Family Prayer!

"A family that prays together stays together”, or so the saying goes. Now I don’t know if that is true but I do know that families who pray together are more likely to have a richer and more abundant family life.

Praying as a family is not without its challenges. Nevertheless, it is an important aspect of parenting
 that should not be overlooked. Prayer is very simply allowing a conversation with God. Something
we can do anywhere with anyone and in whatever way we want. This does not have to be formulaic –
 although routines and rhythms can be important. It is just learning to talk to God throughout the day while we go about our daily life. God wants to be in the minute details of our lives, nothing is too large or too small for our loving Father to bend his ear to.

Teaching children to pray can help them to develop a very personal relationship with God and this is what he wants. Starting early is the key to a lifetime of prayer. If children have been prayed with from the earliest moments of their lives they are more likely to continue the habit into their adult life.

Parents can bless their child while he or she is still in the womb, praying for their child: a simple sign of the cross made on the mum’s tummy morning and night is a good habit to start. Then when the child is born praying for that little one becomes easy. Though I am a great believer that faith must also be taught and not just caught, praying is one of those aspects that if children see their parents praying they are more likely to develop a prayer life.

Praying with young children must be age and ‘stage’ appropriate.  Expecting them to kneel quietly while we say a full rosary is not likely to happen and often leads to frustration on the side of both parties. Sometimes all you need is saying an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and asking God for any specific intention you may have, ending with a prayer for protection (maybe an ‘Angel of God my guardian dear’ type of prayer). As children grow bible stories can become part of the prayer routine.

When our children were older, on the advice of some wise nuns, we started to pray a shortened version of the rosary, saying only three Hail Marys in honour of the Trinity; this worked well for our family.

I know families who pray a decade of the rosary every night Monday to Friday so that by the end of 
the week they have completed a whole mystery. Others pray freely for whatever is current in the news or for specific needs at that time. I think the way in which you pray is not quite so important as the 
fact that you do pray.

Praying in thanksgiving before each mealtime is another simple way in which we can introduce prayer into our families. This teaches children that we do not rely solely on our own capabilities to provide for ourselves but that we believe that God in his abundance has provided for our needs and 
we thank him for that. We also follow his example, throughout Scripture: when Jesus is about to feed
 the multitudes he stops and gives thanks to God.

Blessing the children just before they go to bed has been a very powerful bond for our family. Each night as they kiss us good night my husband blesses his children with a simple sign of the cross on their foreheads. Even now as adults, they still come to their Father to receive his blessing. This has been a great source of grace for us as a family.

Many families achieve morning prayers, this is something I have never been able to manage as life was just a frenzied mix of chaos. However I know for the families who do it, it is a great opportunity to start the day with God asking his protection and blessing on everyone before they all go out the door. This can help strengthen and encourage everyone especially if there are challenges that you know someone might face in the day.

In times of trial and sadness a family can huddle together and draw strength from each other asking God to come into their situation. Praying for those who are sick or dying can bring great solace to our hurting hearts.

Creating a family altar within the home is a beautiful gesture. This can be as simple as a side-table, or mantle piece. A nice statue or picture of the Holy Family, a crucifix, some candles, a bible and some prayer books. This little space becomes a very special attraction in your home.  Gathering together as 
often as you can around this  little altar, may have a profound, and far reaching effect on your family. Just as we want the best for our children by providing nutritious food, adequate clothing, a good education etc, we also want them to have a relationship with God. We want him to bless our families, and those that we love. Incorporating prayers into our family's daily routines is a way of expressing this desire.

The pictures above are from Pinterest where you will find a wealth of ideas for praying with your children.