Looking for ways to pray for your children in 2019? Here are three ways:
1. Teach them the importance of prayer.
Good instruction is important for your children when it comes to prayer. This helps them to understand the "why" of prayer. Consider making prayer the focus of your Family Worship time. "What's a family worship time?" you ask. Well, this is when you are intentionally getting together with your family to open up the scriptures together. A good start for your discussions would be the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. This gives you an opportunity to read and discuss how Jesus taught the disciples to pray.
2. Regularly pray with your children.
Mealtime and bedtime are certainly rhythms of life for prayer time with your child/ren. At the same time, there are many other key areas of life that we can incorporate regular prayer. Some of these areas are, surrounding discipline (forgiveness and repentance), celebrations (thanksgiving), moments of uncertainty such as sickness (petitions for healing, and patience), and also when there is enjoyment of His creation (adoration). The list goes on and on, you only need to take the initiative to aim them towards God in moments of prayer. Please remember, they are kids, start small and grow with them.
3. Pray the scriptures over them.
Rather than simply praying for your children's health or success, you can be challenged to pray for their brokenness and transformation that only Jesus provides. You can be challenged to pray for their future spouse, children, ministries, and influence to share the gospel to the nations. You might be thinking, "What?! that's something I should pray for my child?"Well, there's a great resource available for purchase at MCC. This book by Nancy Guthrie is entitled, "Praying the Bible for Your Kids."
If that book isn't a good start for you, contact Pastor Shawn for other ideas. Having a resource that will help you begin praying the scriptures over and with your children can really help you to grow in this area in 2019.
