More (creative) ways to pray…

Ten more suggestions (ABC’s !) on how to enhance your family prayer time…

   Apply an acronym.

Ever heard of using “ACTS”—Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication—as a way to keep your prayers on track? Start with how you adore God! (Try using the Bible to pick out different “Adorations” for example: Psalm 139:1-6.) Follow up with Confession: what we are sorry for, something we did wrong, or something we should have done but didn’t do. Move on to Thankfuls (that’s always easy!) and finish with Supplication: Send help for the needs of others or for ourselves.

   Be caught praying.

Allow your child to “catch you” at prayer. Show them your prayer list. (I keep mine on my phone.) Talk about those for whom you pray.

   Create prayer reminders.

Did you know that pretzels – the twisted kind – can be tied to prayer?
In the past our Cool Disciples have learned about prayer in the Cooking Workshop by making prayer pretzels. Bake some pretzels out of bread stick dough and sit down for a snack full of prayers.

   Drive up to the fast food window…

Use your next trip to get fast food as an opener to talk about prayer. God is not like a fast-food restaurant where we drive up and place our orders… and expect God to deliver! God may answer our prayers with a yes, a no, or a wait and see. Say a prayer asking God for patience to rest for a reply and the insight to recognize God’s response.

   Empower your child with a blessing.

You have been chosen to communicate to your child, God’s love for them! Do so by speaking a blessing. Something like: “Bless child’s name with wisdom. May the Lord God always be your guide.” Or use a Biblical blessing such as Numbers 6:24-26.

   Frequently pray – so that it becomes a habit.

Pick a consistent time to say prayers. At bed time or in the bath time? Get into a groove!

   Go on a prayer walk.

Walk around your neighborhood and say a prayer for each home that you pass.

   Hold a Prayer Cross.

Use air-drying clay to form a cross that fits perfectly into your child’s hand. Clutch the cross while praying.

   Identify God’s beauty.

Use every sunset, butterfly, and towering tree to point out God’s beautiful creation. Thank God for these gifts as you notice them.

   Jar your table grace

Have kids write out table graces on slips of paper. Place them in a jar on the table. When it is time for the meal, take turns choosing a slip of paper and using the chosen grace. Click HERE for a few graces to use.

Okay, your turn… What other ways can you make prayer a part of your family life?

(It doesn’t have to continue the alphabet but it would be fun to think up ways for the rest of the letters!)

Photo credits…
Alphabet letters, in the public domain, from wpclipart.com.
A pretzel by Lara604, and Praying in a pretzel-shape by khrawlings. Both licensed their photos on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.