Family Time Prayer
Families that pray together, stay together. Prayer actually helps bond the family. It is hard for family members to stay upset with each other while going before God and praying for God to help each other. Prayer time can be very healing. Today I want to encourage you to begin family prayer for each other. Prayer is the time that is set aside for you to talk to God. It is the time to ask Him for His help in your life. You can pray as a group or individually. Teach your kids to pray by role modeling it in the beginning. Lead them for now. Later, they can lead you.
As you teach your kids to pray, you will see a growth in understanding prayer. Prayer like our relationship with Jesus is a process for us and we grow and develop in the process. When my kids were young and it was difficult for them to organize their thoughts, I would ask them who or what they would like to pray for. Then each child would begin and give me a list. At first, the list consisted of prayers for others such as prayers for Grandma or Grandpa to feel better, prayer for a friend at school. But as time went on, the prayers became more personal such as prayers that God would help my child find the right school, prayers that a friend would be nice to them instead of mean. I also wrote the prayers down on a spiral pad that we used each week and I dated it. Later, I would go back and note the date that prayers were answered and to my kid’s amazement, they could see that the prayers actually were answered! We also eventually had the kids take turns praying out loud so they learned to make a list their prayers. We also learned group praying, where each person takes a turn praying out loud in the group. All of this developed in time. The important part is just to start learning to pray.
Prayer praises are as important as prayer requests. Encourage your family to praise God for all the good things and the answers to prayer too. It is natural to us and easy for us to focus on the negatives and the needs in life so much that we forget to see the positives and praises in life. Encourage your kids to see what is good and thank God for it too.
This week in your family time, I would encourage you to begin your family time by praying and asking God to be a part of your time together and to close your family time by going to God and praying for each other. Before you pray, go around the family and ask if anyone has something they want prayer for, and keep note of it in a spiral or notepad that you can use at each family time. The kids love to give ideas in lower school, but in middle & high school, you have to often suggest ideas based on the information that you know such as a big test, a struggle with a friend, an important tryout coming up. And it helps your kids see that you and your husband have a list of things to ask God to help with such as projects at work or as a volunteer, personal health issues or areas that you personally struggle in and need help. You will be amazed at the connection that develops over time from praying for each other!
If you have questions, email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.
I will be praying for you!
Stacy Davis
Click the link below for your free copy of the Sky Ranch “Open your Eyes” Family Devotional … https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/SkyRanch/EventRegistration.html
This week we are in the 2nd month and 4th week (or page 24) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Open Your Eyes”…
Family Time 4:
Month 2 Topic: God is forever and does not change…Calling out/God’s answer
Talk with God: Read…Psalm 4:1, Genesis 21:33, Zechariah 13:9
~ Psalm 4:1 (David is speaking) Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! Thou hast relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
In Ps 4:1, what is David’s other name for a prayer?
~ Genesis 21:33 And [Abraham] planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
In Gen 21:33, how did Abraham reach out to God?
~ Zechariah 13:9 They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, “They are My people,” and they will say, “The Lord is my God."
In Zech 13:9, does God say He will answer His people?
Walk with God: Discuss… The everlasting God promises that He hears and answers. Abraham called out to God. Isn’t calling out and praying the same? Do you pray? God will answer His people. But make sure you are calling the right number! Pray to the God Whose Son is Jesus Christ. Pray to the Lord God of Heaven and call on the right name of the Everlasting God. Be patient, God does not always answer us the way we want or in the timing we want. What evidence have you seen of prayer working and God having heard you?
Prayer suggestion… Pray for God to help you pray.
Family Time 4:
Leader Answers:
A call
Called on the name of the Lord
Yes
Discussion ideas: God tells us in Scripture, “You do not have because you do not ask,” or “You ask with wrong motives” (James 4:2-3). Prayer is something that you get better at as you do it. Make a list to pray from if that helps you keep your focus. Notice other prayers in Scripture, for example, Matthew 6:9-13, which shows Jesus praying to His Father, asking for daily needs, protection from evil, God’s will, etc.
© 2011 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved
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