He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. Acts 10:2
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalms 145:18
When children grow up in a family that has prayed together more than just a blessing at dinnertime, it instills in them how valuable their relationship with the Lord is in daily life. Children won’t be receptive to sermons, discipline, lectures, prayers, or criticisms of their prayers. The sweetest sound is when a child begins praying with the words and thoughts God has put on their heart.
Instilling the habit of prayer in the family also disciplines children in ways that allow God to be involved in every area of our lives. Kids might not appreciate family prayers or devotions together when they’re young, but they’ll look back as adults and realize how much God and their parents love them, and hopefully, they’ll pray with their own families someday.
Praying parents are the best role models and mentors for helping children learn to handle life’s inevitable challenges and crises with God’s help. Spending time as a family is invaluable for everyone’s mental and spiritual well-being. It might seem cliché to say, “The family that prays and plays together stays together,” but I have to believe it’s true. It worked for us, and I know it can work for you too.
Today, our family is no longer merely “blended. ” The blood of Jesus Christ unites us, which is much stronger than human blood ties. Our prodigal, who wasn’t a Christian when we first blended our family, became a Christian several years later. We always included her in prayer times, even though she was uncomfortable, but now she has a family of her own, and her family prays together. Praise God.
Do these six reasons to pray together as a family seem unattainable? Are you shaking your head that this will never happen in your family? I understand that it might not happen every day, but the more the family experiences God’s love for them and their love for each other, the more they’ll begin to look forward to family prayer time.
In Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, I wrote, “Praying as a family and for our family sometimes requires parents to do uncomfortable things, but Dave and I have learned to follow God’s lead-no matter how unusual it seems.”
I opened this article talking about our blended family. I knew keeping God at the center of our marriage and family would help us grow together in love for each other and the Lord. We found a day of the week when everyone was home early in the morning and lured all the teens out of bed with the promise of a homemade breakfast after our prayers and devotion together. They could come in their pajamas, wrapped in blankets, and we would study a Scripture, take prayer requests for the week, and then pray together before eating a delicious breakfast. Today, they all love Jesus and each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and family. I hope you’ll be encouraged to spend precious time with your family too.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews. 10:24-25