2. We are publishing this series to help families catch a
vision for the transformation that is possible in their personal
lives, their family life, and even their nations, if they commit
to following God’s plan for their blessing. While it is true that
many servants of God are seeking such a transformation from
various angles, God has placed on our hearts the importance
of beginning with godliness at the household level.
Therefore, the themes you will find in this magazine are:
1. We want to encourage each person to trust in Christ as his
or her Savior for eternal life.
2. We want to encourage each saved person to make Christ
his or her Lord, obeying Him, being led by the Holy
Spirit.
3. We want to challenge each person to make sure his or her
faith passes the test of reality. One of the clearest tests of
whether our faith is real is how we live at home, with our
family.
4. We believe God’s order of priorities is: knowing Him,
building a godly family, and reaching out to others to
build His church. Career success, whether in business or
in ministry, and economic security, are secondary, despite
the fact that they are taken to be primary by human
beings. Success at home, or in other words, a God-
glorifying family life, is more important to Him. Success
in a ministry without integrity in the family results in
failure. Therefore, pastors should seek to build a strong
Christian life in the home as much as in the church.
5. God gives one wife to each husband, and will hold him
accountable for his faithfulness as a servant-leader to her.
God gives one husband to each wife, and will hold her
Our mascot, Horacio the Ant (“hormiga” in Spanish)
reminds us of our place in the building of God’s
kingdom. There is a phrase in Spanish, “Cada uno
aportando su granito de arena,” that translates roughly as:
“Each one contributes his little grain of sand”. Even
though one little grain of sand doesn’t seem like much, it
is part of a combined effort that yields a complete anthill.
It is a big job to train our children and pass on our
faith to them. And it is a bigger job to try to share with
other families how God can transform their homes to
show His Good News to their family members and their
communities. But really we are just called to faithfully,
daily, do our little bit, our assigned task and then God
builds His kingdom using the grains of sand each of us
brings. Let Horacio remind you to contribute your
“granito de arena” — whatever God wants to assign you
today.
How to contact us
If you need prayer, a listening ear, or encouragement to
keep on, don’t hesitate to contact us! We also welcome your
suggestions or letters to the editor. Thank you.
Faithfulness in the Family
PO Box 640
Oakhurst, CA 93644-0640 USA
Telephone & Fax: 1-559-658-8598
E-mail: edtuggy@faithfulnessinthefamily.org
Internet: www.faithfulnessinthefamily.org
When you write, please explain clearly how we can get in
touch with you or with some friend of yours who can receive
mail. Thank you.
Ed and Susan Tuggy
What This Magazine is About
accountable for faithfully supporting her husband’s
leadership. Generally speaking, God gives children to a
couple, and will hold them accountable for their
children’s care and growth in every aspect: physical,
spiritual, educational, etc. He will also hold them
accountable for making their best effort to raise godly
offspring, so He can produce an ongoing godly lineage.
These responsibilities do not belong to the government,
the church or the schools; they fully belong to the parents.
6. The faithful family is one of God’s most powerful
mechanisms for establishing His kingdom and filling
Heaven with redeemed souls. First, we reach our
“Jerusalem” (the members of our household); then we
reach out to those nearby, and finally, we reach out to
some of the remotest parts of the world. (Acts 1:8)
7. Each of our families lives in the midst of a culture. God
gave us our cultural identity, and He has an ideal plan for
each culture. He is pleased with the strengths of our
culture, and not pleased with the weaknesses and failures
of our culture. We should seek to evaluate each norm of
our culture by comparing it with what Christ would be
like if He were incarnated in our culture. Then we should
choose his way over ours, his culture over our own. Our
aim is righteousness rather than mere conformism.
8. We want to see each home serve God above all else, and
each faithful home reflect the culture of Heaven as God
brings changes into it. Let us each do our part, till we see
the various cultures transformed by God into the beautiful
societies He intended them to be. Let us not be resigned to
anything less than God’s best for the cultures we live in
and those we seek to reach.
—Ed and Susan Tuggy
Who is Horacio?
3. What is a disciple? It is the person who learns
from his teacher and puts his teaching into practice.
And why would you want to be one? Because it is
the only way to have God’s success as we build our
families. Jesus said to the crowd, “Why do you call
me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will
show you what he is like who comes to me and hears
my words and puts them into practice. He is like a
man building a house [building his family], who dug
down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a
flood came, the torrent struck that house but could
not shake it, because it was well built. But the one
who hears my words and does not put them into
practice is like a man who built
a house on the ground without a
foundation. The moment the
torrent struck that house, it
collapsed and its destruction
was complete.” (Luke 6:46-49)
Whom are you living for?
What are you living for?
Crawford Loritts, of Campus
Crusade for Christ, says that
“for the Christian, there ought to be only one answer
[to the questions above]. We are living for Christ,
and we are committed to doing whatever He wants.”
