Prayer as a Conversation
Prayer is not easy for me, much less for my kids. In fact, I fail far more than I succeed. Any success I have is credited to the Holy Spirit and some miracle of my cooperation.
Maybe you struggle with prayer, too. Here are some things I’ve found useful in learning to pray myself and in teaching my kids to converse with God.
“A person who sings prays twice.”—St. Augustine
Saint Augustine is credited with saying, “A person who sings prays twice.” Kids don’t seem to notice that I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, and there are wonderful songs that really are prayers.
Actions Speak Louder
It takes two seconds to trace a cross on my kids’ foreheads, but it’s become something they wait for now, whether they’re leaving for school or going to bed. It’s one way to pray for them and with them.
Pair It With Something Else
Grace before meals is an easy way to start, even if you’re eating in the car or at a restaurant. But what about when an ambulance passes or you climb in the car for a trip? Consider things that occur frequently or that you and the kids do together repeatedly: How can you incorporate prayer into those situations?
