“Dad, I really want to read and Bible and pray, but sometimes I just don’t know what to read or say.” My son, Max, looked back at me with a genuine look in his eyes. He continued, “Sometimes I walk in and see you reading the Bible or hear you praying in the morning and I just wish I knew how to do that for forty-five minutes or an hour.”

My four kids are amazing. They love Jesus and share his love with others. But like any other teenagers, they are still learning what it means to have spiritual disciplines. I spent quite a bit of time at the end of the 2020 reading, thinking through, and praying for my kids and how I can better help them establish rhythms for engaging with God in a meaningful (and sustainable way).

I recorded the video below to help you see how you can teach your kids … or yourself … to engage with God on a regular basis in the coming year. Every day isn’t exciting as I engage with God … and some days I linger in my time with him longer than others. But the goal is to spend time with Him every day, whether I feel like it or not. Many times, the days that I did not “feel it” are the days that God ends up speaking to me through his Word or prayer in a powerful way.

I pray that this year is the year that helps you to establish rhythms that are sustainable and lead to intimate times with God.