How to Incorporate Prayer into your Family Life

Make Prayer a Regular Part of Your Day

We are instructed to “pray at all times and in all circumstances,” so allow your child to see and hear you pray regularly.  Making prayer a regular part of your family culture will help make it a normal part of your child’s life. 

• Pray before meals, thanking God for providing for your daily needs 
• Pray before driving to school in the morning, asking for protection on the roads and over the upcoming activities of the day
• Take time to stop and give thanks in times when God blesses you or answers a prayer
• Model prayer in times of difficulty or when seeking wisdom for important decisions
• Pray for those in your family and others you know are in need

Be an Example

Model what prayer is - talking to God.  How awesome is it that we have access to God’s throne at any time!  We don’t need a priest to mediate between us and God. There is no longer a barrier between the Holy of Holies and us.  We can talk to Him anywhere, anytime, about anything. 

Why do we pray?

It is important for children to understand why we pray.  What is the purpose of prayer? 

1. We pray to praise God for who He is.  It honors God. It shifts our focus towards God and encourages us. It reminds our hearts that heaven rules.

2. We pray in order to confess our sins. Once Jesus has reconciled us to God, we are united with Christ, but we still sin and we don’t want that sin to put a hindrance between us and God.

3. Thank God for what He has given. Having a heart of gratitude at all times is so important. Having a heart of trust leads to peace.

4. To ask God to provide the things we need, because we are completely dependent on Him.

Easy ideas for prayer time with your child:

Sentence Prayers: Take turns praying short, one sentence prayers. It can be as simple as “Please heal Uncle Joe,” “Thank you for giving Fiona a new friend,” or “I’m sorry for losing my temper with everyone earlier today.”

Fill-in-the-Blank Prayers: These starter lines can help to guide and focus prayer times:

• God, I love you because…
• Thank you God for…
• God, please help…
• God, I’m sorry for…

Alphabet Prayers: Going through the alphabet, pray for something or someone that starts with that letter.  E.g., A - Aunt Elizabeth, B - basketball game, C - courage, etc. 

Prayer Board: Keep a dry erase board or a calendar in a spot where everyone will see it and use it to note items the family is praying for together.

Prayer Journal: Consider purchasing a journal for your child to start recording prayers and how God answers them.

Mirror prayers: Using a dry erase marker, write a list of prayer concerns on the child’s bathroom mirror so he or she remembers to pause and pray after brushing their teeth.

“One of the greatest responsibilities of parenthood is praying for your kids, but an even greater responsibility is teaching your kids to pray. Don’t just pray for them; pray with them. Praying for your kids is like taking them for a ride; praying with your kids is like teaching them to drive. If all you ever do is pray for your kids, they’ll just stay in the backseat. Your kids will become spiritual codependents who ask you for a ride anytime they need to get somewhere spiritually. But if you teach them to pray, they can download directions themselves and make their way to wherever it is that God wants them to go.”

― Mark Batterson, Praying Circles around Your Children