How to Teach Kids About Worship in 3 Easy Steps

By Lydia Kaiser

I recently had a fun time one evening asking kids ages 7-12 about their thoughts on worshiping God in everyday life. Their answers were both surprising and enlightening, and it got me thinking about how so many people—especially children—are under the impression that worship is an act that only takes place in church.

As believers, our worship should be a recognition of God and His Glory—who He is, what He has done, and faith in what He will do. This is just one of the reasons why gratitude is a very practical indicator of worship, because you have to recognize what God has done in order to be grateful.

Want to teach children about worship but don’t know where to start? Here are 3 easy steps to teach kids about worship and how they can bring glory to God every day.

Step 1. Explain What Worship Is

To teach kids about worship, start by asking what they think worship is to gain insight into their comprehension and get the conversation going. Some common misconceptions you might hear could be that worship is something that only happens when we sing in church. However, you can lay the foundation for what worship really is by giving a simple definition like: “worshiping God is showing by your words, your thoughts, and your actions how great God is and that you love Him.”

Step 2. Share How the Bible Describes Worship

Next, read aloud 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Romans 12:1. These verses are all about how offering our bodies to God as a living sacrifice is an act of worship, and “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Another verse you can share with kids is Matthew 5:16 where it says, “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.”

When you’re done reading, ask kids what they think about these verses and if they have any ideas on how they can “offer their body to God” as an act of worship, or how they can give glory to God when they eat or play. You might get some creative answers!

Step 3. Share How Kids Can Worship God Everyday

While most kids will be stumped by the questions in Step 2, close by explaining that real worship is a simple thing that comes from the heart. It’s about your attitude and daily giving thanks to God through the little things we do every day.

For instance, kids can worship God by being grateful for their food, thanking Him for their meal in a prayer before eating, and having good table manners. Kids can worship God by being kind to other children or respectful to their parents. Kids can play in a way that glorifies God by being grateful for His wonderful creation they get to enjoy, and respecting the nature around them by not doing harmful things. Even brushing your teeth can be an act of worship when we offer our body to God for His glory and take care of it. The options are endless!

Kids can worship God everyday when they choose to honor Him, the world, themselves, and the people around them. Help teach kids to participate in everyday worship and cultivate a grateful heart of love for God.

Fun Family Worship Ideas

Want more fun worship ideas you can do around the house that kids will enjoy? Consider doing these as a family to teach kids about daily acts of worship:

• Choose a weekend to commit as a family to verbally worship God and be grateful for one, unique attribute of His before each activity throughout the day. Consider keeping a list of the attributes you come up with and placing it somewhere the family can be reminded of later, like the fridge.
• Listen to worship music and sing along during daily activities. Rather than the music being background noise or entertainment, intentionally praise God with it.
• When putting laundry away, say, “thank you God, for these clothes. You are Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides.”
• When washing the dishes, thank God for the meal he just provided and pray, “Lord, you see the dirtiness of my thoughts, words, and actions. I submit my life to you—show me what to confess and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” Then, as you continue to clean the dishes, have a quiet time to listen for the Holy Spirit’s response.
• Before playing games as a family, say, “Thank you God for fun and laughter. Help us to honor You and each other as we play this game and to celebrate the joy of Your creation in family.”
• When driving around or running errands with your kids, play a game of 20 Questions, but with a grateful twist. You could say, “I’m thinking of something I’m thankful to God for. Can you guess what it is in 20 questions?” The first question could be “is it an attribute of God, a thing, or a circumstance?” Continue the game each time you get in the car until everyone has had a turn.

These are just a few examples of ways you can build a heart of everyday worship into your children.

Worship is about more than just singing in church. In fact, worshiping God is one of the greatest joys we get to have in this life, as we enjoy the creation He has made. Teach kids to notice God’s Hand—being grateful for His blessings and provision—in every corner of their life.