Welcome to this important step along your child's Faith Path. One of the best ways to help your child develop a relationship with God is by teaching them to pray. Nurture your child's faith by praying together as a family and by guiding them in the practice of praying individually. Let's start by watching this video to hear from author Will Davis Jr. and get ideas from other families on this Faith Path step. Additional downloadable resources can be found below in the Tips & Tools section.
prayer
tips & tools
- Allow your child to see and hear you pray at more than just meals. Take time to stop and give thanks when God blesses you or answers a prayer. Model prayer in times of difficulty or when seeking wisdom for important decisions. Pray for those in your family and others you know are in need.
- Jump Start Prayers: Use pre-written language to guide and focus prayer times such as the following starter lines: "God, I love you because...", "Thank you, God, for...", "God, please help...", "God, I'm sorry for..."
- Drive Time Prayers: As you start the engine, invite your children to pray a sentence prayer for any concern about the upcoming activities of the day. This is a great routine to begin as you drive to school in the morning.
- Prayer Tools: 1) Prayer Board (keep a dry erase board or calendar in a high traffic area of your home and use it to note items the family is praying for together. 2) Prayer Journal (consider purchasing a journal for your child to start recording prayers and how God answers them. 3) Mirror Prayers (using a dry erase marker, write a list of prayer concerns on the child's bathroom mirror so he or she remembers to pause and pray after brushing teeth.
- appstorealtDownloadable Resources: 1) Prayer Guide. 2) Prayer Calendar.