Question: How do you teach a very little one how to pray? We thank God for parents and siblings, and for our home, but what else? What simple things do you teach your young children to talk to God about?
Answer: What a GREAT question!! I've actually been asked this several times over the years. In our home, we pray with them from the time they are born. In fact, each child has had their grandmother whisper a prayer in their ear the day they were born or adopted. Praying is just something that we do in our home and is not limited to the table or bedtime. When we are walking, we pray and give thanks for the shade. When we are driving we pray for the Lord to help us find safe parking or get us to our destination safely. We are constantly talking to God here in our home. I speak many of my prayers out loud while I work and do things around the house. When a child is having trouble with their school work we pray for God to help us, we thank Him when a child easily learned a task. I would suggest that because of this the children just grow up knowing how to talk to God. Each day before devotions we do take turns having the children pray. I find that the more they pray the more comfortable they are praying. Since we live our lives in this way of simply talking with God when they offer "formal" prayers they seem to flow very naturally as someone who has a relationship with God and not someone who doesn't know how or what to say to Him.
This conversation continued with more follow up questions and sharing. I will post those letters later this week.
With much Love,
Mrs. Joseph Wood
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