We want our children to pray from a young age, we want our children to love to pray, we long for our children to pray daily, and to have a relationship with God. We can teach them songs about the importance of praying, read them a scripture that talks about prayer, we can repeat and repeat to them about the importance of praying; but if we as parents are not praying, then we are not understanding that we as parents are the ones to model prayer for our children. Children learn from what they see, they will learn to pray if they see us praying, nothing is more contagious than our own example.
There is a portion of the Word that I like very much, and it is a very well known passage in Luke 18.16
“But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.’”
Today Jesus is calling parents and telling them to let the children come to Him, let your children know me through prayer, through that relationship with the Father.
Let us not prevent our children from going to Jesus. As parents we are responsible for our children.
The best way for parents to pass on the faith to their children is to live it themselves. There is no better example for a child than the image of their parents united in prayer, modeling how to pray.
We have to be consistent with what we say and what we do. I cannot demand what I do not do, we must be an example.
There is value when we teach something through our example, when we teach them how to pray through our example. We teach them to pray, we teach them how to talk to God.
If you are having a hard time praying with your children, I want to give you some little tips that can guide you in your prayer time.
Teaching our children to pray is not just teaching them to close their eyes and say a few words and “amen”. We must teach them to listen to God, and teach them to be silent. God wants to speak to us as a family and to each one of us individually. We must teach our children to have a relationship with God, with our Father and to long for more of Him. We depend on God.
So how can we teach our children to pray in a practical and simple way?
1. Don't compare yourself to others. Knowing that other families pray should encourage us and motivate us to seek God. Decide to set your eyes on Jesus.
In Luke 11.1 one of Jesus’s disciple dared to ask him a question. He could have asked him anything, however he asked him, Lord, teach us to pray. There is nothing more beautiful than to ask Jesus to teach us how to pray as a family, and believe me, He will do it. He loves to teach us new things, so take some time with your children and ask Him to teach you to pray.
2. Be intentional. Set up the day and time, because if you do not set a day or several days, you will never start. Being intentional in your prayer time will help you to be disciplined, constant and to not lose focus.
3. Be flexible. If you have small children, you don’t have to pray long prayers or use complex words to appear more spiritual in front of your children. Give your children the opportunity to pray for their needs. If you have older children, pre-teens or teenagers, you can ask them for help; for example, in writing prayer requests, or simply thanking God for something specific. Have someone sing the praise or play an instrument for the time of praising God. Have a time of silence and listen to God.
4. Keep a prayer journal. You can write down prayer requests, acts of grace, answered prayers. Let one of your children keep the journal and write it. You can also take turns writing. This journal will help you and your family see how faithful and loving our heavenly Father is. You will see answered prayers and your prayers written in a journal.
5. Bless your children. Pray for your children, put your hands on them and bless them, release those blessings on them, hug them, there is nothing more beautiful when parents pray and bless their children. God did it with Jesus in Matthew 3.17 “And a voice from heaven said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”.
6. Enjoy doing it. And finally, don't forget that you are sowing in the lives of your children and being an example. Enjoy that time when you pray together as a family, don't forget that they are children, they are spontaneous, they are your children.
Learning to pray in all seasons of life together as a family strengthens family bonds and unity. Having the opportunity to grow up in a home where prayer is part of everyday family life is a beautiful blessing, don't waste it.
Paulina Rodriguez
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