It’s Christmastime and what a wonderful time to start a new family tradition of praying regularly together as a family! Here are some suggestions as to how you can start and what to include in your prayer-time.
A well-known acronym for helping everyone to remember how to pray is ACTS :
A is for adoration. Begin your prayers acknowledging that God is holy. Adore and reverence Him for being the Almighty God.
C is for confession. Confess your wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness.
T is for thanksgiving. Philippians 4:6, The Passion Translation, states that when we pray, we should be “offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude ….” Have your children think ahead of time of the many blessings they have so that they are ready to thank God for them.
Consider the “fill in the blank prayer”. An example is the following: God is great, God is good, thank you God for _________.
S is for supplication or asking God to supply your needs. What does each family member need and what does the family unit need. Make those requests known to God. Also, you should pray for the needs of others outside the family. Is there a friend or acquaintance who is struggling? Pray for them.
In addition, you can add a simple scripture verse for everyone to memorize and include during prayers. One important verse is Jeremiah 29:12: “Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me. And I will listen to you.” (ICB).
Having your children keep a prayer journal is helpful and instructive. What is each child praying and standing in faith for? How has God answered each prayer?
By following a simple yet profound routine of family prayers, your children will grow in faith and treasure the memories. What precious gifts those are!
For more information, please visit:
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/pray-with-your-children/
https://www.illustratedministry.com/2017/ways-to-pray-with-kids/