August 2001

Teaching Your Children to Pray

By Germaine Copeland

Only a few short years ago we sent our children off to public school with confidence knowing that they were in a safe place. Tragically, this has changed, and increasingly parents are turning to prayer. It is our responsibility to teach our children that God will hear them when they pray whether at home, church, school or on the playground. Hasty or superficial prayers will not teach nor train them to pray with confidence. Prayer is developed by precept and practice.

Communication with God is available to everyone at all times. We can pray aloud or we can pray silently. Verbal prayer may have been taken out of our schools, but we can give our children hope by assuring them that our Heavenly Father hears silent prayers. He knows our thoughts from afar, even before we think them. One of the keys for an effective prayer life is practicing the presence of Jesus – aware that He is always ready to hear us when we pray.

Why should we practice prayer and teach our children to pray? Jesus who is our example prayed to the Father, and He instructed us to pray and not give up or lose heart. We can either pray our own thoughts or we can return His Word to Him through prayer. The Bible tells us that His word will not return to Him without producing results.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (I John 5:14-15). I discovered this scripture over 30 years ago, and believing that God’s Word is His will, I began writing Scriptures in prayer form – prayers that I prayed for my children. This method of praying proved effective, and I began to teach others the power of praying scriptural prayers.

Sandy and her daughter prayed the same prayer from Volume I of Prayers That Avail Much every day before school. One morning they couldn’t find “the little yellow book” and the mother attempted to cover up her dismay as time for the school bus drew near. Walking out on the porch, she silently asked the Holy Spirit to help her. Before the mother could speak, the little girl began praying their special prayer, word for word. God’s Word was printed on the tablets of her daughter’s heart and on her mind. The daily habit of praying God’s Word proved effective in the life of this six-year-old. Praying the Scriptures aloud with your children will increase their faith in God.

Take time to pray meaningful, creative prayers with your children. The Bible is God speaking to you and as you pray scriptural prayers with him or her each morning and evening they will learn the value of prayer. The power of God will protect them; the presence of God will go with them. I have written Prayers That Avail Much for Students – WWJD for your teenagers – scriptural prayers about their personal issues – those things that concern them. This method of praying is effective, giving them a firm foundation for today and the future.

Prayer

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for your angels that you have assigned to our children. You have given your angels charge over them, to keep them in all their ways. We reverence you and acknowledge you as our Lord and Savior. Thank you for the angel of the LORD who encamps all around our children and delivers them from perilous situations. We bless our children that they may be powerful in the land, and fulfill their divine destiny. Amen.


Germaine Copeland is the author of the best selling book series, Prayers That Avail Much. She has written scriptural prayers for the family. Read your Bible, pray and attend church where you can soak up the love and faith of God. You will receive emotional healing, experience spiritual growth and become more intimately acquainted with your Heavenly Father, and your relationships will grow stronger.


Continue to pray the Prayers of Commitment from Germaine’s Prayers That Avail Much Commemorative Edition and ask to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.