Why is it I can teach my kids how to read, write, and do math but it’s so incredibly hard to teach kids how to pray?
Prayer is personal; it is a relationship with you and God therefore. As a result I’ve often felt inadequate in my abilities to teach my children this level of intimacy.
Then, one day while praying for my kids I prayed for God to teach me. “Teach me, how to teach them.”
You were not an accident; you were made for a given purpose, and so are your children. If you have ever laid the events of your life out on a time line the good and the bad chances are you would see God’s hand in all of your life’s experiences.
It was in fact that same realization that helped me see my where my own short comings came from. Did I even know how to pray? Where/ how and from whom did I learn?
The prayers I had frequently said at church were more out of habit, routine, and memorization. They held little meaning to me personally. That was until I began researching and educating myself on the “why’s“. Why do we do what we do?
I want my children to have a faith filled with knowledge, experience, ministry, and application. I want them to understand the “why’s” now, rather than later. And so there it is …
“Teach them” If we model the behaviors ourselves that we want our children to know; they too will follow.
Kids want to be like their parents. Kids want to be like adults. They play “house“, they go to “work“, and “play school“. Children are mini reflection’s of our soul. Where have we done good? Where have we failed? What can we do better?
If we want to teach our children to pray we must pray ourselves, but more importantly pray where it can be seen and heard.
6 Ways to Teach Kids How to Pray and Build Their Relationship with Jesus
Join a Bible study or if you are a mom of little ones I highly recommend seeking out a MOPS group in your area.
Read the Bible in the morning – I am going on my 2nd year doing Hellomornings and it has completely changed the way I parent. When we make something a priority and our kids see that they are more likely to make it a priority too.
Read the Jesus Story Book with your children
Do a yearly family devotion series
Watch Biblical based movies; What’s in the Bible and Veggie Tales are some of our favorites
Print these prayer starter cards on card stock, laminate (I have this one), and store them in a 3×5 index box. These are great for saying prayers out loud together, silently before bed, and writing prayers out to send to others (think care packages and service projects).