Week of June 30: Developing the practice of prayer
Memory Verse
“Don’t worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him.” Philippians 4:6 (NIRV)
The Lesson
This week, our teachers used the story of Hannah in Sunday School and in KOW to lead conversations about prayer. Read (or summarize) this portion of 1 Samuel 1 with your family.
How would you describe your prayer life as a family? Do you pray together often? Do you only pray at meals or bedtime, or do you pray throughout the day? The best way to develop your child’s prayer life is to model an active prayer life yourself.
If your young child is anything like mine, knowing how to pray can be a source of frustration. Reciting a prayer may be your child’s preference, as opposed to praying “from the heart.” In that case, take the time to teach your child the model prayer Jesus taught. (While the King James language may be archaic to our ears, please remember that The Lord’s Prayer is often recited in public worship. Do your child a favor and teach him or her the version that will most often be recited in these settings.)
To add a hands-on element to learning The Lord’s Prayer, try writing it out on paper. Cut the phrases into strips and have your child put the prayer back in order.
Other models of prayer are available for children who are ready to pray more freely. In Discipleship training, the children spent several weeks working on the PACT prayer model: praise, ask, confess, and thank. This way of praying also takes practice, so work together consistently with your child if you sense an interest in going beyond recited prayers.
Encouraging Prayer
Here are a couple of useful ideas you can use at home to increase your child’s awareness of and interest in prayer:
Pray Together
Dear God, thank you for the gift of prayer. Help us as we learn how to use this gift to grow in our understanding of who you are and how much you love each of us. Teach us to follow the example of Jesus in our practice of prayer. Amen.
KidHaven 