There are times that I believe parents think that their kids should just know how to do things. Maybe not everything, but some things we tend to just assume they know what to do. How silly this really is, because we had to be taught how things are done; whether by our parents, watching other kids, grandparents, etc. we weren’t born knowing how to do it all.
Looking to God’s Word we learn how to do so much throughout lives. He promises that His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. (Psalm 119:105) Within the Bible’s pages we also find a lesson on how to pray, and it comes from Jesus Himself. It is a beautiful prayer, and though I don’t use it often, I see that God knew it was important to teach us how, so He provided a model for us.
So, if God provided a lesson for us within His Word, we as parents should recognize that our children need to be taught how to pray. Talking to God does not come easy for everyone, and if we don’t teach them when they are young, it is unlikely that they will continue to when they grow up.
As we’ve discussed throughout this series, we teach our children greatly by our example. How consistent and open our prayer life is to our children, is a lesson in and of itself. How often, what and who are prayers are for, and the fervency of them will greatly impact their view of talking to God.
How to Disciple Our Kids by Teaching Them to Pray
1. Lead by example. Allow them to see and listen to you, they will learn from you.
2. Make each family prayer time focused on specific things, this is important especially for little ones who can’t quite sit still through a “mommy and daddy” type prayer time.
a. Start your days with a family prayer time. Begin with simple ones; ask for a good day, good attitudes, helpfulness, etc.
b. Say them at every meal. Thank God for…. the food, the work for the parents to buy the food, the family God has blessed you with, etc.
c. End your day with a family prayer time. Remember those you love that aren’t close by, for those that are sick, a friend to come to know Jesus, etc.
3. Make the them personal for the kids. If the people and/or things you pray for/about connect to them, they will grasp the importance of talking to God.
a. Ensure you include their friends, grandparents, cousins, sweet dreams, boo-boos, etc.
4. Keep track of answered prayers in a notebook/journal. Teach them that God’s answers aren’t always ours, but that He never fails to answer them in His time and the perfect way.
a. Get each child a notebook/journal to write down their prayer requests. Have them write the date they started praying for something/someone, and then remind them to go back and add the date they saw God’s answer.
Consistent family prayer time will deepen each individual’s desire for a personal walk and talk time with the Lord.
How often we pray together as a family, will also encourage the growth and intimacy of our relationships. If we take the time to pray together, we will be strengthened and united as a family. Our relationships with one another will become stronger and more important than relationships with others.
Throughout our parenting journey we must remember that what our children see us do makes a huge impact on what they will choose to do themselves.
I’m praying for you and your family’s prayer time together, that God would use it to bring y’all to Him and closer to each other.
Lovingly,
Discipling Our Kids: Reading the Bible