My grandson is 3 and just this week asked me this question “Nana, why do we pray?” Why indeed? My quick response was that God liked to talk to us just like we like to talk to each other. He understood that. I love to pray with the little guy too! Do we make prayer a duty or something difficult when really it is simply talking and listening? Teaching our children to pray is as natural as talking to them. We just talk to our Father while we are in their presence
1.I actually pray with the grandchildren
Instead of merely talking about God to my grandkids, I talk with them to God. They learn He is real from my example. I believe prayer is caught better than it is taught. Sometimes at the playground we will thank God for the sky and the birds and the squirrels. We realize God created amazing creatures!
2.I pray for healing boo-boos.
Every knee scrape and bee sting is our opportunity to pray for healing. Kids learn that’s what you do when you hurt. They also learn that it helps to pray and receive God’s comfort. They realize scabs are God’s bandaids and they really do heal!
3.I pray with them for other people.
Childhood is self-centered. But we can teach our children to become tender-hearted to the needs of others. We start with real people they know and care about and pray with our children. Just this week we have a man in our church who underwent surgery. My grandson asked me if this man’s tummy hurt. I explained that God was healing him but that we would pray that he be comforted and helped while he didn’t feel well yet.
4. I sing praises with them to God.
Driving in the car or taking a walk are great times to sing praises to God. We talk to God wherever we are and whenever we can. Just singing is such a great way to worship God. I bought my grandson an instrument bag filled with percussion instruments. We like to sing and march around the table. His mom turns on internet videos and he sings and plays with them. My favorite is to babysit at Target in the toy aisle while my daughter shops. The kids and I find the toy instruments and play them and sing. Their mom can always find us!
