“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” - Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)
Several years ago, I heard a pastor say, “The family that prays together stays together.” I believe there’s a lot of truth in that statement. But praying together isn’t always easy. Our world is noisy; and technology seems to provide an endless stream of distractions. Throw in crazy calendars, short attention spans, growth spurts and raging hormones, and it’s a wonder families pray together at all!
If you’ve ever had a hard time praying with your kids, you’re not alone. There’s not a Christian parent out there who hasn’t wanted to throw in the towel during a family prayer time gone south at one time or another. While there’s no such thing as “perfect” prayer times, there are a few things you can do to make them better. Here are five tips for praying with your kids:
1. Pray at the beginning of each day. Take five or ten minutes before work and school. Read a short devotional or Scripture passage. Ask each family member how you can pray for them and spend a few minutes praying for each person by name.
2. Keep a prayer journal. Grab a notebook, and log everyone’s prayer requests. Include praise reports as well. Pull the notebook out once a month and on special occasions. Reflect on the ways God has moved in your lives and spend a few minutes thanking Him.
3. Pray through Scripture. Find a passage that speaks to your child’s current situation and pray it over them. Make it personal by inserting you child’s name into the Scripture.
4. Take turns praying. Give your kids an opportunity to pray. In our house, we each take turns leading the prayer before we start the day and before we eat dinner. Letting your kids lead (after you’ve spent time modeling how to pray) will help them value your prayer time and develop their own prayer life.
5. Use prayer triggers. Whenever our family hears an emergency vehicle siren, we always stop and pray for the rescue workers and the people they’re assisting. Use everyday habits, rituals or sounds as triggers to remind you to pray for yourself and others.
Praying with your kids can be difficult, but the more you work at it, the stronger your family bond will become; and the more your kids will learn to lean into prayer in their own lives.
Digging Deeper:
1. How often do you pray with your kids? How has your family benefited from praying together?
2. Which one of these five tips can you put into practice this week?
