Devotions with Daddy (Part II)

In Devotions with Daddy – Part I, I shared part of my journey in leading my younger children (the pre-readers) in their daily quiet time.  But, what if the father’s work schedule will not allow for this time with the child in the morning?



At the time the Lord began to teach me how to lead my little ones in their personal quiet times, I was working outside the home in a recording studio and had occasional trips which would take me away for a few days.   I remember editing some audio files in the studio, when the Lord showed me a solution to this obstacle.  He directed me to begin recording short daily devotions and compile them onto an audio CD my 3 yr. old could listen to in the morning.  We saw joy fill the eyes of my daughter the next morning when we set up the CD player and she heard my voice.  That was more than enough confirmation to me that this was something that should be continued.  I then began developing many more of these short (3-5 minutes) devotionals for recording onto audio CD’s.  As we’ve had more children, we’ve passed these CDs down to the newest toddler/preschooler, and we’ve all enjoyed watching their excitement to hear daddy lead them in the study of God’s Word. 

Our child will sit on a designated mat or rug, close to the CD player, and listen to the devotion while staying in his/her place.  If they are really young, my wife will have them do this close to where she is at that time in their schedule.  I believe it is important for others nearby to hear what the child is hearing.  This way, mommy (or a sibling) can comment on what the toddler just heard.  In some of the recordings, I sang a short hymn or song and encouraged the toddler to sing it throughout the day (Eph. 5:19).  Since other family members can also hear the devotional thought, there is a special accountability present.

Last year, my wife told me of an added benefit when I had to travel away from home for a few days.  All the kids were missing daddy (I don’t travel alone often), so the audio CD was put in the stereo while they played.  All four kids played a little more happily with the sound of daddy’s voice sharing the truth of God’s Word with them!

Putting together these simple recordings isn’t difficult AND can be very rewarding!  It doesn’t have to be studio quality.  I will cover some specific ideas on how to do this in Devotions with Daddy - Part III. 

It is my conviction that children be led by their father in this area of their lives (1 Cor. 11:3).  It doesn’t mean that mother cannot help remind the children to have their quiet time or that mother cannot be there to read the passages when Daddy is away.  But it is a time that needs to be father-led and father directed.*

In closing, there will be times when keeping up the consistency of your normal, every-day, routine is going to be difficult.  Sometimes family Bible time, individual quiet times, or early morning Proverb/Psalm reading will need to be changed up a bit.  During times of travel, illness, or when you are hosting people in your home, it is normal to expect some disruption in the schedule; there is constantly a need for flexibility.  It is good to remember that the schedule is there to help us and not to hinder us!

*I realize that there will be circumstances diferent than ours in which the father is absent physically, relationally, emotionally, or spiritually.  In these cases, what should the mother do?  This is a great question that I would like to address, to the best of my ability, in Devotions with Daddy (Part IV).  - Eric