Family Devotions Part1--Prayer

     Once again, family worship is not a topic that can be thoroughly addressed in only one article. In this second article on the topic we will turn our attention to family devotions. For many, this phrase may seem synonymous with family worship, but family worship is actually a larger umbrella, involving any time the members of the family gather together in the home or out for worship. Family devotions, on the other hand, are a specific time which the family has set aside to worship God together as a family. This specific time usually involves three components—prayer, praise, and the reading of God’s word. The next three articles will each address one of these components, explaining the benefits of including them in a time of family devotions and how to effectively train children and teens within that component of worship. Today, we will look at prayer. 
     Prayer is one of those activities which many Christians do without thinking. For many of us, it is simply habit to pray before meals, before traveling long distances, or at the beginning and ending of the day. While we may pray almost out of second nature, this ingrained understanding of the necessity of prayer is not one which humans are born with. Instead, children need to be trained in the value of prayer. As children grow older and develop into teens, there is a need for further training in prayer. Older children and young teens need to be taught why we pray, why we are able to pray, who we pray to, and what the purpose of prayer is. The best way to accomplish this component of training in prayer is by including it in a time of family devotions. The goal is to ingrain in younger children the necessity of prayer but also to teach older children and young teens how and why we pray. The benefits of this time of family prayer are both immediate and ongoing. Immediately, there is a bonding that takes place between family members when they lift up one another in prayer. It is an extraordinary experience to have someone pray for you and then in turn pray for others. The ongoing result is that children and teens will be taught how and why we pray and hopefully understand the value of both corporate and personal prayer. This devoted time of family prayer is an excellent opportunity to discuss the components of prayer and what prayer accomplishes. It allows young teens to voice whatever may be on their minds that can be taken to God in prayer. Family devotions also provide a safe atmosphere where younger and older children can experience praying themselves with the help of caring parents. They learn how to pray on their own and how to pray in the presence of others; they learn that prayer is indeed a valuable part of every Christian life. 
     Training a child to pray can be done in many different ways. Here are some practical suggestions. Even before children are themselves ready to pray, ask them for specific things which can be prayed about. As they grow, begin to have them pray for one person or topic. For instance, have your young son or daughter pray for grandma or grandpa or thank God for the nice weather, etc. The amount of praying which a child or teen does can be increased as they grow. This level of prayer can also be increased at the same time in other areas of the family’s life. When I was growing up my father would do the majority of the praying at meal times. Yet, he would often ask my sisters or me to pray as well. All of us children were asked to pray during family devotions and from a young age we were asked to give prayer requests. Frequently, before we began to pray, my father would ask us why we were praying or what we thought our prayers would accomplish. In this way I was trained not only in praying but in understanding why we pray. Encourage your children to keep a prayer journal, recording the things they prayer for and when they are answered. Or, better yet, keep a family prayer journal. Discuss with your child how God has answered prayer, but not always the way we want. 
     The biggest obstacle to overcome in family devotions is time. Students have homework or athletic events, family schedules may be different, or people are just plain tired in the evening. Begin small, perhaps setting aside time on a Sunday when everyone is home. Pick a meal time when everyone will be gathered, such as breakfast. Do not make family devotions optional but instead require everyone to be present. Another option is to have different portions of family devotions at different times. Many families read God’s word after dinner but spend time in pray after breakfast before the kids go off to school. Be creative. Hopefully you have been able to see the value and necessity of spending time as a family in prayer. Now, go and do it!