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Children Learn To Pray

By: Zach Allred When my family prays sometimes I will look around and see that my children are looking around and are not paying attention. Even the one saying the prayer. How can I do better in this area?
1. Get caught praying. You will instill in your children a sense that prayer is reverent. Your children will see your head bowed and arms folded and will naturally do better when they pray.
2. Where is my toy? My children become very emotional when they cannot find a toy. Try using this as an opportunity to promote their belief in God. The toy will be found and they will make a connection with faith and prayers.
3. Rituals. My wife tells our children to always say their prayers when ever they wake up and go to bed. Also at meal times a prayer is said over the food. This very quickly becomes habit forming.
4. Personal prayer. Children are often able to develop a relationship with God at an early age. They are more pure when they are young so personal prayer is easier to teach. Do not always make them pray out loud but also encourage silent prayers.
5. Spiritual stage fright. You have probably had the experience of saying the wrong thing while praying in public. I have a friend that was once giving a public speech and when he was finished, because he was so nervous, he said "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." For him this happened in school and it took him years to live down. Praying in public is necessary though for our children's development.
6. Short prayer? A short prayer is better than no prayer at all. I once read a quote that I liked, "Do not say you are going to pray, just pray." For me this means instead of saying, "Oops, I forgot my morning prayers so I better say them at noon," stop and pray right then even if the prayer is short.
Families that pray together will stay together as the saying goes. Prayer teaches reverence and humility. When children pray for lost toys and other things it develops faith at a very early age.

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