Adapted from

The Directory for Family Worship

by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, AD 1647

Revised and Edited by Lakeside Church, Presbyterian Church in America

Approved by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for Piety and Uniformity in Secret and Private Worship and Mutual Edification with an Act of the General Assembly Anno 1647, for Observing the Same.

Editor’s Introduction

Christian families are under attack. Sadly, as our faith becomes more and more secularized by a hostile and aggressive humanism, Christians often develop their understanding of marriage and family from a non-Biblical perspective. At the center of this problem is a widespread abandonment by Christian men of their responsibilities for the spiritual welfare of their families. Because men refuse to be godly men, their wives and children suffer accordingly.

The Directory of Family Worship, adopted by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1647, should make us all a little humble as we meditate on how far we have fallen from the standards of our Presbyterian forefathers. Although the level of discipline required in the Directory of Family Worship may be startling to our modern senses, it does demonstrate vividly why our Presbyterian heritage exercised such a powerful influence on their world, while we today, are too often influenced by the world. Men, it is time to be men.   

Since 17^th century English is a barrier to many, and because the truths contained in this historic document are so important for us today, Lakeside Church, PCA has taken the liberty of rephrasing some aspects of the Directory to simplify its use for modern readers. Our additions, clarifications and changes are written in parentheses, brackets and ellipses. Greenville Presbyterian Seminary originally reprinted this document and should not be held responsible for any errors we may have made. Copies of the original Directory are available from them at PO Box 9279 Greenville SC 29604.

ASSEMBLY AT EDINBURGH, AUGUST 24, 1647

Section I. [Neglecting Family Worship Is Subject to Church Discipline] Act for observing the Directions of The GENERAL ASSEMBLY for standard of private worship, and Edification, and nurturing those who neglect Family Worship.

1.     THE General Assembly, after mature deliberation, approves the following Rules and  Directions for cherishing piety, and preventing division and schism; and appoints ministers and ruling elders in each congregation to take special care that these Directions be observed and followed;

2.     Likewise, presbyteries and provincial synods should inquire... whether the said Directions are duly observed in their bounds; and to reprove or censure (according to the quality of the offense), such as shall be found to be reprovable or censurable. And, to the end that these directions may not be rendered ineffectual and unprofitable through the usual neglect of the very substance of the duty of Family-worship, the Assembly further requires and appoints ministers and ruling elders to make diligent search and inquiry, in the congregations committed to their charge respectively, whether there be among them any family or families which neglect this necessary duty.

3.     And if any such family be found, the head of the family is to be first admonished privately to amend his fault; and, in case of his continuing therein, he is to be gravely and sadly reproved by the session; After this reproof, if he is found still to neglect Family-worship, he shall be, for his obstinacy in such an offense, suspended and debarred from the Lord’s supper, as being justly esteemed unworthy to receive the sacraments until he amends his ways. 

DIRECTIONS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, CONCERNING SECRET - AND PRIVATE WORSHIP, AND MUTUAL EDIFICATION; FOR CHERISHING PIETY, FOR MAINTAINING UNITY, AND AVOIDING SCHISM AND DIVISION.

Section II. [The Importance of Family Worship]

1.     BESIDES the public worship in congregations, which God has mercifully established in this land in great purity, it is expedient and necessary that secret worship of each person alone, and private worship of families, be encouraged and established; that, with national reformation, the profession and power of godliness, both personal and domestic, be advanced.

2.     ...First, for secret worship, it is most necessary, that everyone apart, and by themselves, be given to prayer and meditation, the unspeakable benefit where of is best known to them who are most exercised therein. Secret worship is the means whereby, communion with God is enjoyed, and right preparation for all other duties obtained. Therefore it is the responsibility of pastors, within their several charges, to exhort persons of all sorts to perform this duty morning and evening, and at other occasions. but also it is incumbent to the head of every family to have a care, that both themselves, and all within their charge, be daily diligent herein. 

