Teaching our Kids to Pray

Prayer time is an area that I have really wanted to improve on in our family. I want to move away from the rushed before mealtime or hurry and get the kids in bed type of prayers, to a meaningful prayer time with our family. I have experimented in different ways over the past few years and some ways have worked better then others or have stayed more consistent in our family. Just like many other good intentions though, it seems that often I forget to take the time to sit with our kids and just enjoy the Lord's presence and intercede for those in our lives.

I have come across some really neat ideas on how to help with this area in our homes, the prayer pot having been one, and more recently I have come across a blog about making prayer books for your children. This activity looks like a lot of fun to do with your kids. It is crafty and kids love using glue and decorating things, but it is also very simple. All you need is a small (4x6sixe) photo album, some photos, craft paper, stickers and any other decorations you may want to add. You can find an excellent straight forward tutorial by clicking on this link: Prayer Books. She has some great ideas on how to set your children up and what types of things to include.

Another idea for incorporating meaningful prayer into meal time is to print of a placemat sized world map and each day choose a different country to pray for. When we have done this I try to have some information for the kids about the country and what types of needs that country has. It has been an interesting addition to our meal times, and it even supports many socials learning outcomes.

Here are some other great sites with tips and ideas on praying with your kids:

http://christianity.about.com/od/parentingresources/qt/SE-Prayer-Activities.htm

http://blog.vyrso.com/2012/05/02/5-tips-for-praying-with-your-children/

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual_growth_for_kids/faith-at-home/pray-with-your-children.aspx

http://www.focusonthefamily.ca/parenting/school-age/fun-ways-to-pray-with-your-children