As a dad, you’re not just a parent. You’re also a teacher. You get the awesome privilege of teaching your children so many things as they grow up. In fact, it’s a role you’ll probably continue playing long after they leave your home.
As you reflect on all the things you want your offspring to learn from you, don’t forget about teaching kids to pray. Nothing moves heaven and earth as powerfully as prayer. That makes it one of the most important lessons you could ever pass down to your children.
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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
Tips for teaching kids to pray
I’ve heard it said that nothing of eternal consequence ever happens apart from prayer. That means praying for children should be a goal for every parent. Each of us should long to see our kids learn how to pray. We should want them to know how to touch the heart of the Father by sharing their hearts with Him.
As a dad, you’ve got a huge responsibility in teaching your kids how to pray. If you’re wondering how to plant that seed deep in the heart of your child, you’re not alone. To help you out, I’ve listed seven tips for teaching kids to pray.
Lead by Example
This is an incredibly important step for teaching your kids to pray. You can’t teach prayer using the “do as I say, not as I do” method. Kids learn by example, so as you pray for your family and kids, show them what it looks like to pray. It doesn’t have to be fancy or structured. It just has to be consistent and genuine.
Give them chances to pray
While kids learn by watching, they also learn by doing. That’s a basic principle of Christian discipleship, and teaching your children to pray fits that equation. As you’re exposing them to this new skill, give them opportunities to practice what they are learning. If you start them when they are young, they will be much more comfortable with and confident about prayer as they grow older.
Make a list
When I was little, I remember kneeling by my bed and praying for “all the missionaries in the world.” Sure, I meant well, and that was probably all right for a little kid. But as you teach your child how to pray, guide them to speak about specific people and situations. For that, nothing works better than a prayer list. It will help them stay focused, and it will remind them of how God works as they see their prayers being answered.
Pray anytime, anywhere
Sometimes, even adults mistakenly believe church and certain times at home are the only places where prayer should take place. On the contrary, the Bible is clear that we should “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The Greek wording for that verse suggests praying without interruption or without gaps. In other words, we always need to be in a spirit of prayer. So, teach your children that talking to Him isn’t limited to a particular time or place. Since God is always with us, we can always pray to Him.
Focus on the conversation
A while back, my wife and I were talking about the way people pray. We were reminiscing about some people we’d heard in the past who used a lot of fancy words or repeated God’s name throughout their prayers. She noted that people don’t use those kinds of phrases or constantly drop a person’s name in a normal conversation, so we ought to keep our conversations with God simple, too. As you teach your children how to pray, remind them that ultimately, they are talking with a friend. They don’t need anything elaborate or impressive. They need to speak to Him from their hearts.
Don’t hold back
The prayers of children can be awesome. They will tell God about anything that comes to mind. Nothing is too big or too small. Honestly, that’s exactly the attitude you want to encourage as you teach your children to pray. Don’t let them develop the adult habit of thinking some things are “beneath” God or not worthy of His attention. We’re His children, and He cares about our needs. We need to teach our kids early on that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to prayer.
Explain God’s answers
One of the biggest struggles your kids might have as you teach them to pray is unanswered prayer. And, let’s be honest, it’s a big deal for a lot of adults, too. That’s why it’s important for you to share that God answers prayers three ways. First, he might say, “Yes.” That’s what we all hope for when we pray. Other times, He might need to say “no” because we’re not praying with the right motives or we’re asking for something that will harm us in the long run. And He also might be telling us to “wait.” This is hard to accept—and possibly hard to understand—but God’s timing is always perfect, even in answering prayers.
Follow the leader
As a dad, you’re the leader of your family, and you’ll lead best when you follow the example provided by Jesus, the greatest Leader in history. When Jesus’s disciples asked Him about prayer, He used what we call the “Model Prayer” to give them a basic structure (Matthew 6:9-14; Luke 11:1-4). He emphasized things like praising the Father, surrendering to the Father, trusting the Father for our needs, and seeking the Father’s protection against temptation. It was a great outline for teaching His followers, and it can be a great tool for teaching kids to pray as well.
You also can remind your children that God understands when we don’t know how to pray. We just need to do the best we can in the moment. As believers, the Holy Spirit helps us make that prayer connection when words just won’t come.
Again, teaching kids to pray is a powerful privilege. It will make a difference in your life and in their lives. Most importantly, it will make an eternal difference in God’s kingdom.
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