Teaching Our Children To Pray

Scripture: Luke11:1-4

"It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."  (v.1)

Because of pressing needs and full schedules, parents sometimes neglect teaching important spiritual lessons. It can be tempting to assume that the children will learn in Sunday school to pray and read the Bible. But the truth is, God has given parents the job of training their sons and daughters in spiritual matters. After listening to Jesus pray, His disciples recognized that they had much to learn and asked Him to teach them how to pray. In the same way, we can motivate our children and help them develop a prayer life that will endure. It’s not enough to tell them to pray; they need an example. We must be willing to let them see and hear us as we talk to our heavenly Father. When we bring our concerns to the Lord as a family, our children learn that God answers prayer. He’s our provider, protector, and guide. Seeing how the Lord responds to our requests will motivate our children to take all their concerns to Him as well. Children also need to understand that prayer is not just a list of requests but a conversation that builds a relationship with the Lord. When they hear us praise and exalt Him, they’ll realize praying should be God-focused rather than self-centered. And as they observe us reading the Bible and letting it guide our requests, they’ll learn to pray according to God’s will. Whether you have children or not, realizing that others learn about the Lord through your prayers may tempt you to feel inadequate. However, instead of dwelling on your shortcomings, let them motivate you to go to the Scriptures and learn from your heavenly Father how to pray.

_____

Dr. Charles Stanley