Section III. [The Duties of Family Worship]

1.   The ordinary duties of families when convened for worship are: 

a.      First, Prayer and praises performed with a special reference, as well to the public condition of the Church of God and this kingdom, as to the present case of the family, and every member thereof.

b.     Next, Reading of the scriptures, with catechizing in a plain way, that children and uneducated persons may be the better enabled to profit under the public ordinances, and they made more able to understand the scriptures when they are read;

c.      There should also be godly conferences for the edification of all the members in the most holy faith: as also, admonition and rebuke, upon just reason, from those who have authority in the family.

2.   As the charge and office of interpreting the holy scriptures is a part of the ministerial calling, which none (however otherwise qualified) should take upon himself in any place,... so in every family where there is any that can read, the holy scriptures should be read regularly to the family. And it is commendable, that afterwards they confer, and by way of discussion make some good use of what has been read and heard. As, for example,

a.      if any sin is reproved in the word read, use may be made thereof to make all the family aware and watchful against the same;

b.     or if any judgment is threatened, or mentioned to have been inflicted..., use may be made to make all the family fear lest the same or a worse judgment befall them, unless they beware of the sin that procured it:

c.      and, finally, if any duty is required, or comfort held forth in a promise, use may be made to stir up themselves to employ Christ for strength to enable them to do the commanded duty, and to apply the offered comfort. In all which the master of the family is to have the chief hand; and any member of the family may propose a question or doubt for resolution. 

3.     The head of the family is to take care that none of the family withdraw himself from any part of family-worship: and, seeing the ordinary performance of all the parts of family worship belongs properly to the head of the family, the minister is to stir up such men as are lazy, and train up such as are weak, to a fitness to these exercises; it being always free to persons of quality to entertain one approved by the Presbytery for performing family exercise. And in other families, where the head of the family is unfit, that another, constantly residing in the family, approved by the minister and session, may be employed in that service, wherein the minister and session are to be accountable to the Presbytery.

4.     And if a minister, by Divine Providence, be brought to any family, it is requisite that at no time he convene a part of the family for worship, secluding the rest, except in singular cases especially concerning these parties, which (in Christian prudence) need not, or ought not, to be imparted to others. 

5.     Let no idler, who has no particular calling, or vagrant person under pretense of a calling, be suffered to perform worship in families; seeing persons tainted with errors, or aiming at division, may be ready (after that manner) to creep into houses, and lead captive silly and unstable souls.

6.     At family-worship, a special care is to be had that each family keep by themselves; neither requiring, inviting, nor admitting persons from divers families, unless it be those who are lodged with them, or at meals, or other wise with them upon some lawful occasion. 

7.     Whatsoever have been the effects and fruits of meetings of persons of divers families in the times of corruption or trouble, (in  which cases many things are commendable, which otherwise are not tolerable,) yet, when God has blessed us with peace and purity of the gospel, such meetings of persons of divers families (except in cases mentioned in these Directions) are to be disapproved, as tending to the hindrance of the religious exercise of each family by itself, to the prejudice of the public ministry, to the rending of the families of particular congregations, and (in progress of time) of the whole Church. Besides many offenses which may come thereby, to the hardening of the hearts of carnal men, and grief of the godly. 

8.     On the Lord’s day, after everyone of the family apart, and the whole family together, have sought the Lord (in whose hands the preparation of men’s hearts are) to fit them for the public worship, and to bless to them the public ordinances, the master of the family ought to take care that all within his charge repair to the public worship, that he and they may join with the rest of the congregation. And the public worship being finished, after prayer, he should take an account what they have heard; and thereafter, to spend the rest of the time which they may spare in catechizing, and in spiritual conferences upon the word of God: or else (going apart) they ought to apply themselves to reading, meditation, and secret prayer, that they may confirm and increase their communion with God: that so the profit which they found in the public ordinance may be cherished and promoted, and they more edified unto eternal life 

Section Four: [On Prayer]

1.   So many as can pray  intelligently, ought to make use of that gift of God. While those who are weaker may begin at a set form of prayers  they should not become sluggish in stirring up... the spirit of prayer, which is given to all the children of God.... Thus they ought to become more fervent and frequent in secret prayer which will enable their hearts to conceive, and their tongues to express, their desires to God for their family. And, in the meantime, for their greater encouragement, let these materials of prayer be meditated upon, and made use of, as follows: 

a.      “Let them confess to God how unworthy they are to come in his presence, and how unfit to worship his Majesty; and therefore earnestly ask of God the spirit of prayer.

