Step By Step To Family Devotions - Resist Satan

photo by nzgabriel

Did you find a family or someone who will consistently help you stay focused on your devotions? Someone who will help with your accountability? We all struggle with vacillating emotions and roller coaster self-discipline. I usually can’t get out of the first week of any resolution I make without resorting back to old ways.

That’s why it’s so important to find an accountability family to partner with. If I don’t keep up with my resolution to lose weight, I simply have to work harder to carry it around. If we fail to obey God and teach our children about Him, they go to hell. How’s that for perspective?

And there’s someone walking around this earth who will do everything he can to see to it your child never hears about the Lord. He will fill you with doubt that you can pull this off. If you miss a day, he’ll fill you with discouragement. If your children aren’t as excited or as impressed as you thought they’d be, he’ll throw worry and frustration your way.

Jesus said, in the Parable of the Sower, that Satan will come and take away the Word from those whose seed has been sown along the path. The seed (the Word of God) needs to be nurtured - over time. A child coming to faith in a genuine, committed way takes the diligent, consistent teaching of a loving parent who is willing to invest in the long run - through adolescence, young adulthood, middle age and beyond if necessary.

I give you these suggestions to help you resist the devil:

• If something happens and you’re unable to do devotions on your scheduled day, get right back on the calendar. Schedule the next one, and the next one, and the next one. Show the devil you’re not giving up.


• If one family member isn’t able to make it due to a conflict, have the devotion time anyway. Don’t forsake the devotion for one person on one day.


• Remember, keep it simple. Read one chapter at a time from the Book of Mark, setting a timer for 10-15 minutes. Review it with your child through discussion or drawing pictures.


• Use teachable moments as they arise. Take advantage of them. Satan may get you on the scheduled family time, but he can’t have all your time.


• Take it one week at a time. Keep coming back here each Monday for further encouragement and instruction in the next step. The old adage of don’t swallow more than you can chew is appropriate here.

You can do this. Satan doesn’t want you to, but you’re not operating under his power or authority. He thinks that because his kingdom is on this earth that he owns it, and everything on it, but we know differently, don’t we?

We’ve read the end of the Book.

Homework: 1. Keep praying. Everyday. Pray, and pray, and pray some more. Satan hates prayer. Hates it.
2. Continue talking up your family devotion time with your children. Explain how it’s sometimes hard to come together given your busy schedule, but that you’re not giving Satan a foothold.
3. Connect with an accountability family. Take advantage of their wisdom and experience. That’ll give Satan the impression you’re building an army. Let him stew on that for awhile.
4. Continue with the next chapter(s) of Mark. That’ll drive him nuts.

Related Articles:
Previous - Find Accountability
Next - Change The Routine