An easy way to explain to our kids what kinds of things they can and should talk to God about is to point out how they talk with us. We can divide conversation between us and them into two categories: casual conversation and practical conversation.
Casual conversation is talking about the weather and current events, about things that we're thinking or feeling. Casual conversation happens on the spur of the moment and can be humorous, informational, or just plain as-it-happens chat.
Practical conversation has to do with things that need to be talked about- things that are essential and/or beneficial to running a household, working together as a family, and having a well-functioning parent-child relationship. These conversations cover things such as coordinating family schedules, checking to see if chores are done, finding out how school is going, reviewing report cards, planning a vacation, and talking about something that one of the kids needs.
This illustration is a great parallel to prayer and can be very helpful in explaining the contents of prayer to our children. Prayer is made up of both casual conversation and practical conversation with God or casual prayer and practical prayer.
In casual prayer our children can talk to God about anything, anytime, anywhere. They can talk to him about how they feel, what they're thinking, what they're currently going through, what they're learning from the Bible, what their friends are up to, what their interests are. Every healthy relationship should have a casual conversation element that's comfortable and growing; the same is true of prayer. We should encourage our children to spend some time talking to God about their thoughts and about what's going on in their lives, just as they do with us.
In practical prayer our children should talk to God about the things he wants people to talk to him about. Many topics for practical prayer are outlined by God in the Bible, just as parents generally choose the practical conversation topics in a parent child relationship. For example, the Bible says that we should pray for those who have authority over us, that is, our leaders:
"First, I want all of you to pray for everyone. Ask God to bless them. Give thanks for them. Pray for kings. Pray for all who are in authority. Pray that we will live peaceful and quiet lives. And pray that we will be godly and holy. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
For children, those in authority would include parents, teachers, church leaders, and political leaders. But praying for authority figures doesn't mean praying in vague generalities. Just as practical conversation in our home serves a specific purpose, so do practical prayers. In the verse above, we're told to pray for our leaders so that they may gain wisdom in making decisions that affect us, which is key to our living the life God wants us to live. Life, along with everything God created in and around it, works by prayer.
A good way to teach our children about practical prayers and help them understand some of the basics is to teach them the Lord's prayer.
Next time we will begin to break down the Lord's prayer for our children.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment