Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
The Rule of Seven is an old marketing adage. It says that a prospect needs to see or hear your message at least seven times before they pay attention and take action. To be most effective, your message needs to be communicated in at least seven different ways. (Now you know why GEICO has so many different commercials!)
It should come as no surprise that God was the first to employ the Rule of Seven. (No, I’m not talking about the Sabbath, though that’s a pretty good Rule of Seven, too.) Marketers are Johnny-come-latelys to understanding the human brain.
Note God’s seven ways to impress the children with a knowledge of Himself in today’s scripture: “Talk about [God’s commandments] 1) when you sit at home and 2) when you walk along the road, 3) when you lie down and 4) when you get up. 5) Tie them as symbols on your hands and 6) bind them on your foreheads. 7) Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Family worship is at least one way we can teach our children about God and His plan for their lives. Once a week is not enough. (McDonald’s and GEICO know that much!) Let the Word of God in scripture, song, and prayer continually impress the minds of our young people at the family altar on a daily basis and watch what He will do.
Alter your Altar (Ideas for family worship)
Children:
Please Pray. . .
- That our children know the love of God for themselves. To know God is to love Him and a formal, ritualistic approach to religion will never connect a child’s heart to His.
- “When you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” for your children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren to love God with all their hearts, soul, and strength.
- That everyone participating in The Altar Project will experience Jesus in new and powerful ways.