{"id":5327,"date":"2019-08-16T13:31:32","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T18:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=5327"},"modified":"2019-08-16T13:31:33","modified_gmt":"2019-08-16T18:31:33","slug":"teaching-children-to-pray-5-practical-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2019\/08\/16\/teaching-children-to-pray-5-practical-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Children to Pray: 5 Practical Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Not that long ago, I stood at my front door watching my oldest child drive off by himself for the very first time. I was a combination of nerves and excitement; this was a day we had planned, practiced, and prepared for. It was a giant step toward independence for him and letting go for me.<\/p>\n

As parents and teachers, we pass on a lot of skills to our kids. How often, though, do we think about the spiritual \u201cskills\u201d they\u2019re learning from us? Are we as intentional about preparing them to grow in their relationship with God, as we are with their next step toward physical independence? We teach them how to ride a bike, we prepare them for the big soccer tryout and eventually teach them to drive, but for some reason, life can fly before we realize we haven\u2019t taught them how to talk to God.<\/p>\n

No matter how old your kids or students are, it\u2019s not too late. I\u2019ve outlined a few practical tips for teaching children to pray, but keep in mind we have to be intentional, or life will get away from us. There is an enemy who will distract and intimidate us, but God is greater. Seek Him as you begin, and\u00a0 He will give you wisdom and strength for this task.<\/p>\n

Modeling Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps the most powerful way we teach children to pray is by modeling it. Can you imagine learning to play baseball by only reading a book and never having seen a game? In the same way, children need to see and hear us pray to learn how to do it themselves. As they\u2019ll observe us, they\u2019ll learn lessons like how to approach God (humbly, but confidently). They\u2019ll figure out when they can pray (at church, at school, at home, before meals, at the end of our day, and every time in between). And they\u2019ll learn why we pray: (to thank God, to worship Him, to ask for forgiveness, and much more). As children see us pray, they\u2019ll learn to do it themselves.<\/p>\n

Memorizing Prayers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Children are great memorizers! Even before they can read, they can learn simple prayers that will teach them how to approach their heavenly Father. Additionally, giving kids words to say to God when they are young helps build confidence as they grow. Start by teaching your children simple meal and bedtime prayers, but also make sure to include biblical prayers. Once they\u2019ve learned the words of the Lord\u2019s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-15), for example, you can build on their understanding by asking questions after you recite it. One day you might follow the prayer with, \u201cWhy do you think we call God our Father<\/em>?\u201d or \u201cWhat do you think Jesus meant when He told us to pray for daily bread<\/em>? Can we pray for other things too?\u201d Learning prayers from the Bible and other Christians sources can bring great opportunities for growth.<\/p>\n

Talking to their Father<\/strong><\/p>\n

We should also encourage children to talk to God using their own words. Regularly tell children that their heavenly Father loves them, values them, and wants to hear from them. Give them opportunities to pray aloud, so they know their prayers are valuable and needed in your home and church. Finally, be patient with them. Some children are nervous about praying out loud, so continue to invite them to pray, but don\u2019t badger them. Do everything to make your prayer time inviting and safe, and you may be surprised at the confidence God will give them.<\/p>\n

Teaching Types of Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not only do we want our children to know they can talk with God anytime, but we also want them to understand different ways we pray. The ACTS acronym<\/a> is a simple tool to help us remember four types of prayer: A<\/u>doration, Co<\/u>nfession, T<\/u>hanksgiving, and S<\/u>upplication.<\/p>\n

Prayers of adoration<\/em><\/strong> acknowledge God\u2019s greatness by pointing out His many attributes, such as His perfect love, patience, power, or trustworthiness.<\/p>\n

Next, prayers of confession<\/em><\/strong> give space to acknowledge our sinfulness and need for God. Our children must repeatedly hear that they cannot save themselves but must rely on Christ completely for forgiveness and restoration.<\/p>\n

When we take time to thank<\/em><\/strong> God, we help our children understand that every good thing we have is a gift from Him. Additionally, prayers of thanksgiving help us grow in joy and gratitude.<\/p>\n

Finally, we ask for God\u2019s help with prayers of supplication<\/em><\/strong>. From the time they are very little, children can know that God wants to hear about everything they need. Enthusiastically encourage them to pray about all their concerns, and we have reason to hope that they\u2019ll continue to go to Him as they age, and life gets harder. Don\u2019t forget to push them outward with their prayers too. Pray with them for friends, family, and people all over the world.<\/p>\n

Making Prayer a Habit<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally, stay in the practice of prayer. Have you ever been in a great exercise routine and then stopped for a busy schedule or injury? Usually, it\u2019s much harder to start back up than it ever was to keep going. Prayer is the same way - once we\u2019re out of the rhythm, it\u2019s hard to get back into the habit. Be intentional about praying with your children one-on-one and as a family. At home, take turns praying before dinner. At bedtime, pray out loud and then allow for a few moments of silent prayer. As a teacher designate regular times to pray, but also willingly stop and pray spontaneously as needed. When we teach children to pray, we give something much greater than any practical skill; we are giving them a piece of our most treasured family inheritance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":5328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,4],"tags":[940,216,1127,48,1122,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-5327","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-childrens-ministries","8":"category-discipleship-ministries","9":"tag-940","10":"tag-children","11":"tag-kristi-cain","12":"tag-prayer","13":"tag-steadfast-in-prayer","14":"tag-teaching","15":"entry"},"title_es":"Ense\u00f1ar a los ni\u00f1os a orar: 5 consejos pr\u00e1cticos","content_es":"

