The FAITH5 Steps

Step 1: SHARE your highs and lows

What was the best part of your day? What was the worst? Name it. Claim it. Share it with those who love you. Daily sharing of the highs and lows of life helps people of all ages to be more self-aware, while strengthening communication and connection with others.   

One important rule for Step 1- no judging highs and lows! If we judge, we quickly teach those we love that sharing is not safe. If your 8-year-olds’ low for seventeen days in a row is “school”, so be it. On day eighteen he may share with you something wonderful or awful that he would not have otherwise. 

It’s time to open God’s word. Try one of these options:

• Read Sunday’s preaching text every night for a week, going deeper each night.

• Ask family members and friends for their favorite verses.

• Take turns choosing the nightly Bible verse.

• Open the Bible randomly and point!

• Use the weekly theme Bible verse from your Sunday school or confirmation curriculum.

• In a pinch? Google “daily Bible verse”. 

The point is this - you cannot go wrong with God’s word. Open it. Read it. Let it come alive among you.

And here’s a tip for making the Scripture stick - learn a few key words in American Sign Language. You will find a great ASL video library at https://www.signingsavvy.com/

Step 3: TALK about how the Bible reading might relate to your highs and lows

This is the step where God’s holy text meets our real-life context.   

Unpack the verse a bit. What does it mean in your own words? Wonder together about how it might relate to where you are today in your highs and lows. Go deep, asking what God might be trying to teach you through this particular Scripture on this particular day.

Step 3 tip: Don’t be afraid to tell the truth. If you have no idea what God is saying to you through this particular reading, go ahead and say so. It’s okay, because God’s action doesn’t depend on our comprehension. Thank God!

Step 4: PRAY for one another's highs and lows

Offer your hearts and minds in prayer. Simply talk to God, thank Jesus for the good, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in specific problems.

Take turns leading the prayer or write a family prayer together. Ask everyone to pray for the person on their right. End with the Lord’s Prayer or your own traditional bedtime prayer. Offer the names of those on your church’s prayer list. Out of ideas? Google “evening prayers”.

The point is - you cannot do prayer wrong. Go together to God, offering the realities of your lives. Lay it all in the hands of the one who created you and is on duty all night long.

Step 5: BLESS one another

Trace the sign of the cross on one another's forehead or palm as a reminder that you belong to God and to one another. Make eye and heart contact as you share words of blessing such as “Jesus loves you and so do I” or “The Lord bless and keep you” or “You are a beloved child of God”.

You can find more FAITH5™ information and resources at FAITH5 Inc.