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is
gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
Our goal in putting together this magazine can
be expressed in a phrase: “family discipleship”. By
this we mean that God wants each of His redeemed
children to be transformed more and more into the
image of His Son, our Savior, and that many of the
choices we must make to allow that transformation,
occur in our daily life, among our family. Our home
atmosphere and behavior can either help or hinder
the spiritual life of each of our family members.
Chuck Colson, of Prison Fellowship, wrote that “we
must go beyond personal conversion and develop a
faith that [affects] every part of life.” Or, to put it
another way, we should choose his way over ours,
his culture over our own.
It is God’s plan for all believers to be disciples
and allow the Holy Spirit to change them. And if
you, like each of us, are a parent, we encourage you
to consider how much more crucial it is that you
“conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel
of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27) What believing parent
wants his or her child to follow
the world’s path to ultimate
destruction? Do we not long for
their salvation and desire to see
them walk faithfully with the
Lord all through their life?
Truly, we should determine that
with God’s help we will not
impede their walk with God by
our carelessness or deliberate
sin, and that we will do all we
can to help them grow up clean and pure and
inclined toward God.
Can we promise that if you follow a certain
method your children will turn out to be wonderful,
faithful Christians? No. Can farmers ever have a
guarantee of a successful crop? No. Nevertheless, we
are not surprised when the hardest-working farmer
receives the most productive crop. It is the same with
children. Instead of remarking to the parents of a
well-behaved family, “Your children are so well-
behaved. I don’t know how you do it,” we
should rather ask the parents, “How did you
raise such well-behaved children?” and they
will tell us something like: “God did it in
Being a Disciple at Home
We are living for
Christ, and we are
committed to doing
whatever He wants.
“As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
3
4. answer to our prayers and as a reward for our poor,
but faithful, efforts.”
What we aim to share with you in the pages of
Faithfulness are hope and tools! Hope, because we
know from our own experience, from the
experiences of God’s people through the centuries
and from the Scriptures that we can reap eternal life
when we sow to please God’s Spirit. (Galatians 6:7–
9) As you learn to obey the Lord in small things and
big, and carefully and lovingly train your children in
godly living, you will reap a harvest of blessing and
godliness.
We want to share tools that can help you
because we all need tools to accomplish our work.
The work of building a godly
family can be made a little
easier for you if we share with
you insights from God’s
Word, hints of how to pray
with your children, other
people’s struggles and
victories, and our love and
concern for you. Feel free to
ask us for prayer; and we
would be honored if you
would pray for us.
Obeying the Lord in small things and big, as we
spoke of earlier, and carefully training your children
in godly living often brings us pain and difficulty. It
is not easy for us to change. What can keep me
willing to obey God’s promptings? Knowing God!
God alone knows what changes need to be
made, so I need to trust Him and obey. If I don’t trust
Him, I won’t have the nerve or motivation to do what
He says. Satan works hard to undermine our
confidence in God’s character. Remember how he
spoke to Eve in the garden? (Genesis 3:1–5) He got
her to disobey when he questioned God’s motives for
the prohibition.
“If God’s character is as portrayed in the Bible,
then it is very logical to trust Him completely, and
very illogical not to trust Him, or to fault Him in
every area… If God were like us then it would be
quite reasonable to distrust Him.” (Barkley p. 2)
How can we correct and grow in our
knowledge of God? Examine the influences
that come into your home which Satan can
use to distort God’s character in your thinking.
Television, music, and reading material can
influence us to wrong beliefs. I love to read, and I
used to read a greater variety of books than I do now.
One day, when our two oldest children were still
young, God spoke to me about some of the books in
the house. They were pretty “tame” by the world’s
standards, but I realized that they could pollute our
children’s minds. I had to get rid of them, or answer
to God some day for selfishly indulging myself to the
detriment of others.
In their manual of personal discipleship, Al &
Lorraine Broom write, “Our worship is only as pure
as our thoughts of God.” (One-to-One Discipling)
When we remove the
influences that distort the
character of God, and replace
them with Bible study,
Christian music and
wholesome reading material,
we learn to love and trust our
Heavenly Father more and
more, and the Holy Spirit can
gently guide us to further
steps of obedience. What a
wonderful example for our children (and relatives
and neighbors)!
We cannot lead our children where we have not
gone ourselves. A friend of ours in Bolivar City,
Venezuela, was a good provider for his family. He
loved his children and wanted them to turn out well.
One of the things he most wanted was for them to
avoid smoking, and he often reminded them of it.
Unfortunately, his words had little if any effect,
because he was a smoker himself.
