Sunday morning during our time of sharing, we talked briefly about the importance of praying together as a family. I might’ve inadvertently made it sound overly simple, but it’s actually very challenging for all of us. Busyness is a real thing and finding, setting and keeping a time to pray together is hard! But it’s well worth it. And sometimes we fear that we might not sound eloquent when we pray, but the Bible says we should actually be careful to NOT pray in a way that tries to make us sound or look good (Matthew 6). Don’t worry about sounding good. Be honest, reverent in you heart, and real. God will hear you and that’s what matters. 

But then what? What should we say? I got the following from Focus On the Family and thought it might be helpful:

Perhaps you’ve never prayed with your children. But no matter how old they are, it’s never too late to start. It helps to remember that prayer is simply a conversation with God.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1.) Sentence Prayer. You can help yourself or your children pray aloud by using a sentence to complete, such as:

* “Lord, I thank you for …”

* “Lord, forgive me for …”

* “Lord, help my friend …”

* “Lord, help me be more …”

* “Lord, help me to let go of …”

* “Lord, give me the courage to …”

* Lord, one of the fears I need help with is …”

2.) Highs and Lows. Ask your children what their “highs” were from the day, and then ask them about their “lows” from the day. Share your highs and lows as well, and then pray for them together.

3.) Prayer Journal. Share your prayer requests with the other members of your family and then record them in a prayer journal. One person can pray for all the requests you’ve listed for the day. The next time you pray together, look over the requests you listed previously and update any changes and answers. This is a good way to see how God has been active in your prayer lives.

5) A.C.T.S. Prayer. This is a well-known form of prayer that is easy to remember:

* A stands for “adoration.” Begin the prayer by simply adoring God for who He is.

* C stands for “confession.” Spend some time confessing your sins.

* T stands for “thanksgiving.” Take time to thank God for the blessings that He has given to you and your family.

* S stands for “supplication.” Lift up specific areas of your life in which you need God to supply for your needs.

I hope y’all find this helpful. I’m not a prayer expert by any means. But I do believe in the power of prayer and I believe that a lot of people I love would be closer to God and one another if they prayed together.

Much love. 

Live for more!

Roy