Every once and a while, I feel like I'm a complete failure as a parent. Have you been there? Are you there now? Have you ever felt like there are times when you just can't do anything right? We get these great ideas and plans, try implementing them, but every single one of them seem to fall flat. Our kids ignore us and seem completely complacent to what we are trying to teach them; especially when they become teens! Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that we are always like this, but let's face it; there are times when we consider if we are accomplishing anything as they grow physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Well, this week has been one of those weeks for me. Maybe it's because some kind of a bug has been going through our house and we've all been under the weather. Maybe it's because we're still getting into the school routine. Maybe it's because I have a 15 year old! Maybe it's politics, the economy, the weather or all of the above. Either way, I don't think the reason is half as important as what I'm beginning to see as the solution. It's something pretty obvious, pretty simple and I have to admit, pretty neglected in our home lately.
Praying with the kids in our lives is probably the single most important tool that we have at our disposal as parents, ministers and teachers. Note that I said praying WITH your kids. I know it feels uncomfortable sometime, especially when they see you screwing up all the time, right? But the power of prayer in their lives is immeasurable as they learn to journey through this world and it accomplishes a lot more than you might think. And they need to see it from you!
Here's four things that praying with children accomplishes:
1. They receive the power of your prayer. When you pray with them and for them, God's Spirit unites you with them and they receive the reality of Matthew 18:20 as the two of you come together. Prayer is power!
2. Praying with a children teaches them to pray, and here's the important point of this one. Just be yourself! Don't worry about being the "grown up" and having to have all the perfect words! Just pray for them. It teaches them the importance of just approaching God as they as. Prayer is simple!
3. Praying with children teaches and reminds you how to pray in general. Praying with a child helps you realize that ALL of us are God's children and He wants us to come to Him just like that: a child. Praying with kids helps you see that sometimes we need to simplify our spiritual lives and just be ourselves with God. Just talk to Him. That's all He asks from us in prayer. Remember Matthew 18:3? We need to be more like them!
4. Praying with kids helps to reveal God to them. Many of the children that cross our paths have no concept of who God is. We are in the midst of almost two generations of kids that are getting further and further away from the idea of who God is, what He is and how He works in our lives. Most generations before, including mine, always had God incorporated in some aspects of life, culture and society. Not so much anymore. It's becoming rare that we see God connected to the everyday world.
Now go pray with your kiddos!
Peace & Blessings!
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