Public opinion researcher George Barna reminds
us that “as long as Christians live no differently from
anyone else, our witness will be hollow.” (Moody,
July/Aug. 1996) Even more sobering is realizing that
if we Christian parents do not live according to the
faith we profess, we can confuse our children or
cause them to reject the Lord. God would like to
retrain our thinking (see Romans 12:2) so we — and
our families — will live for Jesus Christ. “Do not
conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God’s will
is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
—Susan Tuggy
“We know that we have
come to know him [Jesus
Christ] if we obey his
commands.” (1 John 2:3)
4
5. In the little country of Scotland, famous for its
fierce warriors and clan loyalty, there was a “golden
epoch” when an Awakening of God made the Scots
notable for something different. In nearly every
home in that land, from cottage to castle, the families
of Scotland began to have daily times of worship. On
Sundays the Scottish believers gathered together for
“Kirk”; but on every other day, often twice a day,
fathers led their families in singing the Psalms,
Scripture reading and prayers. For many years the
custom of family worship was followed and Scotland
experienced tranquility and virtue in every level of
society.
Robert Burns (1759-1796), Scotland’s most
beloved poet, wrote about this blessed custom in The
Cotter’s Saturday Night.
Portrait of Family
Worship in Scotland
Family prayers are the first key to success in the Christian home.
The cheerfu' supper done, wi' serious face,
They, round the ingle [fireplace], form a circle wide;
The sire turns o'er, with patriarchal grace,
The big ha'bible [hall Bible], ance [once] his father's pride:
His bonnet rev'rently is laid aside,
His lyart haffets [gray sideburns] wearing thin and bare;
Those strains that once did sweet in Zion glide, [the Psalms]
He wales a portion with judicious care;
And "Let us worship God!" he says with solemn air.
They chant their artless notes in simple guise,
They tune their hearts, by far the noblest aim…
The priest-like father reads the sacred page,
How Abram was the friend of God on high…
[Or] perhaps the Christian volume is the theme,
How guiltless blood for guilty man was shed;
How He, who bore in Heaven the second name,
Had not on earth whereon to lay His head…
Then, kneeling down to Heaven's Eternal King,
The saint, the father, and the husband prays:
6. Robert Burns correctly concludes that, from
scenes like these springs the greatness of his nation.
Could it be that any other nation could attain
greatness as well by means of the same humble
custom, expressed in a culturally appropriate way?
My grandfather, Harold F. Tuggy, wrote about
this poem: “In this scene, the house of the cotter is a
humble cottage, but the household is of a noble
spirit.” I would like to encourage you, dear reader, to
consider what your own
home would be like if
nearly every day you and
your loved ones gathered
together to give praise to
God, read His Word and
bring your petitions to
your Heavenly Father.
We can tell you we have
followed this custom for
several years, and find it
indescribably more
blessed than watching
television, going to a
soccer game, or going
our separate ways after supper. Family worship does
bring tranquillity and virtue.
Pastor James W. Alexander gave us this advice:
“Establish the worship of God in any house, and you
erect around it a new barrier against the
corruption of the world, the flesh, and the
devil.” (Thoughts on Family Worship, Soli
Deo Gloria Publications, www.SDGbooks.com)
How can you bring your granito de arena?
Have you complained recently about what
corruption has done to ruin your country? We
would all love to fix our country, so let us do our
little part, by obeying God one step at a time.
Dear reader, hasn’t God spoken to you today
about the importance of establishing the worship of
God in your own home?
Now it is time to obey
Him. If you are the head
of your household, you
have the power to decide
you will begin
worshipping God in your
home today, so help you
God. I beg you, do not
put it off till tomorrow or
next week. It doesn’t
matter that you begin
with baby steps; God will
help you learn as soon as
you begin.
“Family prayers are the first key to success in
the Christian home. Whenever there are spiritual
difficulties in a family, it is almost certain that there
is also the absence of family prayers. ‘The family
that prays together stays together.’ (Harold F. Tuggy,
Templanza en el Hogar Cristiano, [Temperance in
the Christian Home])
—Ed Tuggy
Hope "springs exulting on triumphant wing,"
That thus they all shall meet in future days [in Heaven]…
Compar'd with this, how poor Religion's pride,
In all the pomp of method, and of art;
When men display to congregations wide
Devotion's ev'ry grace, except the heart! …
But haply, in some cottage far apart,
[God] may hear, well-pleas'd, the language of the soul;
And in His Book of Life the inmates poor enroll…
"An honest man's the noblest work of God"
“Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our
Maker;
For he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts…”
(Psalm 95:6-8a)
6
7. The Elements of
Family Worship
“…And how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures…” (2 Timothy 3:15)
The Apostle Paul wrote the words above to his
disciple Timothy, as well as the following: “I have
been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived
in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice
and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2
Timothy 1:5)
A regularly scheduled time of family worship
helps us as parents follow through on our desire or
commitment to bring up our children “in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) Our
family meets four or five evenings of the week; your
family life may allow you to worship together every
lunch time, one evening a week, or twice a week in
the mornings. If you can’t come up with a single
time in the week when you can all join for reading
the Bible and praying together, ask God to help you
rearrange the family members’ schedules to allow
you to fulfill this blessed responsibility. At least once
a week is desirable, and once a day is ideal.
