If you grew up like I did, you probably weren't very familiar with the word “prayer”. In fact, I never heard that word until I got into middle school and was invited to attend church with a friend. My family was anything BUT religious, and I always felt like I was “different”. I never truly fit in with any of my relatives, and I grew up not knowing the value of close relationships.
When a friend invited me to church in middle school, I jumped at the chance. I never truly gave my heart to God at that time, but the seed had been planted. I remember my friend’s mom praying with me each time she dropped me off after church. She would hug me and let me know that God loved me. I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful I felt when she said that. It was hard to fathom God loving me so much that he sent his son to die on the cross for me.
When a friend invited me to church in middle school, I jumped at the chance. I never truly gave my heart to God at that time, but the seed had been planted. I remember my friend’s mom praying with me each time she dropped me off after church. She would hug me and let me know that God loved me. I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful I felt when she said that. It was hard to fathom God loving me so much that he sent his son to die on the cross for me.
As I entered adulthood, I attended church occasionally, gradually
finding my way to God and submitting my heart to him in December 2009 at age
26. By then, my son was five years old. I wanted him to have a relationship
with God early on, so I started praying with him each night before bed. Over
the past four years, I have taught him to pray in every circumstance (good or bad).
We’re not perfect by any means, and we don’t always
remember to pray. Life often gets in the way and we’re rushing out the door in
the mornings to get to school and work on time. Sometimes, the only prayer my
son hears is at night before bed. But even that one prayer can have a profound
effect on his relationship with our Heavenly Father.
I have noticed our bond getting stronger each year as a result of our prayers. He is slowly opening up to me more about things that bother him, and he's becoming more comfortable talking to me about private issues. He knows he can rely on me to lead him in the right direction and he trusts my opinion.
At nine years old, my sweet boy loves to pray, and he spent a lot of time at the altar this past week at church camp. He loves God, and loves helping others. I couldn't be more proud of him! He is well on his way to becoming a “Kingdom Man”. I know firsthand that the power of prayer is powerful and effective. My hope is that you will come to know this too.
I have noticed our bond getting stronger each year as a result of our prayers. He is slowly opening up to me more about things that bother him, and he's becoming more comfortable talking to me about private issues. He knows he can rely on me to lead him in the right direction and he trusts my opinion.
At nine years old, my sweet boy loves to pray, and he spent a lot of time at the altar this past week at church camp. He loves God, and loves helping others. I couldn't be more proud of him! He is well on his way to becoming a “Kingdom Man”. I know firsthand that the power of prayer is powerful and effective. My hope is that you will come to know this too.
This
week:
Set aside a few minutes each day to pray with your
children. Do you have spare time in the mornings? Before bed? Make
it a special time to acknowledge all that God is doing in your lives, and to
bring some of your worries/concerns before him. Keep the prayers short and
simple, as most young children will quickly get bored and lose interest. Lastly,
don’t get discouraged if you miss a day of prayer this week. God’s mercies are
new every morning! :)
Blessed by him,
Adrienne
