One night after I had already tucked the kids into bed, my daughter came back downstairs to get a glass of water.
She filled her glass then walked over to me and gave me a hug.
She held on for a little while.
And before she let go, she whispered,
“Dear Lord, Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and my brother.”
It was one of those mom-moments where you’re caught off guard in the sweetest way.
It was such a neat thing to see something we try to do regularly with our kids (pray together) become something she did on her own.
Her youth pastor talked about this in a parent meeting a while ago. He gave an analogy that I loved, saying that raising a child is a lot like teaching them to ride a bike. For a while you run behind them, pushing them and holding on tight.
And at some point, you start to let go.
Slowly.
Tentatively.
You might even run beside them, your hands on the handlebars or the back of the seat, just in case, hoping they’ll remember what you’ve taught them about balance and putting on the breaks and watching where they’re going.
And then…
you realize they are pedaling on their own.
And one of the most important things you can teach them to do on their own is pray.
When they learn that they are never alone, that God hears them, and that they can pray and talk to Him anytime, it can help with worries, stress, conflict, and whatever they are going through. When they learn to turn to God in prayer–whether it’s because they are going through something hard, or because they are thankful and happy–they will grow in their relationship with Him.
So what are some ways you can encourage your kids to pray?
-Pray in front of them. When they see you praying, they’ll learn to pray too.
-Talk about the importance of prayer and that God wants us to come to Him.
-Share with your kids that prayer doesn’t have to be perfect. God knows our hearts and we can be honest and real. We don’t have to rehearse our prayers or polish them. We just need to share our heart with God and talk to Him.
-Give your kids an opportunity to share their prayer requests and to pray out loud (don’t pressure them; encourage them).
-Get prayer journals and age-appropriate devotionals for your kids and read or discuss them with them.
-Select one Bible verse each week that you can memorize as a family and talk about the verse at prayer each night, or around the dinner table.
-Help your kids carve out time to pray, whether that’s before bed, early in the morning, or whatever works best for your family.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. –Phil 4:6-7
What about you? Do you have any practices to share? Are you seeing your kids start to pedal on their own too?
-written by Genny Heikka
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