New Year’s Eve Family Devotion 2023

This Family Devotion is meant to be conducted on New Year’s Eve. A suggested setting would be the family dinner table or living room. It would be helpful to prepare your family for this Devotion by sharing with them the reasons for having such a family devotion. If your family has not had the habit of conducting family devotions, this might be a way to start.

This Family Devotion is specially designed to facilitate an informal family gathering for parents with children who otherwise cannot make it for Watchnight Service. It should take around 30 to 45 minutes. The main thing is to keep to the objective of the Devotion, which is an occasion for the family to reflect and review together the past year, and to usher in the new year by way of re-dedication to the Lord.

Things to prepare beforehand:

1. A copy of the Order of Family Devotion (for you the leader).
2. Computer or equivalent to play the songs and video of the homily.
3. A print out of the activity sheet (download below)

Order:

1. Word of Greeting and Opening Prayer by leader
2. Song: O How Good It Is (https://youtu.be/rCisuyP8X34?si=b_nHGxxVa3UKZYtW)
3. Sharing and Praying Together 
4. Hear the Word: Homily by Brother Joel Khoo (https://youtu.be/lN1BknHE_Hg)
5. Response Song: Let Your Kingdom Come (https://youtu.be/q2qwmUujYKw?si=qVa-5NRrlcVCepU9)
6. Prayer of Covenant Renewal 

Tips for Sharing and Praying Together. The sharing may be framed around the following questions:

• What are some things in the last year you are thankful for? 
• What are some things you found difficult or challenging? 
• What do you look forward to most in the New Year? 
• How can we continue to grow in getting deep, getting real, and getting sent?

You may want to ask your family to prepare their answers beforehand, or everyone can just be given a piece of paper there and then to write their response down. You should prepare what you want to share beforehand, and lead by example in being the first to share. Close the sharing with prayer for one another. 

NEW YEAR’S EVE FAMILY DEVOTION 2023

1. Word of Greeting and Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are our God who has been faithful throughout this year, even in the good times, and the bad. Thank you for giving us Jesus, who died to forgive our sins. May our family be filled with thankfulness as we look back on this year, and may we be faithful as we look forward to another year of following Jesus. Bless our time as we reflect & pray. And may your Spirit soften our hearts as we hear your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

2. Song – O How Good It Is 

3. Sharing & Praying Together

4. Hear the Word – Scripture Reading and Homily

Leader: Our Scripture reading for today is taken from Revelation 7:9-17
[Read in unison or responsively]

Play the YouTube video of Homily ->

5. Response Song: Look to the King 

6. Post-Sermon Reflections

7. Closing: The Lord’s Prayer (Read Aloud Together)

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 
Amen.