In the hustle and bustle of modern family life, numerous demands vie for our attention. However, amidst this busyness, the practice of praying together holds profound significance. By placing God at the heart of our familial interactions, our priorities align harmoniously. We prioritize God above all else, followed by our spouse and children, with extended family and work falling into place thereafter. Through this framework, children learn to value their siblings over their friends and prioritize attending Mass over other engagements. Through communal prayer, we not only center our family around God but also impart to our children the importance of cultivating a personal relationship with Him, wherein He becomes a lifelong companion and confidant.In the hustle and bustle of modern family life, numerous demands vie for our attention. However, amidst this busyness, the practice of praying together holds profound significance. By placing God at the heart of our familial interactions, our priorities align harmoniously. We prioritize God above all else, followed by our spouse and children, with extended family and work falling into place thereafter. Through this framework, children learn to value their siblings over their friends and prioritize attending Mass over other engagements. Through communal prayer, we not only center our family around God but also impart to our children the importance of cultivating a personal relationship with Him, wherein He becomes a lifelong companion and confidant.
Pray on the way to school
Every day on the way to school, pray out loud over your children. Pray for their health and safety, their teachers, and their classmates. However, also pray over their hearts, that they will feel God’s presence, remember who they are in Him, and be a light in this world.
On the way to school, also remind your children that they can talk to God whenever they want to and wherever they are. Tell them that their prayers do not need to be out loud, they can be in their heads, and they can be simple requests or statement of adoration. Then give them examples and model what this looks like. Here are a few prayers to teach your children to pray at school:
• Jesus, I need you.
• Jesus, help me.
• Jesus, I’m scared. Please comfort me.
• Jesus, I love you.
• Jesus, I trust you.
Pray over situations you see while driving
Often when we’re driving we see situations that need prayer. We see a homeless person or an emergency vehicle rushing to get somewhere. Maybe we see an accident on the side of the road. When you see these instances, turn the music off and pray for the people involved.
Use a daily prayer calendar
Using a daily prayer calendar is similar to using prayer sticks but simpler. It also helps with remembering to pray for different people and needs. For each day of the week, assign a general prayer concern for our family to pray over for that day. A daily calendar looks like this: Sunday – our leaders (church and civil), Monday – missionaries, Tuesday – the oppressed, Wednesday – the sick, Thursday – the poor, Friday – our family/friends, Saturday – people who don’t know Jesus. Get in the habit of praying for these things every day.
Use prayer sticks
At mealtime we often pray for our food and maybe our family, but nothing else. Take this opportunity to teach your children to pray for other people and needs in their lives and in the world. Prayer sticks can help with this. Take popsicle sticks and write a person or a need on each stick. Keep all the sticks in a small, tin pail (any cup will do). When you sit down for a meal, each person randomly chooses a stick and prays for that person or need. Then, put the used sticks in a different tin pail until you’ve prayed through all of the sticks.
- Here are some of our sticks. (Each stick has one name or need on it.):
- People in our family and extended family
- Our close friends or friends with specific needs
- Our priests
- Our other church leaders
- Our political leaders
- People who are homeless
- People who are mentally ill
- People who are sick
- Children in foster care
- People who don’t know Jesus
- Unborn babies and their mothers
- Children who are sick or disabled
- People who are lonely
- Missionaries
- People who are oppressed
- The elderly
Pray before bed
Praying before bed is probably common among many families, like praying before meals. In an attempt to make nightly prayer time richer, start incorporating a few routines. Start by asking your children what was their best part of their day and what was their hardest. Also ask them if they were hurt, scared, or sad at all during the day. This helps to get a gauge on their hearts and how we might need to pray for them. Then, ask them if there are any prayer requests that they have so that you can pray for them specifically.
After that, give each child the opportunity to pray out loud. Then pray over them. Pray for their health and safety as they sleep. Pray that their minds will be protected. For example, pray something like, “God, my children are wonderfully made. They are made in your image. I pray they know their worth is in you. I pray they know that nothing can separate them from your love.” We want our children to hear us talk to God about who they are and thank Him for who He created them to be.