Prayer
WHAT IS PRAYER?
Prayer is a two-way conversation between you and God. It’s an opportunity to sit with the Father and pour out your heart to Him but it’s also an opportunity for Him to pour His heart into you. As you develop your prayer life, you will get more comfortable speaking to and hearing from God.
WHY IS PRAYER IMPORTANT?
Communication is essential to any healthy relationship.
Consider this: How many friends would you have if you never talked to them?
If you never communicated with your family members, those relationships would suffer if you never made time to connect.
The same is true of your relationship with God. Spending time with Him in prayer is just as important as reading your Bible. It helps you know God more intimately.
Here are a few tips for developing a strong prayer life:
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Set aside time every day to spend in prayer. Don't be tempted to push your conversations with God into the leftover space in your busy schedule.
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Make prayer as much of a priority as reading your Bible. Combining prayer and Bible reading into a morning devotional time is a great idea.
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Just be yourself! You don't have to use fancy words or focus on high-minded ideas to impress Him. Come to God as simply and honestly as you can. Speak from your heart. He is your Father.
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It may help you to journal your prayers each day by simply writing out your prayers to God.
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need,
and thank Him for all He has done."
Philippians 4:6
Prayer
Matters!
Mark 6:45-51
How to Pray
Ask God to reveal Himself to you. He is your guide on this journey.
Over the years, I have found that modeling my prayers on the prayer Jesus most famously prayed to His Father (Matthew 6:9-13) is helpful in clearing the lines of communication and having good conversations with God.
Using that prayer as a guide, try to incorporate these elements into your prayer time:
● Praise and thank God for His character and for the good things in your life.
● Confess any sin that you may be struggling with.
● Tell God what is worrying you and what you/others need help with.
● Pray that he will guide and direct your life in the way it is supposed to go.
So, go ahead and start the conversation!
Praying WITH Our Kids
WOW
W
Praise God for the awesome works He has done and the perfect Father that He is.
I'M SORRY
I
Confess our sin to God in this simple language, asking with faith that He will forgive us through Jesus.
THANK YOU
T
Build a habit of gratitude in our families and kids by reminding ourselves of God’s goodness to us in simple, everyday ways as well as life-changing gifts from above.
HELP
H
Lastly, come to God with what we want and need. Ask Him for help according to His will and purposes.
*Used from Summit Church
Having the opportunity and privilege to pray with our kids and teach them about the significance of having a connection to the most powerful being in the world is such a blessing! However, it is a blessing that a lot of parents miss out on simply because we don't know where to start.
There is great importance in your children knowing that they can communicate with a God who loves them enough to pay attention to them. God is worth talking to and your kids are worth listening to.
Prayer helps your children cultivate a relationship with God that will grow for the rest of their lives. Vision Church wants to help you to raise praying kids, and we think praying WITH God daily is an amazing way to do that.
While praying as a family, use each of these markers to help your kids move through an age-appropriate acrostic to honor God, confess our sin, express our gratitude, and present our requests to Him.
As you pursue prayer together as a family, remember that our Father wants to hear from us. He wants us to be present with him. He’s waiting to enjoy the prayers of your kids.