Morning Worship Notebook,  Motherhood,  Spiritual Encouragement

Morning Worship ~ Prayer

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

Jeremiah 33:3 ESV

Teaching your children to pray is one of the most important things you will ever teach your children to do. Many Christians do not know how to pray – and so they don’t.

What is prayer? Prayer is simply talking to God. It is how we communicate with God. When I pray I don’t talk to God like I would my children or a stranger. I share my heart with Him, as I do my husband. I pour my heart about before Him. Sharing my innermost thoughts and feelings. There are times when I don’t even know what to say and in those times,

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Romans 8:26 KJV

Sometimes I pray when I am working in the kitchen. Sometimes I pray when I teaching school or potty training. One of my favorite times to pray is in the middle of the night when I cannot go to sleep. When it is dark all around me and the only sound is that of my husband and children sleeping. I feel completely alone with God. In peace. It is in those time when I am able to completely focus on God pouring the deepest burdens and cares out to Him.

 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

I Peter 5:7 KJV

As an imperfect woman there are many things in my life I regret. But teaching my children how to pray is not one of them. Joe and Bo are learning how to pray like men.  Mel, Rose, and Mercy are learning to pray like women.

In the morning we start Morning Worship with prayer to get our hearts right before the Lord (confessing sin), to bless my husband at work, provide for our daily bread, and to ask the Lord to take our offering of worship and make it pleasing unto Him. Then during our prayer time I have each of the children take time to pray. They will never learn HOW to pray unless they do it regularly.

On Wednesday evenings at church the children stay with Hubbiness and I in the prayer service. My husband and I feel it is vital for our children to learn how to pray. When we look around the world today at Christians and we see how many of them do not pray, because they don’t feel they know how to pray, we see the importance of teaching our children. Joe began when he was just 3 years old sitting by his father and often the Pastor (or other older men in the church) learning how to pray. He heard these older, wise men of faith praying to God, and he learned how to talk to the Lord. He was then given the opportunity to pray – like a man. His prayers are so precious.  His heart would never be like this – unless it was taught.  On the way to Wednesday evening prayer service when he was just three,  you would find him in the back seat of the car with his Bible, piece of paper, and a pen. He was making out his prayer list of all the things he wanted to pray about. Now to me it was just scribbles but to him it was his mission for that night. Today he is able to write down each request and pray throughout the week. {We now attend a Family Integrated Church where only one man prays. While I enjoy the way the prayer service is incorporated in the worship service, I miss the times of my boys and girls praying along side the older men and women ~ learning how to pray by doing. This makes it more important than ever to have my children praying at home.}

So often we say, “Oh he’s just a child. He can learn that when he’s older. He needs to have fun time with kids his own age.” But, when I look around I see teenagers all across this nation, who’s hearts are not close to the Lord, I wonder WHY it is so important to have my children turn out just like the other children? They don’t want to be in prayer service because “it’s not fun”. They don’t want to pray with the “old” people. They don’t even hardly come to church anymore. It should be a warning to all of us parents – we have a choice how we train our children. We will answer to God one day. Are we teaching our sons and daughters how to pray or are we letting them just hang out with the friends – hoping someday they’ll learn?

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20 NASB

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