3. General family prayers.—­It is true that, in many homes, under modern conditions of business, it is almost impossible for the family to be united at the hour when worship used to be customary, following breakfast.  However, that is not the only hour available.  In many respects it is a poor one for the purpose of social worship; it lacks the sense of leisure.  But there are few families where the members do not all gather for the evening meal.  It is not difficult to plan at its close for ten minutes in which all shall remain.  Without leaving the table it is possible to spend a short time in united, social worship.  Or, by establishing the custom and steadily following it, it is possible to leave the table and in less than ten minutes find ample time for worship in another room.

Really everything depends at first on how much we desire to have family worship, whether we see its beauty and value in the knitting of home ties, in the elevation of the family spirit, and in the quickening of the religious ideas.  We find time to eat simply because we must; when the necessity of the spirit is upon us we shall find time also to worship and to pray.

Next to the will to make time comes the question of method.  First, determine to be simple, natural, and informal.  A stilted exercise soon becomes a burden and a source of pain to all.  In whatever you do, seek to make it possible for all to have a share by seeing that every thought is expressed within the intelligence of even the younger members, that is, of those who desire to have a share.  This does not mean descending to “baby-talk.”  Just read the Twenty-third Psalm; that is not baby talk, but a child of seven can understand what is meant up to the measure of his experience; the language is essentially simple though the ideas are sublime.

Secondly, insure brevity.  For that part of worship in which all are expected regularly to unite, ten minutes should be ample.  Some excellent programs will not take more than half this time.  Family worship is not a diminutive facsimile of church worship.  Doubtless the experiment has failed in many families because the father has attempted to preach to a congregation which could not escape.  Keep in mind the thought that this is to be a high moment in each day in which every member will have an equal share.

Thirdly, plan for the largest possible amount of common participation.  This is to be the expression of the unity of the family life.  Children enjoy doing things co-operatively and in concert.

Fourthly, treat the occasion naturally in relation to other affairs.  Proceed to the worship without formal notice, without change of voice, and without apology to visitors.  Take this for granted.  At the close move on into other duties without the sense of coming back into the world.  You have not been out of it; you have only recognized the eternal life and love everywhere in it.