Principle 6: Train Your Child to Love Prayer

J.C. Ryle is very famously quoted as saying that "Prayer is the very life-breath of true religion."  Is that not so true.  At the very heart of our relationship with God we have the privilege and the access to pray, to talk to the all-holy God of the universe.  Prayer is in fact an evidence of faith.  Pouring your soul out to God in a manor or worship, confession, and thanksgiving is proof of being born again.  What more could we want out of life than our children to be born again?

Prayer is the very life-breath of true religion.

Ryle goes on to say, "When there is much private communion with God, your soul will grow like the grass after rain; when there is little, all will be at a standstill, you will barely keep your soul alive."  Prayer is the means by which we grow in the Christian life.  A growing Christian is one who often talks with the Lord in prayer.  A growing Christian tells Jesus EVERYTHING and ask for spiritual discernment.

What do we teach out children about prayer?

• It is the greatest tool that God has given us to access the riches of His grace.  It is the way in which we can cry out to God and He will hear us.
• It is the simplest way that we can go to God.  Everyone can pray.  

Parents, if we love our children and care about their eternal souls then we will do everything within our power to train them in a habit of prayer.  How you may ask?  

• Pray with them.
• Pray for them.
• Show them how to begin prayer.
• Tell them what to say.
• Train them to persevere in prayer.  

I am not a perfect parent nor am I a perfect Christian who prays all the time.  But I do love prayer and I do long to teach my children to love prayer.  One of the things that has been the most encouraging about prayer with my children is that at the earliest possible moment that they could utter words we started practicing our own family prayer that we say most nights.

Jesus, we love you.  

Thanks for being our Savior and our King!  

Amen!

We must be keenly aware that our children will learn to pray or not to pray from us.  If there is any component of spiritual discipline that we must play a large roll in, it should be that of prayer.  I've never hear a young adult or a seasoned adult, that was recalling their childhood, ever tell me that they wished their parents had taken them to do more fun stuff, or made them travel on more sports team, or made them study harder.  No, I've most often heard these folks recollect how they wished their parents had prayed with them more, read the Bible more, engaged them more in spiritual disciplines.  

The mission is clear for parents, we must train our children to pray.  If we value the soul of our children, then we must train them in the habit of prayer.