My mom is the wisest woman.  She has been a teacher all of her life and has been involved in working with and ministering to children for as long as I can remember.  One of those valued gems she passed along to me as my children started toddling around, was how to encourage them to pray.  She has faithfully used this particular prayer strategy when instructing children in her classes and Bible Studies throughout the years.  I am forever grateful that when I became a mom, she shared this and many other insights with me.

One of the disciplines that we, as parents, want to pass on to our children is the “habit” of prayer.  This is an area in which I am certainly growing and have, by no means, “arrived”.  So in an attempt not to be hypocritical, let me share some ideas we have tried, and are trying in our home which I hope will serve as an encouragement to you and your family.

Meal Time Prayers - Prayer before partaking of food is an excellent, built in opportunity to bring our family before the Throne of Grace.  Be careful not to allow this time to become rote and dry, almost sacrilegious; just something we routinely do before “digging” in. 

No matter what the age of your children, it is never too early to start teaching them to serve others.  Chores are a natural way of leading them to develop an “others first” mentality.  It takes some thinking, planning, and creativity on your part to make this work, but it is well worth the effort.  A child that grows up with a heart inclined toward serving is such a treasure in a self-focused world.