• Posted:
  • November 21, 2024
  • Categories:
  • Family Life
  • Faith

Our Family’s Journey Through the Bible

The Atife family recently celebrated 100 days of reading the Bible together! Curious about how this intentional rhythm became part of their daily lives, we reached out to Perpie and Onome to hear their story. They shared how this journey began, what it looks like in practice, and the ways it has shaped their family’s faith.

FAC: Your family is currently on a journey of reading through the Bible together. What prompted your family to do this?

“We started this journey in June 2024, right before the summer break. So many different things led us here… we had made some decisions we thought were best at the time, but they weren’t. Our kids also had their share of exposure to inappropriate content on electronic devices with their peers. We literally staggered through our faith in those seasons. As parents, nothing prepares you for that kind of exposure. It broke us so much.

At first, we just thought, these kids must have a lot of time on their hands so… let’s read. But beyond this, we believe that this was also divine providence—not just for the kids but for the entire family.

Some of our guiding principles and motivations were as follows:

  • Learning to fellowship together as the Church truly begins from the home.
  • The enemy is never at rest; as Christians, we need to enrich ourselves with God’s word to stay grounded in the Truth.
  • Help family members explore the richness of God’s word to lay the proper foundation.
  • Provide family members with the tools from God’s Word to wrestle against secular ideologies and perspectives.
  • Nourish the spirit man while subduing the flesh.”

FAC: What does reading the Bible every day look like for you guys?

“We are following a Bible-in-a-Year Plan using Ligonier Ministries’ “Bible-In-A-Year” plan, which we downloaded from the YouVersion Bible app. It may feel daunting at times, but we needed a compass. We want to build a habit and make it a lifestyle. This plan really helps us navigate this incredible (and big) book!

Each week, we transcribe the chapters from the yearly plan into a weekly planner/note we bought from a store. Beside each day’s schedule, we include initials for each family member, down to our 4-year-old, with a checkbox. The planner stays on the refrigerator

Everyone checks the boxes beside their name after completing their chapters for the day; this helps us keep each other accountable! We meet daily around 8 p.m. for devotions, where we discuss the scriptures, share highlights, address questions, and close out with prayer.

Now that school has resumed, we’ve made adjustments to keep up. In the morning, the kids read one chapter before school and complete the rest afterward. Most days, we read 3–4 chapters and occasionally up to six. On busy days filled with activities like basketball and swimming, we read or discuss scriptures during car rides and pray together. If someone misses their chapters, we read the outstanding ones as a family during our 8 p.m. gathering.

Every new week, we replace the completed plan on the fridge with the next one.”

FAC: How receptive were your kids at first? Can they share in their own words what they think about this rhythm now?

“Quite receptive, especially because they were previously introduced to My Book of Bible Stories, Super Book, and Veggie Tales animation series. Reading the Bible provides further context. While Genesis tells the story of creation, which the kids found interesting, Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy were an uphill task, but we’ve kept at it.”

“I was excited because I had attempted reading the Bible by myself but never managed to follow through. I started once with Genesis, gave up, started with John, and also gave up. So when Mommy told us we were going to read the Bible together, I was excited. Right now, studying the books of Chronicles with all the timelines, I don’t enjoy it so much, but when we meet for devotion and get some explanations, it makes more sense.” – Kaylah Atife, 14

“Because I had read the Action Bible twice already, I was so happy to learn more. Reading more about people like Samuel, David, and Jesus makes me believe in God more. It can be hard sometimes to read, but I’m learning a lot.” – Oghenetega Atife, 9

FAC: How has God spoken to each of you through this experience so far? What are each of you discovering?

“God is so good. He gives us examples, roadmaps, and patterns throughout the Bible. We marvel a lot about how He not only tells us what He wants to do but how He invites us to join Him. He also doesn’t just give instructions or laws—He shows us how to live for and please Him by faith, believing in Him. There is truly no end to knowing God, but He reveals Himself in the kindest, fatherly way as He led the Israelites. 

Some more of our learnings:

  • Apart from Jesus, nearly all the biblical characters who have become examples to us had their flaws. This didn’t deter God from calling them or building a relationship with them. As they walked with God, they became more like God.
  • Walking with God is a process; the journey builds us.
  • Focus on who God says we are and not what the world suggests we should be.
  • We must reverence/fear God to move from being servants to friends of God.
  • Our words influence our environment; we must therefore be quick to listen and slow to speak.
  • God has a purpose for each of us. We must draw close to the Holy Spirit to find this purpose and allow Him to influence our environment through us.”

FAC: What would you say to someone who struggles to open their Bible but wants to create a Bible-reading rhythm?

“God sees your heart. He knows what this would mean for you, so He will make a way for you. He will also draw near to you as you continue to study.

Really, there are scriptural examples of times when the enemy inspired people to stop Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the apostles from spreading the Good News. The reason was simple—he feared that if they continued teaching, the people would believe. This fact still holds true today. Sometimes, you sleep off, start scrolling mindlessly, or just get busy and forget. Our knowledge equals our belief, and this is our path to freedom and rest—to know the Father for ourselves and live in victory over the flesh.

My people perish for lack of knowledge. There is great treasure in the Bible: light, truth, knowledge that brings dominion, the fear of God, wisdom, and intimacy with God—our creator, the one who designed us and holds the manual to life.

If you struggle with opening your Bible, here are some more ideas for you:

  • Gift yourself and each family member a new Bible this Christmas if you do not already own one. (We recommend not starting the Bible through an app at the early stages.)
  • Use existing plans that can be downloaded from Bible apps, found online, or purchased at a local store.
  • Accountability is important. We use checkboxes with a planner on the fridge and discuss what we’ve read each night. It’s amazing to see everyone’s perspective on the scriptures and what stands out for each person. (We can also tell when someone just skimmed through!)
  • It’s not an exam, so don’t feel defeated when you don’t meet milestones. However, use weekends and holidays to catch up where possible.
  • Make time for prayer. It’s a spiritual exercise, so always ask for the Holy Spirit’s help each day.
  • Fix your gaze on God as you read each of the Bible characters and situations. Let it help you make necessary life changes—what’s the essence of hearing without practicing?
  • There will be days when your heart condemns you and makes you feel like you’re not growing or making progress in your faith journey. Remember that God is greater than your heart. He knows everything.
  • Keep going!”

Thank you, Perpie and Onome, for sharing your family’s journey through the Bible! What an encouraging reminder that building rhythms of faith at home can start with small, consistent steps!

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