In the Lifeway survey, the second highest indicator of a faith that lasts is prayer. Prayer is a mark of a real and intimate relationship with God, just as the frequency with which we talk to a friend indicates how close we are to them. The more a person talks to God in prayer, the more vibrant their relationship with him will be. It is important to let our kids see and hear us pray, to encourage them to pray, and to teach them how to pray. Teaching kids how to pray helps them develop a real and vibrant relationship with the Lord.
Thankfully we are not left in the dark when it comes to knowing how to pray or how to teach our kids to pray. Jesus said, “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’” (Matthew 6:9-13). There is not enough space here to do a full analysis of this prayer, but we can highlight a few key points:
- God is addressed as Father. Christians have a unique relationship with God through Christ. If we believe in Christ, “you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15). We should teach our children that God is a good Father who loves them, cares for them, and sent his only son Christ to die for them.
- We praise and adore God through prayer. “Hallowed” is not a word commonly used today. It means to treat as holy. So “hallowed be thy name” is a prayer that God would be honored and glorified above all else.
- Prayer involves a posture of submission. When we pray we acknowledge God as sovereign ruler of all. It is his will and desire, not ours, that is supreme.
- God is the source of all good things. He is the creator of everything we need in life, so we should ask him for it. Jesus said that if earthly Fathers take care of their children’s needs, “how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).
- We must come before God with humility and contrition because we are sinful. We daily defy God and his design for our lives, therefore we must confess our sin against him and others. Also, Jesus teaches us that it is important that we forgive others who have harmed us; if we can’t do that then God won’t forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15).
- We pray that God would keep us from sin because we are weak and can only grow in holiness with his help. When Jesus teaches to pray that God would not lead us into temptation, he is not claiming that God tries to get us to sin, but that God alone has the power to turn our sinful hearts to him (James 1:13-18).
This is a starting point for teaching your kids how to pray. Helping your child to develop a vibrant prayer life is a wonderful way to give them a faith that lasts.
