Teaching our Children to Pray

Remember that talk I wrote about given by Elder Perry called “Mothers Teaching Children in the Home” where he said. “Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time”. Remember I said I was going to write about those topics, and then I didn’t 🙂 well give me a break I am now.

Today I wanted to blog about the first thing he said we must do, and that is “one family prayer” and I might also add personal prayer. I was thinking about this list and the order that he put these things in, and realized that prayer really should go first. It is so important for us, starting at a young age, to understand the importance of prayer, and to teach our kids to rely on God at all times in our life. The scriptures actually tell us in D&C 68:28 “And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.” So it is a commandment for us as parents to teach our children to pray! I just want to go to bed and I rush bedtime and forget to do that

I remember at a young age always praying that “no harm or accident will come upon us.” I KNEW that Heavenly Father would keep me and my family safe, and he did! Also when I used to wake up in the middle of the night after having bad dreams my mom taught me to pray about it. I can tell you to this day that Heavenly Father has helped me to not have bad dreams if I pray about it each night. It seems like the nights I forget to say my prayers is the night I will have a scary or fearful dream.

Growing up my mom always taught me that I could pray for anything, despite how big or small it was. I knew that Heavenly Father cared no matter what I was going through. There have been times in my life that I have received answers to prayers in big ways such as, who I should marry, where we should be, and other big things, to small things like what I should do that day, or where somethings is that I lost. {which to me is no small matter, I get so frustrated when I lose something} Heavenly Father cares even about the little things. I remember listening to my mom talk to my aunt when I was little and overhearing them talk about praying how to go about their day. I thought it was kind of strange to pray to know what to do during the day, but then I became a mom and realized that God really does care what we do each day and WILL direct us in the things we need to get done and do in our households during the day.

Answers to my prayers don’t come with a big voice telling me what to do, or even come right when I want them. Most of the time it is a feeling that I get inside, and sometimes I don’t realized they have been answered until I look back on my life and remember that time.

Picture from Sugardoodle.net

My husband and I decided before we even had kids that if we wanted to raise our children in righteousness that we would definitely have to teach our children to pray. I remember when LaLa was born we started out whispering prayers in her ear, soon after she caught on and started saying them on her own. I think children say the sweetest prayers, and have such amazing faith. My boys have followed in her foot step and now even Jack Jack says his own prayers, even though we don’t understand a word he says because he smooshes his face to the floor, like he’s is praying to Mecca, and says a mumbled prayer. {They got that bad habit from my sweet husband who does the same thing when he says his private prayers :} It is sweet to hear what they pray for and to teach them that Heavenly Father really does listen to them. I remember once I lost my keys and I found my daughter in her room pleading to Heavenly Father that we would find them, and we did, and I know it was because of her prayer

This last month I noticed our kids prayers becoming a bit more repetitive. La La would say the exact same things every night, and Cowboy was starting to try to make us laugh or standing up during his prayer and walking around the room. So for family home evening a couple of weeks ago my husband gave a great lesson and talked to them about the importance of prayers. We talked to them about how they talk to their best friends, do they say the exact same thing every time they see them, are they goofy during serious times, do they not even look at them while talking to them….NO. They got it they understood that Heavenly Father is one of their best friends and really want to talk to them. My husband also came up with a fun acronym to help us remember how to pray.

Here it is, we repeat it at night before the kids say their prayers and it helps them remember what to pray for

A-Address God
T-Thank him for things your are thankful for
A-Ask for forgiveness for any wrongs
A-Ask for blessings
T-Thank him for anything else your might have forgotten
C-Close the prayer

So we say Address, Thanks, Ask, Ask, Thanks, Close

It has been working really well. Their prayers have been way more meaningful and they have thought more about what they are saying. I know we have a lot of work to do to teach our kids, but it’s a start. I also know I need to be better at saying my prayers everyday so that I can let God into my life to direct my days!

Hope you are all having a wonderful day! Come back tomorrow to see what my summer schedule looks like!