PRAYER
True confessions: My husband loved to say bedtime prayers with our children. The kids' favorite prayer was "Father in Heaven, hear my prayer; keep me in thy loving care; be my guide in all I do; and bless all those who love me, too."
One night while praying with our youngest, our son, stopped him abruptly after "Father in Heaven." He asked, "Daddy, you're my father and you're right here." My husband knew a thing or two about teaching moments and so launched into a theological discussion w-a-y over our son's head. At the conclusion, my husband asked, "Now do you understand?" Our son replied, "Sure. Your my father here on earth and God's our father in heaven . . . and . . . Grandpa's God's father."
Don't miss praying with your children. You are often the recipient of great blessings and wonderful family memories.
One night while praying with our youngest, our son, stopped him abruptly after "Father in Heaven." He asked, "Daddy, you're my father and you're right here." My husband knew a thing or two about teaching moments and so launched into a theological discussion w-a-y over our son's head. At the conclusion, my husband asked, "Now do you understand?" Our son replied, "Sure. Your my father here on earth and God's our father in heaven . . . and . . . Grandpa's God's father."
Don't miss praying with your children. You are often the recipient of great blessings and wonderful family memories.
A Prayer Moment with Your Child
Let’s pray now to God, the source of all love and compassion:
God of judgment and mercy, thank you for your love,
which continually calls me to come closer to you.
Help me to see you in all people I meet
and to recognize how to serve you by helping others,
especially those in need. Amen
God of judgment and mercy, thank you for your love,
which continually calls me to come closer to you.
Help me to see you in all people I meet
and to recognize how to serve you by helping others,
especially those in need. Amen
Parents Modeling Prayer
Ideas to Connect with Preschool Families
As children enter the preschool years, parents are often eager to connect with the parish community in new ways. By signing up for preschool Sunday school classes, parents are expressing the desire to incorporate their child more fully in the life of the parish community. Preschool faith formation provides a unique opportunity for parents to be leaders in their family’s practice of the faith. By doing so, you are fulfilling the promises made on behalf of your child at baptism.
Just as important is attending to your own spiritual needs by finding time for personal prayer each day, especially when things are busy. Some simple suggestions for daily prayer, such as a morning prayer, daily Bible verses, or reading the Psalms can be found in The Book of Common Prayer.
You may want to know how to connect more fully with the life of the parish community, especially if Sunday church service is already an integral part of your week. If you do not attend the Sunday church service, you may want to try the 9:15am family service where we encourage you to bring your preschool child with you.
Even though we try to provide parents information about other opportunities to be involved with the parish community through our website, the every Wednesday Threads e-blast , the weekly bulletin, Facebook and Twitter, we know sometimes we miss the mark. Please ask one of the clergy or the Faith Formation Director what's available if you want to become more involved. For evening events, we will make child care available if you let us know you want to attend.
At home, you might want to consider your role as leaders in your family’s practice of the faith. Preschool children are eager to please their parents and wish to participate in family activities. Clergy, the faith formation director or Sunday school teachers can suggest practices and encourage parents to establish them as part of their daily life. Some opportunities for family prayer are below
Grace Before and After Meals
Bedtime Prayer
Seasonal prayers and activities
Prayers of Blessing
Praying for the person in an ambulance as your child hears it go by
Pray over a wound that has just been bandaged
Finally, learn to be intentional about your practice of the faith. It takes effort to establish new habits, and it takes time for habits to become a natural part of our lives. Anticipate the years ahead when it may be your child who returns the gift to you by recalling these daily rituals and insisting on their importance to family life.
As children enter the preschool years, parents are often eager to connect with the parish community in new ways. By signing up for preschool Sunday school classes, parents are expressing the desire to incorporate their child more fully in the life of the parish community. Preschool faith formation provides a unique opportunity for parents to be leaders in their family’s practice of the faith. By doing so, you are fulfilling the promises made on behalf of your child at baptism.
Just as important is attending to your own spiritual needs by finding time for personal prayer each day, especially when things are busy. Some simple suggestions for daily prayer, such as a morning prayer, daily Bible verses, or reading the Psalms can be found in The Book of Common Prayer.
You may want to know how to connect more fully with the life of the parish community, especially if Sunday church service is already an integral part of your week. If you do not attend the Sunday church service, you may want to try the 9:15am family service where we encourage you to bring your preschool child with you.
Even though we try to provide parents information about other opportunities to be involved with the parish community through our website, the every Wednesday Threads e-blast , the weekly bulletin, Facebook and Twitter, we know sometimes we miss the mark. Please ask one of the clergy or the Faith Formation Director what's available if you want to become more involved. For evening events, we will make child care available if you let us know you want to attend.
At home, you might want to consider your role as leaders in your family’s practice of the faith. Preschool children are eager to please their parents and wish to participate in family activities. Clergy, the faith formation director or Sunday school teachers can suggest practices and encourage parents to establish them as part of their daily life. Some opportunities for family prayer are below
Grace Before and After Meals
Bedtime Prayer
Seasonal prayers and activities
Prayers of Blessing
Praying for the person in an ambulance as your child hears it go by
Pray over a wound that has just been bandaged
Finally, learn to be intentional about your practice of the faith. It takes effort to establish new habits, and it takes time for habits to become a natural part of our lives. Anticipate the years ahead when it may be your child who returns the gift to you by recalling these daily rituals and insisting on their importance to family life.
Prayer Stones
Here's a way to involve everyone in praying as a family. Have each family member find a rock. It can be an unusual color or shape--it just needs to be identifiable to the one who chose it. It also needs to be of a size that can be written on and decorated and will fit in a space the family designates as a "reminder spot."
Now have each person take someone else's stone, read the request, and take it to their own bedroom to pray. The next morning return the stone to it's "reminder spot." That evening, each person takes another stone to pray about before bed. Repeat until each person has prayed about everyone else's request.
When that cycle is completed, write out another prayer request and adhere it to your stone and begin the process over again.
More ideas regarding Family Prayer coming soon.
- On a living/family room fireplace hearth
- Lined up next to the entry/exit most used by the family
- On a window sill that can be accessed by even the smallest member of the family
- Where ever the family congregates at least once each day.
Now have each person take someone else's stone, read the request, and take it to their own bedroom to pray. The next morning return the stone to it's "reminder spot." That evening, each person takes another stone to pray about before bed. Repeat until each person has prayed about everyone else's request.
When that cycle is completed, write out another prayer request and adhere it to your stone and begin the process over again.
More ideas regarding Family Prayer coming soon.