We realize that the Industrial Revolution has
done a great deal to disintegrate family life, at least
for city-dwellers, if not for country folk. It was easier
to carry out this responsibility when most families
lived an agrarian life. But don’t let that become an
excuse. Instead, ask God to help you overcome the
obstacles of crowded schedules, and He will give
you a reward for overcoming! And don’t forget that
everything worthwhile requires paying the price.
Once we realize that family worship is a high priority
in our home life, if not the highest of all, then we
will begin getting ready to throw out other activities
that have lesser value, such as watching TV, going to
shows or sports events, and so forth, to make room
for what’s most important. Once you have overcome
these obstacles, we would love to hear from you,
telling us how God helped you do it. We want to
pass on the experience you have gained to other
readers.
There are five main elements of family worship:
prayer, singing, reading the Bible aloud, memorizing
Scripture, and creative activities, that is, fun ways to
understand and remember lessons from the Word.
We will be presenting articles focusing on each of
these elements in turn as parts of a “tool chest” for
family worship. We hope the article following this
one will assist you in praying with your children.
Prayer is the channel of communication with
God. Reading the Word teaches us who God is, and
what He expects of us. Singing helps
strengthen our emotions and our minds so
we resist sin and respond to life in a godly
7
8. way. Memorizing Scripture provides us with a
storeroom of truth that the Holy Spirit can use when
life’s road is hard to navigate. The last element of
family worship, creative activities, includes object
lessons, Bible games and quizzes, impromptu dramas
and other fun things that help your children (and
you) remember and apply what you are learning
together.
Each of these elements is do-able for your
family, we assure you. If
you are not accustomed to
praying aloud, you could
try agreeing on several
items to pray for, and then
each silently pray for a
short time. Later God will
give you courage to pray
aloud if you ask Him.
Some find reading
difficult. The family
members could take turns,
(share the anxiety!) or the
family’s best reader could
serve the rest by reading
the Bible. After you have
established the habit of
daily Bible reading out
loud, the one who does
the most reading will find
his reading skills
improving greatly, giving
him plenty of confidence.
If you don’t have a Bible,
can you borrow one? Or
tell us of your need and
we will try to find a Bible
for you.
Perhaps you protest
that none of you can carry
a tune, or that you don’t know any Christian songs.
Borrow or buy a tape or record or CD of Christian
music. Listen carefully, try humming along, and
attempt some of the words. Do what you are able,
and you will please God and find blessing for
yourselves.
Choose verses or passages to memorize that will
be useful to you, such as salvation verses.
As you and your children grow in the Lord,
you will have opportunity to share your
faith with others. It is a delight to feel prepared
because you know the appropriate verses by heart.
Write a verse on a 3 x 5 card or small piece of paper,
and post it in a prominent place in the home (a
bathroom mirror, a kitchen window, the front of the
refrigerator, or a door). At least once a day take a
minute or two to go over the verse aloud together,
repeating it a few times. By the end of the week you
will all know it! Save the paper for review later on.
The last element, creative
activities, might seem to
require too much time or
creativity. You could
simply encourage the
children to act out a Bible
story that you are reading,
with perhaps a towel-
turban or a roll of paper
for a trumpet. Wise
parents conserve their
own energy, while
encouraging the young
ones to use their liveliness
to learn of God!
In our house our evening
devotional time consists
of singing with guitar,
reading the Bible, and
praying around the circle.
This time is led by the
father of the house.
Occasionally we have a
creative activity instead of
the Bible reading time.
The memorizing of
Scripture is supervised by
the mother of the house
during the homeschooling
hours. These activities
have knit our family
closer to each other and to God. For a working
parent, family worship times are especially needed
so he or she will have the chance to guide his or her
children in spiritual matters.
Your granito de arena: If you have not begun
the wonderful habit of family worship, we urge
you to determine a time to try it out. Satan will
attempt to discourage you, but you must persevere.
God will bless your efforts.
—Susan Tuggy
Read Psalm 23
Sing
Memorize Isaiah 53:6
Items of Prayer:
1 Thank God for being your
shepherd.
2 Pray for the neighbors.
8
9. In the previous article, praying together as a
family was mentioned as one of the important
components of a family worship time. There are
many opportunities, of course, throughout the day to
pray for and with other family members. But
developing a habit together of a particular time of
day for prayer has many benefits!
You can’t always schedule times for prayer, of
course. There are occasions that
merit stopping everything for prayer.
When the World Trade Center and
the Pentagon were bombed on 9/11,
as soon as we found out about it, we
knew it was time to take it all to
God. The father of our house called
the whole family together, and we
got down on our knees and asked
God to stop the attack and take care
of the suffering. We also asked Him
to help us know how to react with
trust in Him.
