As a mom, I’ve noticed that when our home is filled with the Spirit, everything feels different. There’s more peace, more love, and a stronger sense of unity. With three teenagers living at home, we don’t experience that as much as I would like, but we do experience it enough that it can be very powerful. Over time, we’ve found that simple, consistent routines make a huge difference in inviting the Spirit into our daily lives. So today I am excited to share some of our family routines that invite the Spirit of God into our home, and encourage you to try any that you would like.
If you have felt like something is off, or that you want to be closer to your family, but you’re not sure where to start, this is a great place to get inspiration. If you have found other things that help, then please leave a comment below.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World teaches that “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s something I’ve seen to be true in our home. These small, everyday patterns may not seem like much, but they add up and create a spiritual foundation our family can lean on.
Establishing family routines that invite the Spirit of God
Here are a few of the routines that have blessed our family and helped us feel closer to the Lord and to each other.
1. Daily Scripture Study as a Family
I’ll be honest—getting everyone together for scripture study can sometimes feel like herding cats. But when we do it, there’s a noticeable difference in the feeling in our home. It doesn’t have to be fancy or long. Some mornings, it’s just a few verses before school/work, or we read in the evening right before prayers to mellow everyone out.
Tips for daily scripture study as a family:
- Try and use actual scriptures instead of an app – this minimizes distractions
- Take turns reading verses so everyone feels included (we usually do 1 at a time to keep it flowing and everyone participating more often)
- Look at the Come, Follow Me for the week ahead of time, so you can tie in or relate what you read to the lesson
- Take time to ask if there are questions and discuss what was read, so everyone understands it
“Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” – 2 Nephi 32:3
2. Family Home Evening
Family Home Evening has been the biggest challenge for us, but when we do have it, we all love. I have learned that we sometimes won’t always have it on a set night; things change, so we have to be flexible. Also, as my kids get older, it looks different. Be willing to change and adapt to what your family needs instead of trying to check boxes off a list. The most important part is making sure your family is together and you can feel the spirit in whatever you are doing.
Tips for family home evening:
- Be flexible (things come up – switch to a different date/time if needed)
- Plan plan plan – be sure to plan everything out so it is purposeful and fun. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but having a game plan makes things go more smoothly.
- It doesn’t need to be a traditional sit-down lesson with songs and treats. There are so many ways your family can bond while inviting the spirit.
- Temple Night
- Service project
- Game Night
- Family adventure (explore a local free spot like a hike, or an activity)
- Bake something together
- Do a craft or art project
- Work in the yard (do a garden together)
- Don’t forget to bear your testimony (or integrate any opportunity to invite the spirit)
“If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase.” – First Presidency, 1915
3. Prioritizing Family Time Over Outside Distractions
Between band, school, friends, and activities, it could be hard to prioritize family time. But I’ve found that when we intentionally protect time together, my family feels calmer and closer. Not every time we get together is it perfect. In fact, there is often exactly what you would expect. Some bickering, teasing, and other sibling behavior. But that has never stopped me, and it never will. The more family time we have, the closer we become and the more the kids want to have prioritized family time.
Prioritizing Family Time Over Outside Distractions:
- Plan out (as a family or as parents) regular family time (not family home evening)
- Limit phones (or put them away during family time if possible)
- Make goals for your family time (interaction, communication, bonding, respect, etc)
- Family time doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just needs to be consistent and filled with love.
“…place high priority on our families. We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships, love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home.” – Of Things That Matter Most By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
4. The Power of Family Mealtime
Since we have been married, my husband and I have always made family meal time a priority. Most of the time, we like to sit around the table and talk and laugh while we eat, and sometimes we sit in the living room and watch a movie or sports. But we are always eating together as a family. Very rarely do my kids just grab something to eat and then head to their rooms or other places. Every chance we get, we are eating a meal together. In addition to eating together, I also like to have my kids or husband help prepare the meal. This is a great teaching opportunity, and we often have good conversations and make fun memories. As a side note, planning the meals for the week together as a family usually gets everyone more involved and excited to help.
Tips for family mealtime:
- Prepare the meal together
- Put electronics away
- Start with prayer
- Give everyone a chance to share something (about their day, how they are feeling, whatever is on their mind)
- Talk about upcoming events, activities, etc (great time for family council)
- Have everyone help clean-up
Mealtime gives us a daily touchpoint to talk, laugh, and remind each other that family matters. It also helps us work together to prepare, eat, and clean up the meals. This is great practice for when they are on their own.
5. Teaching Respect, Responsibility & Gratitude
Creating a Spirit-filled home isn’t just about what we do spiritually—it’s also about the environment we build together. We’ve worked on teaching our kids respect, gratitude, and responsibility in everyday ways. This takes a lot of consistency and parenting. I have always believed in being an involved parent. My kids know I am there for them, and they are there for each other. When you are involved with your kids consistently and show them respect, responsibility, and gratitude, they will mirror those qualities.
Some of the things that help:
- Everyone pitches in with chores. It teaches teamwork and respect.
- We model saying “thank you” and “please” often.
- We hold little family councils to talk things through kindly.
- We remind each other that our home is a place of love and respect.
Just remember to be kind, loving, and patient. Showing your example is the best way for them to learn.
“No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” – President David O. McKay
Consistency Over Perfection
Here’s something I’ve had to remind myself over and over again: It doesn’t have to be perfect. Some days, scripture study is rushed. Some weeks, FHE doesn’t happen exactly as planned. But the Spirit doesn’t require perfection—it comes because we keep trying.
God blesses even the smallest efforts to center our homes on Him. Over time, these routines have built something beautiful: a home that feels safe, warm, and full of the Spirit.
The Savior promised, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). I’ve felt that promise fulfilled around our kitchen table, in family nights, during family prayers, and even in the small, quiet moments of daily life. Establishing family routines that invite the Spirit isn’t about adding more to our to-do lists. It’s about intentionally making space for the Savior to be at the center of our homes. And when He is, everything else falls into place a little more easily.
What other tips do you have for establishing family routines?
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