If you and your family are religious, your faith helps keep you all close. Regardless of the God you worship, your faith acts as the cement that seals your family together as one wholesome unit, and ultimately brings you all closer together with every day that passes. However, in daily living, it can be difficult to bring God and faith into family and home. There are so many distractions. But you can incorporate God and your faith into your family life.

Pray Together

One of the most sacred times in any religion is prayer time. Prayer time is when you personally connect with your God. So, what better time to connect with the family too? For example, you’re going through a stressful time or transition for all of the family, such as selling your house. All you have on your mind as an adult is, “How can I make sure someone wants to buy my house?” Chances are your children are caught up worrying about the transition, whether that be school, clubs, or friendships. What better time to connect and reassure one another than during prayer time?

You could even each take turns of saying a prayer in front of one another, and then finish with a traditional reading as a family unit. Not only are you sharing your hopes and prayers with God, but with each other, and that makes it all the more special. This will really help you all unite together as a family through difficult and strenuous times, and to remember that as long as you have your faith and each other, you’ll never be alone.

Practice Gratitude Every Day

It can be easy to forget how much we have to be grateful for on a day-to-day basis. But compared to so many others out there, we are extraordinarily lucky. Most of us have a roof over our heads, beds to sleep in, and food in the fridge. You even have your faith to keep you strong, and your family who love you unconditionally. That alone, should fill you with unspeakable gratitude.

We’re often quick to forget how lucky we actually are, that it can actually help to make a point of being grateful for something every day. Why not try making a “gratitude board” and put it up on the kitchen wall? Using a whiteboard is ideal because you can edit it week to week. Separate the board into days of the week. Every day each person in the household has to write something they were grateful for on that particular day. This means that even on your worst days, you have to look for something to be thankful for. And there is ALWAYS something to be thankful about. Some days it’s just a little harder to find than others.

Be Traditional on Religious Holidays

Whatever religious holiday you and your family celebrate, make a concerted effort to keep it as traditional as possible. Eat the traditional foods, say the traditional prayers, and spend the day together, just truly appreciating what you have.

Take Christmas for example. Many of us forget the true meaning of Christmas because of avid consumerism. It’s important to teach children the true story of Christmas and how it came to be from a young age. Attend religious ceremonies such as midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and even go to church for the Christmas morning service. Say grace before you eat your meal. Be grateful for every little thing – not just the presents under the tree. Enjoy the day surrounded by each other, and God.

Create a Spiritual Motto Specific to Your Family

Last but certainly not least, why not create a spiritual motto specific to your family? It could be one of your favourite bible verses, or a prayer that you all like to say together. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that you all relate to. It can be something you all come back to whenever times get tough, and when you can’t be together.

Why not print the spiritual motto, and frame it? That way you’ll always be reminded of what ties you together as a family, and keeps you one with God.

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