All day long, show by example
how to maintain a conversation with
the Most High, and then during
family worship, help your children practice. How is
this “conversation” done?
As a child hears people pray he learns what to
ask God for and how to talk to God.
The first component of prayer is adoration. It is
really the most important, and the other three depend
on it. We as parents need to guide our children to
know what God is like so they can grow to love and
trust Him. Knowing that God cares about us, that He
is holy, that He is good, that He is all-powerful —
these and other attributes of God encourage us to
depend on Him and trust in His provision. Ask God
to reveal more of Himself to you, and praise Him
together with your family.
Next comes confession. I feel awkward
admitting to my family when I have done wrong. (A
lot of times they know already!) Yet, when I confess
my sin to them and to God, I can teach them what to
do when they sin. Confessing sin, and turning away
from it, brings cleansing and allows us to have happy
fellowship with the Lord again. “If
we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all
unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Third, model thanksgiving by
cultivating the habit of thanking
God out loud for a blessing, a need
met, or a deliverance. The care you
take to be grateful will teach your
children to have and show
thankfulness to God our Provider.
In addition to adoration, confession,
and thanksgiving, another important
component of prayer is supplication
(another way of saying petition). Even the youngest
child can learn the pleasure and privilege of praying
for his friends, family members and family needs.
Throughout the day, take note of needs and pray for
them promptly, sometimes drawing your child to you
so they can join you. A working parent can make an
effort to “bring home” prayer requests from your day
away from the family. Then at family worship time
everyone can bring them to God.
What to Pray For
We suggest that you start by praying
about the things that test your faith the
most, the things that upset you the most, or
Family Worship Toolchest
Part 1: How to Pray With
Your Children
Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication
9
10. the things that are the most significant to your life.
For example, for most adults, spending a productive
day at work is very important. Therefore, make it a
matter of prayer. If your job is taken from you,
finding a new job is very important; so put “job” on
the family prayer list. Staying in good health is very
important; why not pray for good health for yourself
and your entire family? Living in a peaceful society
is important to most of us; so pray for the leaders of
your nation and the peace of your community, state
or nation. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “I urge, then,
first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for
everyone — for kings and all
those in authority, that we may
live peaceful and quiet lives in
all godliness and holiness.” (1
Timothy 2:1–2)
For most children, it is very
important to be able to perform
well in school. Therefore, make
that a matter of prayer with
them. Or they may be studying
at home; that, too, is something
to pray about with them. Having
a happy home where they are
loved is important to them; so,
pray with them about that.
There is no need or circumstance that cannot be
brought to our Heavenly Father. Do not worry that a
concern might be “too little” to bother Him with.
After all, nothing in the universe is “big” for Him!
The Bible assures us that God cares about our
concerns: “Casting all your cares on Him, for He
cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) The main thing is, don’t
forget to pray about what’s important to you and
your children.
Some of our concerns are frightening to us as
adults. What then? If I share with my child
something I am anxious about — so we can pray
about it together — won’t I make my child anxious
as well? Is that kind, or necessary?
We do need to be careful about the kinds of
needs we share with our children, but also remember
that children usually pick up on our anxiety
anyway, and it can be a relief to find out
what the grownups are upset about, and to
be part of the solution.
For example: the family’s income has suffered
and there is very little to eat. The parent or parents
can choose to pray about the situation without
mentioning it to the children. When God provides,
the parents can then excitedly tell the children how
there was no food and God sent some. Or, the
parents can gather the children (maybe not very little
ones) and all pray together about the situation. There
will be children waiting at the door for the food to
arrive from God!
Sometimes my faith in God’s care falters. How
can I teach my children to have
faith when I have so little? I
can ask God to increase my
faith. In Romans 10:17 the
Apostle Paul reminds us that
faith comes through attention to
the Word of God: “Faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God.” Search out
stories and promises in the
Bible that show God providing,
and share them with your
children. Be honest as well,
explaining that God doesn’t
always do for us what we think
would be best, but we trust Him
to know what’s best. As we
parents learn to accept God’s will for us, our children
will learn to say and mean “Thy will be done.”
Methods and Models
The Holy Spirit helps us to pray. “In the same
way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not
know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groans that words
cannot express. And he who searches our hearts
know the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit
intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s
will.” (Romans 8:26–27) Ask Him for His assistance
as you apply yourself to praying with your children.
Children should be taught to be reverent when
anyone is praying. They should keep their body still,
be quiet, and perhaps close their eyes or in some way
learn to focus on the prayer rather than on distracting
things around them. Reward your child with praise or
a small treat when they maintain a reverent attitude
throughout the prayer time. Encourage children to
“help pray” by agreeing with the one who is praying.