b.     “They are to confess their sins, and the sins of the family; accusing, judging, and condemning themselves for them, till they bring their soul to some measure of true humiliation.

c.      “They are to pour out their soul to God, in the name of Christ, by the Spirit, for forgiveness of sins; for grace to repent, to believe, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly; and that they may serve God with joy and delight, walking before him.

d.     “They are to give thanks to God for his many mercies to his people, and to themselves, and especially for his love in Christ, and for the light of the gospel. 

e.      “They are to pray for such particular benefits, spiritual and temporal, as they shall in need of for the time, (whether it be morning or evening,) as benefit the  health or sickness, prosperity or adversity. 

f.       “They ought to pray for the Church of Christ in general, for all the reformed churches, and for this Church in particular, and for all that suffer for the name of Christ; for all our superiors, the king’s majesty, the queen, and their children; for the magistrates, ministers, and whole body of the congregation whereof they are members, as well for their neighbors absent in their lawful affairs, as for those that are at home. 

g.      “The prayer may be closed with an earnest desire that God may be glorified in the coming of the kingdom of his Son, and in doing of his will, and with assurance that themselves are accepted, and what they have asked according to his will shall be done.”

2.     These exercises ought to be performed in great sincerity, without delay, laying aside all exercises of worldly business or hindrances, not withstanding the mockings of atheists and profane men; in respect of the great mercies of God to this land, and of his severe corrections with which He has lately disciplined us. And, to this effect, persons of eminency  (and all elders of the Church) not only ought to stir up themselves and families to diligence..., but also to exhort all other families, where they have power and charge, to conscientiously perform these same exercises.

Section Five: [Other Duties of Family Worship] 

1.     Besides the ordinary duties in families, which are above mentioned, extraordinary duties, both of humiliation and thanksgiving, are to be carefully performed in families, when the Lord by extraordinary occasions, (private or public,) calls for them.

2.     Seeing the word of God requires that we should all consider one another, to provoke  each other to  love and good works; therefore, at all times, and specially in this time, when profanity abounds, and mockers, walking after their own lusts, think it strange that others do not run with them to the same excess of riot; every member of this Church ought to stir up themselves, and one another, to the duties of mutual edification, by instruction, admonition, rebuke. We should  exhort one another to manifest the grace of God in denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live godly, soberly, and righteously in this present world. We should comfort the weak in faith, and pray with and for one another. 

3.     Extraordinary duties... are to be performed upon special occasions offered by Divine Providence; as when under any calamity, cross, or great difficulty, or when counsel or comfort is sought; or when an offender is to be reclaimed by private admonition. And if that warning is not effectual, one or two others should join in the admonition, according to the rule of Christ, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may he be enriched. 

Section Six: [Special Circumstances]

1.     And, because it is not given to every one to speak a word in season to a wearied or distressed conscience, it is expedient, that a person... finding no ease, after the use of all ordinary private and public means, should go to their own pastor, or some other experienced Christian. But if the person troubled in conscience is in a situation, or of that sex, that discretion, modesty, or fear of scandal, requires a godly, serious, and secret friend to be with them when they seek such counsel, it is expedient that such a friend be present.  

2.     When persons of different families are brought together by Divine Providence, (being abroad upon their particular vocations, or any necessary occasions); they should have the Lord their God with them wherever they go, they ought to talk with God, and not neglect the duties of prayer and thanksgiving. But they should take care that such worship be performed by the person that those present judge fittest. And they must likewise be careful that no corrupt communication proceed out of their mouths, but that which is good, to the use of edifying, that it may give grace to the hearers. 

3.     The drift and scope of all these Directions is that the power and practice of godliness, amongst all the ministers and members of the Church, may be cherished and advanced, and all impiety and mocking of religious exercises suppressed. Furthermore that, under the name and pretext of religious exercise, no such meeting or practices be allowed, as are apt to breed error, scandal, schism, contempt, or misregard of the public ordinances and ministers, or neglect of the duties of particular callings, or such other evils as are the works, not of the Spirit, but of the flesh, and are contrary to truth and peace. 

