coming (176-179)
      • Appendix 1. Deed of Separation 1893
      • Appendix 2. Free Church of Scotland Declaratory Act 1892
      • Appendix 3. FP Synod Resolutions
      • Appendix 4. Questions put to Office-bearers and Formula to be signed by them
      • Appendix 5. Memorandum on the Church of Scotland Enabling Bill 1920
    • The Declaratory Act Controversy
      • Declaratory Act – Reasons for Separation
      • How the Declaratory Act changed the Constitution of the Free Church
      • Explanatory Criticism of the Declaratory Act
      • The Consequences of the Declaratory Act
      • The Declaratory Act and Admission into Office in the Free Church
      • The Constitutional Aspects of the Declaratory Act
      • A Brief History of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
  • What We Contend For
    • Our Free Presbyterian Heritage
    • The Authorised Version
      • The Importance of the Authorised Version for the Church in Britain
      • 2015 Synod Resolution on Versions of the Bible
    • Evangelical or Reformed
    • A Protestant Witness
      • The Pope and the Constitution of the United Kingdom
      • The Pope as the Head of a False Religion
      • Papal Infallibility
      • The Pope in Scripture
    • The Five Points of Calvinism
      • The Canons of Dort
    • The Free Offer of the Gospel
    • Resolution on Creed Subscription
    • Church Discipline
      • The Purposes of Church Discipline
      • The Church’s responsibility to administer Biblical discipline faithfully
      • The benefits of exercising Church discipline
      • Accusations Levelled against a Church Exercising Discipline
    • Baptism
      • Subjects of Baptism – by Rev. William MacIntyre
      • Mode of Baptism – by Rev. William Macintyre
      • Should Infants be Baptised?
    • The Lord’s Supper
      • Why do the minister and elders interview intending communicants?
      • Restricted Communion
      • Fencing the Table
        • The Origins of Fencing the Table
    • Our Separate Stance
    • The Sabbath
      • Why the Sabbath should Still be Kept
      • How the Sabbath should be Kept
      • Sabbath or Lord’s Day – not “Sunday”
      • What about using Public Transport on the Sabbath?
        • Synod’s Statement in Reference to Church-going by Public Conveyances on the Sabbath
        • Historical Controversy over Using Public Transport on the Lord’s Day
    • Family worship
      • Family worship – a recent overview
      • Family worship – a recent address to young people
      • Family worship – a convicting appeal from C H Spurgeon
      • Family worship – a wartime appeal from more than a century ago
      • Family worship – a review
      • Family worship – another wartime appeal
      • Family worship – an illustration of its power
    • Distinctions between Male and Female
      • Men and Women Equal in Value
      • The Distinct Roles of Men and Women
      • Can women lead in public prayer?
      • Distinct Clothing for Men and Women
      • Long hair for women and short hair for men
        • If a Woman have Long Hair, it is a Glory to Her
  • What We Believe
  • How We Worship
    • Order of Service
    • The Right Way to Worship
      • Standing for Prayer
      • The Charismatic Movement – The Gifts have Ceased
    • The Regulative Principle of Worship
      • Does the Bible tell us how we are to Worship?
      • The Importance of the Regulative Principle for Today
      • The Regulative Principle as defined by the Scottish Reformers and others
    • Exclusive Psalmody
      • Does the Bible tell us What to Sing?
      • Why Psalms Only
    • No Musical Instruments
      • Musical Instruments in Worship
    • No Christian “Festivals”
      • Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
  • How We Are Organised
    • Church Courts
    • Scripture does teach the right form of Church Government
    • The Apostolic Church – Which Is It?
      • Statement of the Question
      • Meaning of the word Church
      • Government of the Church
      • Apostolic Principles
      • The First Principle
      • The Second Principle
      • The Third Principle
      • The Fourth Principle
      • The Fifth Principle
      • The Sixth Principle
      • Application of the Test
      • Application of the Test to Prelacy
      • Application of the Test to Independency
      • Application of the Test to Presbytery
      • Application of the Test – Result
  • Important Documents
    • The Scots Confession
    • The First Book of Discipline
    • The Second Book of Discipline
    • The National Covenant
    • The Solemn League and Covenant
    • The Westminster Confession of Faith
    • The Larger Catechism
    • The Shorter Catechism
    • The Directory for Public Worship
    • The Form of Presbyterial Church Government
    • The Sum of Saving Knowledge
    • The Directory for Family Worship
    • The Claim Declaration and Protest
    • The Protest
    • The Deed of Separation 1893
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Calendar

  1. 29 Jan - Meeting of Presbytery: Asia Pacific
  2. 24 Feb - Meeting of Presbytery: Southern
  3. 9 Mar - Meeting of Presbyteries: Western and Northern

View All Events

Latest Articles

  • The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
  • Approaching Judgments – Part 1
  • Locked down for ever!

Recently Added Audio

  • Jesus in the midst 3 Jan 2021
  • The Father calling sinners to Christ 22 Nov 2020
  • The Day of Salvation 27 Dec 2020
  • Jesus standing still 8 Nov 2020
  • Then cometh the end 27 Dec 2020
  • Christ will still build His Church 10 Jan 2021
  • Cast thy burden on the Lord 15 Nov 2020
  • Bring him hither to Me 6 Dec 2020
  • The Master is come 20 Dec 2020
  • Humbling and lifting up 13 Dec 2020

View All Sermons

Download Latest Issues:
The Free Presbyterian Magazine
Young People’s Magazine

Free Presbyterian Places of Worship

Browse the Church Bookshop

Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation by Nathanael Ranew, £11.99
The Priesthood of Christ by Peter MacBride, £6.36
None Other Name: Daily Devotional Readings by 19th Century Scottish Ministers compiled by L J van Valen, £11.79
Thoughts on Religious Experience by Archibald Alexander, £12.49
William Farel by Frances Bevan,  £12.49

Back to top

Website Contact

Rev Keith M Watkins
[email protected]

Moderator of Synod

Rev J Bruce Jardine
FP Manse, Tarbert
Isle of Harris, HS3 3DF
UK

Clerk of Synod

Rev Keith M Watkins
Free Presbyterian Manse, Ferry Road, Leverburgh, Isle of Harris, HS5 3UA, UK.
[email protected]

General Treasurer

Mr William Campbell
133 Woodlands Road, Glasgow,
G3 6LE, UK.
[email protected]

Copyright © 2021 Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland · Log in · Subscribe via RSS · Privacy Notice

This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Read more.