Discipling during DinNER: 3 Practical Ways to Spiritually Connect To our Children at the Table10/14/2025  The kitchen has always been a sacred place for me. It’s the first place I wander to in the morning to make a steaming cup of coffee. For years, it’s been where I open my devotional and journal at the dining room table. It’s where our family gathers at the end of a busy day to share a meal, where friends lean their elbows on the island while I stir something on the stove, and where my husband turns on Johnnyswim, pulls me in close, and spins me around the floor. It’s where our kids dance barefoot to their favorite songs. Our kitchens have hosted more birthdays, game nights, and holidays than I can count. There’s just something special about a kitchen, isn’t there? It’s both the place where we’re nourished and the space where we feel safe enough to make a mess. Maybe that’s why I believe the kitchen table is one of the best places to begin discipling our children… “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6 As a former athlete, I’ve always connected deeply with that word train. My coaches didn’t just teach me skills; they helped me build muscle memory. To this day, if someone throws me a soccer ball, my body knows what to do. When I go for a run, I still move with the rhythms I learned years ago. Parenting is a lot like that. We have the privilege of helping our children build spiritual “muscle memory.” We get to model godly habits, spiritual disciplines, and life skills until they become second nature—reflexes they’ll carry into adulthood. When life gets hard, they’ll have something sturdy to fall back on: faith that feels familiar. The alternative is sobering. Proverbs 29:15 warns, “A child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” If we don’t intentionally shape our children, the culture around them will gladly take our place. God calls us to be the bows that aim the arrows. It’s a weighty calling—but it doesn’t have to be complicated. For the record, my husband and I are zero percent perfect at this. But we’ve learned that consistency and creativity go a long way. Here are a few simple habits that have helped us disciple our children right at the dinner table: 🍫 Brownies and Frownies This is our family’s version of The Prayer of Examen—a simple way to help our kids reflect on their day with gratitude and honesty. About halfway through dinner, someone inevitably shouts, “Brownies and Frownies!” Each of us shares a brownie (the best part of our day) and a frownie (something that was hard or disappointing). We listen, celebrate, and pray together. It’s an easy rhythm that opens hearts and strengthens connection. 🙏 Prayer Wall Right by our garage door, we’ve dedicated a small wall to prayer. It’s nothing fancy—just a few strands of twine stretched between nails with clothespins holding photos of friends, family, ministries, and verses we’re memorizing. The girls stop to look at it often. We’ll pause, pray for someone pictured, or thank God for the people He’s placed in our lives. This carries over into our meal and bedtime prayers. It cost almost nothing to create, but it’s become a constant reminder that the family who prays together, stays together. 📖 Memorizing Scripture Awana has been a total game changer for us. Our girls love memorizing their verses each week because it earns them “Awana Bucks” at church—but beyond the incentives, it’s helped us turn Scripture into a family habit. We recite verses at the dinner table, in the car, and even include them on notes in lunchboxes. Sometimes we make up hand motions or silly dance moves to help remember them. The best part? Hearing my kids explain what the verses mean in their own words. I pray those truths stay with them for life—long after the hand motions fade. Listen, our kids don’t just need to go to church; they need to see Jesus in the way we live. They learn more from our everyday habits than from any checklist we complete on Sunday. So let’s show them Jesus. Let’s teach them to love Him. Let’s use the sacred, messy, grace-filled space of our kitchens to disciple our children—because in a world full of darkness, we get to be the ones who teach them how to turn on the light. 💬 Family or Group Discussion Questions
🙌 A Simple Prayer Father, Thank You for the sacred space of our kitchen table. Teach us to see it not just as a place to eat, but as a place to grow—together. Help us model faith in the everyday moments, and train our children in Your ways with patience, joy, and grace. Let the love we share in our homes reflect Your heart to the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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