More things to pray for:
• Family members
• Friends
• The pastor
• Workers in our church
• The poor and suffering
• Lost souls
• Brothers and sisters in
Christ, far away
• Missionaries
• Government officials
10
11. The Lord Jesus taught this with these words: “Again, I
tell you that if two of you on earth agree about
anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my
Father in heaven. For where two or three come
together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew
18:19–20)
You (the parent) need to guide a young child, not
only in the way to pray, but also toward knowing what
God is like, so he or she can grow to love and trust
Him, and ask Him simply for things, and thank and
praise Him for His provision and care.
A baby’s first prayer can be repeating short,
simple phrases after you, such as “Dear God, I love
you.” As he grows and learns about the Lord,
encourage him to thank God for sending His Son Jesus
to die for our sins. Small children delight in asking
God to help in simple necessities of life.
An older child can help the family remember
God’s answers — needs He has met and help He has
given — and they can prompt us to give thanks. Train
yourself and your children to talk with the Lord, not
just to “recite” or “say prayers”. Some written prayers
are helpful — especially the Lord’s Prayer — and can
be used with discretion. But take care not to fall into
the habit of using mostly written or memorized
prayers, as very quickly these lose their meaning. No
written prayer can cover the exact concerns your
family has on this day. God is eager to hear from you,
so speak directly to Him!
We have five children, so to keep things
manageable, we all decide on two or three items we
will take to God on a particular evening. Other times
we pray for the person on our right, or the next person
younger.
Is there in your home an older child who is not
interested in spiritual things? We don’t all begin our
own walk with Jesus early in life, and often enough we
have children who were not trained to love God when
they were very young. What then? Begin by praying
for the child in secret, then pray for the child in his
presence (as he gets ready to leave for school, for
example, hug him and say a short prayer for his day).
Keep asking the Lord to open the child’s heart to
Himself, and always offer the opportunity during
family worship for all to pray. Don’t concern yourself
with questions like, “Does God listen when
unbelievers pray?” Of course He listens — He loves
all his created people — and sometimes He even
grants the requests of unbelievers in order to bring
grace into their lives.
By practicing prayer throughout the day, and
dedicating some time to praying together on a regular
basis, you will create a family closeness to each other
and closeness to God that will be a real blessing to
you.
Your granito de arena: Perhaps you have never
prayed out loud before. Try beginning with
adoration: think of something wonderful about
God and tell Him about it. Next try thanksgiving.
Surely God has cared for you in some way you can
thank Him for. Confess any sins the Holy Spirit
reminds you of, and accept His cleansing. Then make
your petitions, asking God for His help in your needs.
You can end your prayer as many of us do, by saying
“Amen”, which means “let it be so,” or be creative in
how you personally leave the presence of the Most
High.
Perhaps you family has not prayed
together before. Why not start today?
—Susan Tuggy 11
12. If you are a pastor, consider whether the
programs of your church may be making it difficult
for your member families to have regular home
worship times. If so, we would urge you to
reconsider the usual pastor’s emphasis on the custom
of attendance at church functions practically every
night of the week. This is presumably valid for
member families who are just getting started in their
faith and have not demonstrated the desire to have
worship at home. But your expectations for the rest
of your member families should be different. Why
not encourage them to have family worship in their
homes, and release them from the expectation of
attendance at church every night? You will be
amazed at the vitality of your church as your families
practice their religion at home!
In his book, Templanza en el hogar cristiano
(Temperance in the Christian Home), Harold F.
Tuggy wrote: “A church was situated in a bad
neighborhood of a city. The pastor tried hard, but
only succeeded in getting a few people to attend the
services. Then he put into practice a work plan of
visiting all the homes in the neighborhood and
teaching the families to have family prayers. After
several years of labor, the bad character of the
neighborhood was completely changed and the
church was filled with Christians. The power of
family prayers is immense.
“Therefore it seems that the Devil especially
hates family worship.”
For this reason, we urge you, esteemed pastor, to
think about building godly families first and watch
God build His church as a result. If your member
families wish to have worship at home
instead of attending so many services,
release them and arrange to hold them
accountable and check up on them.
If you are not the pastor, but a member of a
church where the pastor expects everyone to attend
almost every night of the week, kindly and gently
explain to him that you have decided to have family
devotions and you will no longer be able to attend
church more than once, twice, or maybe three times a
week, for example, depending on what you have
decided. Now don’t excuse yourself and then fail to
follow through with worship at home! Instead, keep
your promise to have family worship times and
report to your pastor about what you are doing.
Let us beware of filling our church calendars
with all kinds of churchly things that keep us
busy all the time, but keep us from doing what
our Heavenly Father really wants — spending time
building godliness in our homes, and spending time
with our unsaved neighbors, influencing them for
Christ. How many of the things on our church
calendar are inadvertently serving the Devil’s
purposes?
