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Teaching Children to Pray with
Christian Prayers
by Michael Heindel
Discussing spiritual matters with young ones can be a trying task. If
you have ever attempted it, you know that their insatiable curiosity
will lead them to ask many questions which might end up stumping you. So
when you are teaching your children to pray, you will have to be very
strategic about it.
To start with, you should pray with your child on a nightly basis. He or
she will be able to learn by example, and in seeing you bring yourself
before the Lord, a good example will be set. But this isn’t limited to
nightly kneeling sessions by the bed. Teaching prayer is something that
should happen in your day-to-day life.
Whenever even the smallest blessing occurs, point it out to your
children and thank God for it. This will establish with the child that
for everything precious in the world, God is to be thanked.
Be extremely aware of whenever the prayer of your child is answered. It
is too easy to pray for something, and then when it happens think
something along the lines of “wow, that was lucky!” If you notice that
some prayer of your child has come true, make a huge deal of it and show
the child the importance of looking for God in daily life.
From the beginning of your child’s life, teach him or her to enjoy the
creation that God has given us. Point out the sheer natural beauty of
the world we live in, and point out how God has given us the gifts to
enjoy.
Just as you appreciate beauty and miracles through prayer with your
children, teach them to use prayer to cope with unpleasant situations.
For example, if you pass a car crash, say a quick family prayer. This
will teach your child that prayer is multi-faceted, and an outlet for
showing gratefulness as well as appealing to God’s good will.
Every evening, bless and pray over your children. Use the classic
blessing before bedtime: “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the
Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord
turn His face toward you and give you peace.” This will help your
children to realize that God is always present and protective.
Prayer, like anything taught to a child, is better taught through
actions than by trying to explain. Show your child what it is like to
pray on a regular basis. Bring prayer up whenever possible, and relate
it to the current situation. If you can truly impress the importance and
the significance of prayer on your child, you will have accomplished a
truly great feat as a parent.
About the author
Michael Heindel is the
owner of
http://www.PrayerRequestBox.com and other Christian websites. Please
stop by and submit a prayer request or pray for others.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Heindel
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