EXPOSITION:

Devotion is loyalty or enthusiasm for a person or activity. In the Christian life, devotion could be time set by a person or family where they seek the face of the Lord in prayer, reading of the Word and fellowship.

It is one of the means by which Christians show their love and loyalty for God by spending time with him on a daily consistent basis. Jesus was committed to having personal devotions with God and he sometimes did it with the disciples. One day after His prayer, the disciples asked that he teaches them how to pray.

Cornelius called together his family to hear the Word of the Lord from Peter and on that occasion, the family and friends who were gathered received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Family devotion is a consistent time set by families with friends or dependents in a household for prayer and worship. It is a period for prayer, sharing the Word, singing, and engaging in any other relevant activity within the set period.

The disciples of Jesus requested to be taught how to pray when they observed Him praying. This means people can learn the art of Christian activities like prayer and preaching during family devotions.

Though devotions could be held at any convenient time, early morning devotion before family members go out of the house to engage with activities of the day is the best. As seen in the example of Jesus and Cornelius household, devotion could involve prayer, preaching, and opportunity for people to respond to the message, confess Christ, or even receive the Holy Spirit baptism.

Effective family devotions should not be limited to routine methods of prayer and short exhortations but a real encounter with the Holy Spirit.