Prayer & Parenting

 “Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray and the disciples rebuked them (Matthew 19:13).”

Jesus, the perfect pattern, not only prayed with and for adults, but he also laid hands and prayed for the children. The disciples did not think that this was the best use of his time, so they rebuked him. Can you imagine the disciples chastising Jesus for praying with children? How often do we overlook our young people or feel that spirituality is not essential for their holistic growth and development?

Just as Jesus taught his disciples to pray, I taught my children how to pray using the Prayer Tools of fasting, thanksgiving, praise, and worship. During one of the Lenten Season Consecrations, I decided it was important for us to do it as a family. I felt my children were old enough to understand the purpose of fasting. Since they were going to be impacted by the foods and beverages that were purchased and prepared in the house, I thought that it was imperative to integrate the spiritual aspects fasting into their lives.

We started our days together, supporting one another through the process. During the 30-45-minute car ride, we took turns saying a prayer, reading the Devotional Journal, leading the discussion on the reading, and choosing a theme song for the day. Fasting together brought us closer as a family. Once the fast ended, we decided to continue building our collective consciousness using the other prayer tools.

Use prayer as tool to unite your family and draw closer to your friends. What can you do to bring the people that you love together in corporate prayer? Physically? Virtually?