Unlimited Power
Posted in Daily Focus on Sunday, May 4, 2014
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16b).
Even with all the technology available in the world, the most powerful tool we have as Christians is prayer. Amazing, isn't it? When we pray, God's power strengthens us. Teaching our children how to access this source of strength is paramount, for no other aspect of Christian living is as important as knowing how to talk and listen to God. However, some homeschool lessons are better caught than taught, and such is the case with prayer. The best curriculum for teaching prayer is simply praying out loud with your children and allowing them to see and hear you talk to God.
Because praying was such a personal matter, I first shied away from letting my children hear my prayers. Sure, I let them hear me give praise and thanks for food and other blessings, but I knew communing with the Lord involved much more. My children also needed to hear me confess my sins and intercede for others honestly and humbly. They needed to learn that prayer was more than vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7). I hoped as they listened that they would learn there's no limit to intimacy with the Creator of the universe. They could talk to God anytime about anything.
What about your prayer life? Would your children know how to pray after listening to you talk to God? If not, perhaps it's time to come to the Lord like the disciples and ask, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1b). Jesus knew the disciples would never survive without a powerful prayer life. Do you think your children are any different? "Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days" (Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a).
Father, thank You for the power of prayer to find strength for every difficulty in life. Help me to teach my children how to pray by bringing them into Your presence. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Comments(6 comments)
DANA H 05/04/2010 13:58:19
I didnt have trouble teaching my son to pray at bedtime, he was 3 at the time, and i said this prayer once and he's been saying it ever since. "Dear god please bless mommy, daddy and addyson, grandma, grandpa, virgil and all our friends, amen. but as for praying for other things, we will keep working on it.
STEPHANIE S 05/04/2011 07:38:27
Thank you for this article. Although I was raised in a christian home, true prayer alluded me. It wasn't until recently (and I am 41 years old) that I have submitted myself to the intimacy with Christ that my soul was in desperate need of, and it has made a world of difference in my walk spiritually and temporally. I now try to teach my children that prayer is more than asking of God, its opening the heart to Him, receiving from Him instruction, encouragement, guidance, courage and sometimes even reproof. There are moments when I sit in the quiet with God and words escape me, so I just sit and those are the most precious moments to me. In our homeschooling journey, if the only thing my children leave my home knowing is how to truly pray and be intimate with Christ, I will consider our journey a MAJOR success!
JOANNA T 05/04/2011 12:34:13
Why is it so easy for me to pray unbashedly in my head, but hard to say those same things out loud in fron tof my daughter? I started forcing myself to pray aloud for more than just safety and health for my family or to say Thanks God. Its getting a little bit easier, but I have a ways to go!
AMBER A 05/10/2011 10:31:27
My church just taught a series on Praying Though the Tabernacle. It's amazing! You can listen to the series through iTunes under podcast The Pentecostals of Alexandria. I also found a pdf which outlines all the steps. http://www.bethelupc.org/bulletin/2010/Praying-Through-the-Tabernacle(screen).pdf
This is truly life changing!!!! I hope this helps you with your prayer life and walk with God.
DORIS L 05/04/2012 10:09:30
I think, the most effective way to teach my children pray is be a good example to them. We pray togather with them everytime, anytime we want and anywhere in anything. We bring them to prayer meeting at church since they are babies. I have three daughters 5yo, 2yo and 11mths. They love to pray. Praying are parts of their life everyday. Every morning they wake up they will say Good morning God. Meals time, they thank God for foods. When we go out shopping no parking place, they pray for parking place. When mommy sun the clothes no sun, they pray for sunny day. When my baby felt down they lay hand and pray for healing. When we go prayer meeting at church they said AMEN after we prayed. When bed time, my 5yo daughter will say the Lords prayer, 2yo daughter will say the bible verse \"In peace,I will lie down and sleep for u alone O God, Jesus will keep me safe\" and my 11 mos baby will lift up her hand to heaven.
Michelle Foo 05/05/2014 13:20:07
I love praying to God. I love pouring out all my complaints to Him. Sometimes He would speak to me right away, sometimes He would let me go through a period of challenges but He ensures me that He is always there. So I teach my son since he was in my womb. I read the Bible everyday during my pregnancy and prayed with the first day he was born. I don't know how much this practice has impact him but somehow, he seems very receptive to the prayers we had together.
As time goes by, besides our daily prayer, I even repent in front of him when I pray for healing when he falls sick. I always start with "Father God please forgive me that I did not take good care of my son, Samuel. Please heal him from...." When he falls and hurt himself (normally due to his own rebellious acts), I would ask him to say with me a simple repentance prayer, "Oh Lord, please forgive me that I did not obey my mum. Please heal me from pain. Please teach me to be a good boy. I want to be a good boy that I would live life that bring glory to You. In Jesus name, amen."
As a mother, all I want for my son is his relationship with the Lord (I can't imagine living life with God). I want him to know He is the Almighty God and by His Grace we would be who we are....