Chatting with God

For the past nine days families all over the world have gathered to pray, as part of the initiative from Thy Kingdom Come to create a global wave of prayer. That is now coming to an end, but it’s got me thinking about why thousands of people have committed to praying for eleven days. I guess the answer is simple – as Christians, we know that prayer is the most powerful tool that we have. Prayer changes lives! It makes a difference – because as we pray, our heavenly Father, creator of the universe, listens.

Jeremiah 29:12
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Ideas this month

Thy Kingdom Come
I’ve loved engaging in Thy Kingdom Come with my family. Listening to the family podcasts and trying out new ways of praying has really helped us. My older daughter has loved exploring the Bible stories, while my youngest daughter, who has some additional needs, has engaged with the music and loved the stickers!

Accountability
What can you do to be more intentional in praying for your children? Maybe it could be something as simple as placing their photograph on your wardrobe door, so that as you get dressed each day you are reminded to pray that they will be clothed in Christ. Or perhaps you could arrange to meet friends regularly to pray for each other’s children.

Involve others
Research shows that intergenerational relationships are important in creating a sense of belonging! Including the older generation in praying for our children is not only powerful, but it gives them a sense of purpose. Why don’t you check out this article about the benefit of praying grandparents (and that can include spiritual grandparents as well as biological ones).

Reflection

So why do we often find it hard to pray? It’s so easy to forget that God is interested in every aspect of our lives. So many times I forget to thank him in that moment of celebration, to turn to him in challenges, or to just chat to him as I would with my closest friend. It’s really struck me lately how, even though I know God is my rock, I often turn to others for affirmation or advice before coming to him. Sometimes as a busy parent I feel I haven’t got the time to talk to God, and at other times it feels easier to talk to a friend who is physically present.

But as a mum I want to change that. I can gain great advice or encouragement from other parents, but as my children face increasing pressures in their schools, friendships and society, I want Jesus to be the first person I run to. Not only because I know including him in all aspects of my life is the best thing for me and my children, but because I want to model it to my children so they’ll also choose to run to God first.

And I want to be more proactive in praying for my children. Often, I find myself praying for them as situations arise – when they’ve fallen out with a friend or when they’re fearful or ill. But I want to be more intentional in praying for their character, their relationship with God and their future.

So how can we make prayer a more visible and central part of our life?

Check out the ideas above for some different ways of developing our prayer lives as a family.

Blessings

Claire and the Kitchen Table Project team

Please send us your stories of inspiring faith at home – good and bad – we know it’s a rollercoaster! We’d love to include them in our emails and on the blog.

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