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But how about the rest of your day, does prayer receive much focus?
God wants to build a relationship with us; prayer is a way that we can build that relationship. Teach your children that prayer can happen anywhere, any place, any time, and in lots of different forms.
In the month of August, our Cool Disciples at FUMC will be studying about prayer. This coming Sunday they will be learning about “popcorn prayer” and about a way to pray that involves the acronym “ACTS.”
In the meantime, here are some different ways to enrich your family’s prayer life…
- Sing your prayers. Create a simple tune or “piggyback” on an existing tune such as this one: This is Our Prayer for You by Cathy’s Music. (To Piggyback on a tune means that you use a melody but make up your own words.)
- Do something with your hands while praying: knit or crochet (each stitch is a prayer), work with clay or PlayDoh, draw symbols to represent who you are praying for. Here’s a neat book that guides your kids on drawing their prayers… (Click on the picture of the book will take you to Amazon – a non-affliate link).
- Take your prayer cues from the Bible. Here are a few verses to try: ; Matthew 7:7-8; 1 Timothy 2:1; Philippians 4:4-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
- Attend worship together. (A worship service can be thought of as one big prayer because we have set aside this special time to be in relationship with God!)
- Carry around something that reminds you to pray: pick out a stone or a shell and carry it in your pocket. When you touch it, say a prayer.
- Act on your prayer concerns. If someone needs help what can your family do?
- Try out different positions to be in prayer: Palms pointing upward, or hands in the air, or lying on your back, or… follow the example of Jesus: he literally fell on his face to pray (Matthew 26:39); he knelt (Luke 22:41); and he stood ( Mark 11:25).
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What are other ways to get prayer happening in your family?
Photo credits:
Western Grace by Ken Bosma; and Interesting find by Sophie ffrench-Constant, who both licensed these photos on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.
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Family Faith Companion 
I love the tips you gave here, Carol.
The one I want to grow in is carrying around something that reminds me to pray. Actually, not so much going outside, but in our home. I have 2 little ones under five and I am new at learning what can encourage my little ones to pray. For me, it’s more internal. But, for kids, I need to learn how to use visible things to prompt spiritual reminders.
Thanks for coming by Faith Barista on the “Inspiration/Application” post — it was nice to have your company. 🙂
We pray every morning on the way to school, in the car. We spend those precious few moments thanking God every morning for what we are grateful for. We pray for friends and family in need. We say grace before our meals as well and the boys are great about remembering to lead us in prayer at that time. I love how important it makes them feel!
Great topic!
Sharon: A great way of starting off the school day. How about starting off every car ride with prayer? That would be a great habit to start.
Thanks for the tips!
One year during Advent, I saw a suggestion that since Advent is the season of waiting, pray whenever you find yourself waiting for something. I make a fresh start on this habit every Advent now, but to some extent I’m able to keep it up throughout the year. It really helps to calm frustration when I’m standing in line or waiting longer than expected for a bus; I feel like at least I’m getting something done!
At my church earlier this year, we made prayer beads like these, and I’ve found them really useful as something to touch, like you mentioned, and also to structure a longer session of prayer.
My son and I pray for the helpers when we hear a siren go by. That can be really helpful when I feel like everything is going wrong for me: It could be worse!
I write the birthdays of friends and relatives on my calendar to remind me to pray for them on that day.
‘Becca: Thanks for the additions… good ideas. I liked your link to “There go the helpers!” Perhaps Mr. Rogers was where I got that idea from!