Prayer

Let me ask you a few potentially uncomfortable questions: Do your children see and hear you pray? If so, do they see you praying only at mealtimes? Or maybe at bedtime when you tuck them in? Do they ever see you praying with a friend who stopped by because they’re struggling or needing godly advice? Do your children ever run up on you and your spouse when you’re praying together? What kinds of things do your children hear you praying about? Do they hear you give thanks for God’s blessings in your prayers — or only requests for the things you need?

I don’t mean to put you on the spot or shame you with these questions. But here’s the deal: If our children don’t see a life of prayer modeled in the home, how will they know that prayer is a priority for the believer? Put it this way: If a Martian landed in your yard and walked inside your home, no doubt they’d see a television in the family room surrounded by comfortable seating. They’d rightly conclude that TV is important to you. If they walked into your kitchen, they’d find a refrigerator filled with food and all sorts of gadgets to prepare meals, and they’d rightly conclude that eating is important to you, too. But what would they think if the only prayer they observed was a thirty-second prayer once a day?

Prayer is vital because it nurtures our intimacy with God, which is why the Bible gives us three perspectives on prayer that will benefit anyone who applies them. First, we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus isn’t asking us to be on our knees twenty-four hours a day. He simply wishes us to consistently seek Him in prayer about whatever is going on in our lives. If your teen is struggling with a friend at school, for example, why not stop what you’re doing and pray with them?

Second, in Luke 18, Jesus gives us the parable of the persistent widow because He wants us to “not give up” when it comes to prayer (Luke 18:1 NIV). For example, if your teen is trying to get accepted at a college of their choice, why not continue to pray with them through the process rather than just dashing off a quick prayer when they mail in the application?

Third, our prayers should be aligned with Jesus’ heart. James put it this way: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). I’m pretty sure that if those aliens saw you praying to win the lottery, they’d get the wrong idea about the purpose of prayer. Speaking from personal experience, my marriage and family life turned around when we started praying together regularly, persistently, and with the right motives.

Taken from The Duck Commander Faith and Family Bible