No hace mucho tiempo, estaba parado en la puerta de mi casa viendo a mi hijo mayor irse solo por primera vez. Yo era una combinaci\u00f3n de nervios y emoci\u00f3n; Este fue un d\u00eda que hab\u00edamos planeado, practicado y preparado. Fue un paso gigante hacia la independencia para \u00e9l y dejarme ir. <\/p>

Como padres y maestros, transmitimos muchas habilidades a nuestros hijos. \u00bfCon qu\u00e9 frecuencia, sin embargo, pensamos en las "habilidades" espirituales que est\u00e1n aprendiendo de nosotros? \u00bfTenemos la misma intenci\u00f3n de prepararlos para crecer en su relaci\u00f3n con Dios, como lo estamos con su pr\u00f3ximo paso hacia la independencia f\u00edsica? Les ense\u00f1amos a andar en bicicleta, los preparamos para la gran prueba de f\u00fatbol y eventualmente les ense\u00f1amos a conducir, pero por alguna raz\u00f3n, la vida puede volar antes de darnos cuenta de que no les hemos ense\u00f1ado a hablar con Dios. <\/p>

No importa la edad que tengan sus hijos o estudiantes, no es demasiado tarde. He esbozado algunos consejos pr\u00e1cticos para ense\u00f1ar a los ni\u00f1os a rezar, pero tenga en cuenta que debemos ser intencionales, o la vida se nos escapar\u00e1. Hay un enemigo que nos distraer\u00e1 e intimidar\u00e1, pero Dios es mayor. B\u00fascalo cuando comiences, y \u00c9l te dar\u00e1 sabidur\u00eda y fuerza para esta tarea. <\/p>

Oraci\u00f3n de modelado<\/strong> <\/p>

Quiz\u00e1s la forma m\u00e1s poderosa en que ense\u00f1amos a los ni\u00f1os a orar es modelando. \u00bfTe imaginas aprender a jugar b\u00e9isbol solo leyendo un libro y nunca haber visto un juego? Del mismo modo, los ni\u00f1os necesitan vernos y escucharnos orar para aprender c\u00f3mo hacerlo ellos mismos. Al observarnos, aprender\u00e1n lecciones como acercarse a Dios (con humildad pero con confianza). Averiguar\u00e1n cu\u00e1ndo pueden orar (en la iglesia, en la escuela, en casa, antes de las comidas, al final de nuestro d\u00eda y en cualquier momento entre ellas). Y aprender\u00e1n por qu\u00e9 oramos: (agradecer a Dios, adorarlo, pedir perd\u00f3n y mucho m\u00e1s). Cuando los ni\u00f1os nos vean rezar, aprender\u00e1n a hacerlo ellos mismos. <\/p>

Memorizar oraciones<\/strong> <\/p>

\u00a1Los ni\u00f1os son grandes memorizadores! Incluso antes de que puedan leer, pueden aprender oraciones simples que les ense\u00f1ar\u00e1n c\u00f3mo acercarse a su Padre celestial. Adem\u00e1s, dar palabras a los ni\u00f1os para que le digan a Dios cuando son j\u00f3venes ayuda a construir confianza a medida que crecen. Comience ense\u00f1ando a sus hijos comidas sencillas y oraciones antes de acostarse, pero tambi\u00e9n aseg\u00farese de incluir oraciones b\u00edblicas. Una vez que hayan aprendido las palabras de la Oraci\u00f3n del Se\u00f1or (Mateo 6: 9-15), por ejemplo, puede desarrollar su comprensi\u00f3n haciendo preguntas despu\u00e9s de recitarlas. Un d\u00eda podr\u00edas seguir la oraci\u00f3n con: "\u00bfPor qu\u00e9 crees que llamamos a Dios nuestro Padre<\/em> ?" O "\u00bfQu\u00e9 crees que quiso decir Jes\u00fas cuando nos dijo que oremos por el pan de cada d\u00eda<\/em> ? \u00bfPodemos orar por otras cosas tambi\u00e9n? \u201d. Aprender oraciones de la Biblia y otras fuentes cristianas puede brindar grandes oportunidades de crecimiento. <\/p>

Hablando con su padre<\/strong> <\/p>

Tambi\u00e9n debemos alentar a los ni\u00f1os a hablar con Dios usando sus propias palabras. D\u00edgales regularmente a los ni\u00f1os que su Padre celestial los ama, los valora y quiere saber de ellos. Br\u00edndeles oportunidades para orar en voz alta, para que sepan que sus oraciones son valiosas y necesarias en su hogar e iglesia. Finalmente, s\u00e9 paciente con ellos. Algunos ni\u00f1os est\u00e1n nerviosos por orar en voz alta, as\u00ed que contin\u00faen invit\u00e1ndolos a rezar, pero no los fastidien. Haga todo lo posible para que su tiempo de oraci\u00f3n sea atractivo y seguro, y puede sorprenderse de la confianza que Dios les dar\u00e1. <\/p>

Ense\u00f1ar tipos de oraci\u00f3n<\/strong> <\/p>

No solo queremos que nuestros hijos sepan que pueden hablar con Dios en cualquier momento, sino que tambi\u00e9n queremos que entiendan las diferentes formas en que oramos. El acr\u00f3nimo ACTS<\/a> es una herramienta sencilla para ayudarnos a recordar cuatro tipos de oraci\u00f3n: Un<\/u> doration, C o<\/u> nfession, T<\/u> hanksgiving, y S<\/u> upplication. <\/p>