Practical Applications

It can be a little overwhelming when first reading the Directory of Family Worship. Obviously, our Presbyterian ancestors thought this an important part of the Christian life. But the question for the modern reader is, “Where do I start?”

At Lakeside, we encourage people to begin by setting definite times, every day when Family Worship can be held. We strongly encourage people to set aside two portions of the day. The first is in the morning, before we leave for work, school or other daily labors. The second is in the evening, either after supper or just before bedtime.

In the morning session, we encourage the Head of the household to convene the family after they have had their own personal devotions. This often means getting up a little earlier than usual. Most homes find that mornings are the most hectic and troubled time of the day. Beginning the day with Family Worship helps to focus our attention on what is good and right and proper. Yes, it means getting up thirty minutes earlier. But the reward is family time with God.

In the morning, we recommend that the family start by singing a hymn together. Not every family is musically gifted, but every family can enjoy singing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (cf. Col 3:16). Don’t allow self consciousness to rob you of praising God. You can do it and your family will be enriched by praise. At Lakeside we supply our families with the hymns we will be singing for the next Sabbath day. This is to help very young children learn the hymns so they can be fully participant in the service.

After the hymn, the Father should open with brief prayer. Though not required, we encourage families to pray the Lord’s Prayer together and to recite one of the great ecumenical creeds of the faith (i.e., the Apostle’s or Nicene Creeds are very good). For very young children, this gives them the opportunity to both learn important statements of faith as well as giving them things to do (children can be squirmy!).

Then a passage from Scripture should be read. If the family has very young children, it is helpful to focus on narrative passages which tell a story. One can work through the Old Testament and the gospels in a fairly short time giving children a broad overview of Scripture.

When the children are older, didactic passages from the epistles are very useful. The family can discuss the points made in the passage, with Dad making some practical applications from it.

We used to re-read the same story as retold by in a Bible story book. However, we found that these books come in uneven quality and need to be handled carefully. Eventually, most Dad’s found that they could re-tell the same story, in their own words with better effect. If one’s children are old enough, we allow them to read the Scriptures one verse at a time. In other words, we try to get as many of the children involved in as much of the program as possible. This helps attention spans

Dad should focus on making some practical applications for the family. Many Dads have found that having 15 minutes of private devotions first on the same passage, gives them the time and opportunity to think through the passage so they can teach it to the rest of the family. Preparation helps performance!

We then sing a brief chorus or Scripture song and pray for the needs of the family, friends, church etc. The children are asked to pray for specific needs. Sometimes, especially with children under four, the prayers are quite simple and Dad may need to help them word them accordingly. But the children are often quick to pick up on the method.

That’s it! Thirty minutes, tops. And the result is children who enjoy hearing and studying the Scriptures, singing doctrinally sound hymns and praying for people they know. For older children, the Bible story can be replaced with doctrinal passages and they can be asked much more detailed questions.

In the evening, Family Worship consists of working on the Catechisms from the Westminster Confession. Again for very young children, we use the Children’s Catechism. For older children and adults we recommend the Shorter Catechism. It does not have to take hours and hours just a good reflective time on God’s actions during the day and prepares the children for a restful night sleep. At our home, we do Catechism just before bed. We sing several gentle Scripture songs, pray together and the children retire for the evening.

My kids love Family Worship both morning and evening. It is not a burden to them and they are very disappointed if we miss a day. We try to make it fun, not a chore, because we are learning about God and His commands. They value the uninterrupted time with Mom and Dad and try to outdo each other learning new questions. In fact, my oldest, who is just seven, sometimes gets the Catechism book down and leads his four younger siblings in impromptu family worship sessions of their own!

If you have not had regular Family Worship, do not be surprised if your children initially resist, fidget, whine, etc. Set the standard and enforce it. If you are consistent, they will be. Also, don’t be afraid to have fun! It is a great joy worshipping the Lord. If you enjoy it, your family will also. Family Worship ought not to be a drudgery, but a wonderful time of fellowship with your Lord and God. Enjoy it!