—Ed Tuggy
How Pastors Can Encourage
Family Worship
12
13. Many Christians today feel that the Genesis
account of the creation of this universe is a story
with good points in it, but since scientists have
declared that millions of years were required to form
the earth and the living creatures on it, then that part
of the Bible is not literally true, or is not written in
scientific terms, and is not meant to be evaluated
scientifically, or they make some other such
disclaimer to keep from pitting the Bible directly
against science. Finally, many of the same Christians
feel that it really doesn’t matter
all that much whether Genesis
chapter one fits with the
“scientific evidence” or not, as
there are plenty of other good
teachings to be learned from the
Bible in the hundreds of pages
that follow. But have people
who say these things really
considered what they are
saying?
Let’s consider these points
carefully, starting with the
question, does it really matter?
One of the main issues in evaluating the
testimony presented in court is the reliability or
trustworthiness of the witness. If a witness in known
to have told lies on numerous occasions, then, even if
he happens to tell the truth in court, still, his
testimony will be held in question. On the other
hand, if a witness is known to be consistent about
telling the truth, then his testimony in court will be
very difficult to challenge, simply because of his
reputation, because of his known truthful character.
In the same way, it is very important to establish
whether the Bible is reliable or not. If the writers of
the Bible were not zealous for telling the truth, then
we are indeed free to take the Bible or leave it as we
see fit. But if they felt that telling the truth was of
utmost importance, and took great pains to do so
themselves, then we need to take the Bible seriously
as an ancient document whose testimony is very
trustworthy. As a matter of fact, did you know that
even irreligious archeologists refer to the Bible as an
accurate archeological guide? The more they follow
its testimony, the more successful they are in digging
up ancient treasures. What does that tell us about the
Bible as a trustworthy ancient document?
Furthermore, the Bible claims to be the
Word of God. So then, not only is the
The Bible is Reliable
13
14. reputation of the Bible as a human document at
stake, but also the reputation of the God of the
Hebrews is at stake. If his testimony can be
questioned, if he can be shown to be careless of the
truth, then how do we know he is not the cosmic liar,
and Satan the one who is telling the truth? Not that
we would seriously consider that idea, but you can
see how confusing everything can become if we
cannot establish the truthfulness of God’s testimony.
One of Satan’s strategies for stifling Christians
is to get us to ignore the Bible. If it is not reliable—if
God’s message to us is obscure religious talk and not
truth—then we don’t need to heed what the Bible
tells us. We will continue walking in darkness and
have nothing to offer the sin-sick world around us.
Finally, “The Bible is the
foundational element in a Christ-
directed life, and it is from the
Bible that you learn all of the other
basics for the Christian life. As God
speaks to you through the
Scriptures, you come to know Him
and to love Him, to understand and
obey His principles for life and
ministry.” (Al & Lorraine Broom in
One-to-One Discipling) So it is
foundational to living a godly life to
be able to establish the trustworthiness of the Bible.
Getting back to Genesis chapter one, some claim
that it cannot be taken at face value, but that it has
metaphorical validity. Perhaps it is couched in
metaphors that ancient people could understand,
since they weren’t aware of scientific concepts.
However, if Genesis 1 cannot be taken at face value,
then how do we know how to interpret it or any other
passage? What use is testimony that cannot be taken
at face value? How is that any better than a witness
in court who crosses his fingers behind his back?
Couching the story in pre-scientific terms is one
thing, but using the phrase “evening and
morning” to refer to long ages, is another
thing entirely. If the world was not created
and filled with creatures in six days and nights, then
Genesis chapter one made clearly false statements,
no matter what your worldview may be.
Yes, it is indeed of utmost importance to
determine whether the Bible, as God’s Word, is
telling the truth and can be taken at face value. So
then, if Genesis chapter one is not trustworthy, if it
does not stand on its own credentials, just like
eyewitness testimony stands on its own credentials,
then we have real problems. But if it is just as valid
as any other eyewitness testimony, if not even more
so, then we must not cave in to every claim by more
recent investigators to have found more accurate
information.
Indeed, we need to learn to evaluate the
confidence we place in “science” and “scientists”.
Are we accepting their claims as if they were
infallible authorities? Are we intimidated by their
impressive credentials and massive research efforts?
Do we feel we must rely on their investigations
because we don’t have time to check them out for
ourselves? If we question them, are we afraid we will
look like we are uneducated, superstitious,
unenlightened or irrational? We may think that
“science” has obviously demonstrated its validity in
the practical applications we see every day now —
cars, trucks, airplanes, spacecraft, video cameras and
players, computers, the Internet and so forth. But are
these modern inventions any indication that scientists
can tell what happened millions of years ago based
14
15. on the fossil and geologic records? No; the
interpretation of the fossil record is very subjective
and even speculative. Using this kind of “science”,
the computer would have never been produced.
Good news! There is no need to believe in
“millions of years,” or in slime that evolves all the
way to man, or that stars and planets and quasars
came from an explosion long ago which used cosmic
matter from who-knows-where. There is a great deal
of scientific evidence that shows that Moses was
given correct information by God our Creator about
the origin of the universe and people. Surprised?
