Praying People
Praying with your kids always seems like one of those Christian ideals to aspire to but not so easy to achieve outside of saying Grace for a meal and a quick bedtime prayer.
Pray First - model to your kids that prayer is a "go to" strategy for problems in life. Let them see you and hear you pray about life issues that are impacting the family.
Pray With - bedtime prayers are a great way to finish the day but don't forget that anytime your child shares a concern or fear or celebration you can respond by including God in your thanks or asking for His help. A quick prayer before getting out of the car either end of the school day can be a great start or a helping, healing finish to your child's school day no matter what happened. A great response to night-time fears and nightmares is to ask for God's peace and protection.
Pray For - we all want our kids to be blessed and have a wonderful life but what do we actually mean when we say that? Take some time to think specifically about what you want for your kids. What sort of character do you want them to have? What do they need help with? What are your specific concerns for them? God loves to act on our prayers but He likes us to put the effort into being specific when we can' as He knows that when we do this we gain clarity and a chance for Him to speak to us about the situation.
Pray Praise - pray with your kids about their achievements big and small. Praise God for the good you find all around from a beautiful day to a smiling face. Praise God for your kids being yours and let them hear what you are thankful for about them. Model how to praise God and approach Him with gratitude.
Prayer with kids doesn't have to be some Disney-like, super-spiritual event. Make it part of your every day and show your kids that God is there in the good and bad, is ready to listen and act whenever we turn to Him, and really wants us to share our lives with Him so He can help us live the best most wonderful life we can.
And don't forget when the going gets tough as a parent; Believe for the Impossible! God loves you!