Wondering why you hadn’t heard this before?
There is even a great deal of scientific evidence
against current evolutionary claims! For example, we
are often told that radiometric dating methods
“prove” that the layers of rock on the Earth were laid
down over millions of years. But these dating
methods give unreliable results, and are often
ignored or “adjusted” by the geologists,
paleontologists or archaeologists who send the
samples to the lab!
For example, Richard Leakey found a skull of a
supposedly ancient man-like creature. The date given
by the lab was 2.6 million years old. But
anthropologists said the skull looked too “modern”
for that age (no real humans were supposed to be
around yet). So they spent ten years adjusting the
dates closer to modern times.
Another instance involves some trees caught in a
lava flow long ago in Australia. Dating by
accelerator mass spectrometry, in two separate
laboratories, gave an estimate of 44,000 years for the
tree samples. Potassium-argon dating was done on
the rock which was formed by fresh lava at the same
time as the trees were alive. The rock should have a
date of about 44,000 years too, right? The lab
returned a date range of 36-58 million years! If the
trees were that ancient, there would have been no
carbon left of their living tissue for the lab to
examine at all, so the rock date is obviously a
mistake.
Since dating methods are not reliable, and often
ignored by the scientists themselves, you can doubt
what evolutionists say about “millions of years.”
Their claims about events in the remote past are
guess-work that is very different from their
investigations into presently observable events using
repeatable experiments. Whenever they make a bold
claim about the remote past, they can smugly rest
assured that no one can go back there to observe that
it was not so. But claims that cannot be double-
checked are useless and deserving of dismissal. In
fact, many of their claims have been shown to be
fraudulent, deliberately tampering with the evidence
to delude the public with myths. The case of
“Piltdown Man” is not the only time this has
happened. Instead of caving in to “scientific
evidence”, you can BELIEVE what God’s Word
says: not so many thousands of years ago, in six real
days and nights, the all-powerful God called our
universe into being according to His awe-inspiring
plan, and Adam and Eve were created on the sixth
day, as “modern” as we are.
Your granito de arena: What will you base
your beliefs on? How will you influence others
around you? If you have been confused about
the truth of certain parts of the Bible, tell God about
it. Ask Him to show you whether His Word is
reliable from beginning to end. Find out what your
children think. Teach them to be skeptical of
“proofs” of evolution. It will make a big difference
in their lives when you assure them that the Bible is
reliable. Need help? Contact Answers in Genesis, a
wonderful ministry that exists to help us
stand on the truth of the Bible.
—Ed and Susan Tuggy
Answers in Genesis
P.O. Box 6330
Florence, Kentucky 41022 USA
Internet: www.AnswersinGenesis.org
15
16. Dear reader, I would like to ask you a few
questions.
You believe God is your Creator, right?
You also believe that He is your Judge, and
your eternal destiny is in His hands, right?
I presume you have answered “Yes” to these
questions; otherwise, you probably would not have
read this far.
Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God,
and therefore trustworthy?
If you have had doubts, I hope you can dispel
them, reviewing the article about the
trustworthiness of the Bible, or considering how
miraculous is the Bible’s survival over the
centuries. Ask God to help you find the truth.
Now are you ready to go on, convinced that the
Bible is the absolute truth?
Then let’s look at what the Lord Jesus Christ
said about how to receive God’s blessing.
While counseling an important Jew named
Nicodemus, a man who was considered very good
among his people, Jesus told him, “I tell you the
truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he
is born again.” (John 3:3) This is because we are all
sinners, as was even that gentleman named
Nicodemus. “This is the verdict: Light has come
into the world, but men loved darkness instead of
light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)
So then, how did He counsel Nicodemus to be
born again? First, He said, “Flesh gives birth to
flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit,” (John 3:6)
thereby making it clear that he was referring to a
spiritual rebirth. Farther on He said, “For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life.” (John 3:16) This is to say that
one’s spiritual rebirth consists in placing one’s
confidence in Jesus Christ to receive eternal life
from Him.
Then Jesus said, “Whoever believes in him
[referring to himself] is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned
already because he has not believed in the name of
God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:18) So then, the
first step to receiving God’s blessing is to receive
Jesus Christ as your Savior; this is the only way to
avoid being condemned.
If you want to put your trust in Jesus Christ, in
order to be born again and receive eternal life, do
so today; don’t put it off. You can talk to God in
your own words, or you can tell Him something
like this: “Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and
I need to be born again in my spirit. Therefore I am
putting my confidence in you as my Savior. So
now, according to your promise, I am no longer
lost, but have eternal life. I have been born again of
the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”
Now you have taken the first step to receiving
God’s blessing: you have begun a new life in Jesus
Christ. You are now ready to receive the rest of
God’s counsel and put it into practice as the Holy
Spirit enables you.
—Ed Tuggy
How to Receive the Blessing of God
Photography by Ron Thomas
