I am officially convinced of how important it is to teach your children to pray for others. I knew it was a biblical thing. A good thing, but I guess I really didn’t think that MY kids understood it or even wanted to understand how and why we pray. I was wrong. And I am so glad I was.
A few weeks ago at bedtime, my six year old daughter reached over to her bedside shelf and pulled out a little bucket she wanted to show me. “Look at all the names!” she said as she shuffled through a collection of popsicle sticks that were marked up with her handwriting. She pointed out her classmates and family members and a few names I didn’t know.
As she set the bucket back on her shelf a great idea came to me.
“Let’s pray for them!’
Everyone could draw a stick and pray for the person they drew. The mystery of whose name would be on that stick was very appealing to my kids.
My son drew first. He pulled the little stick out and then squinted trying to read his sisters writing. When he finally figured out the name, my heart sank. It was one of his friends from church. A little boy whose mom had suddenly passed away just the night before. I didn’t know that my daughter even knew him and she didn’t know of his circumstance when she wrote his name either. Was it all chance or luck that his name was in the bucket or that my son had chosen this specific friend that truly needed prayer? No. I know it was the Lord.
We all picked our names and then I listened to my precious son lift up his friend to the Lord and ask for comfort and help in his time of sadness. I was in tears hearing his simple heartfelt words. I way underestimated my kids and I have been blown away by the compassion I have witnessed in their prayers.
There have been many more moments like that in the last few weeks. They even added some new names. Some are hard to decipher.
Which has become part of the fun. And of course they had to be silly and add a few things to make me laugh. Pray for what?
Giggles erupt when someone draws one of these. It keeps me from becoming a bible thumping rule follower to my kids. Surely God does care about my feet and my “stumic” right?
I do feel very strongly that my kids need to see and hear me pray. It gives them a template to follow. I’ve heard them repeat some of the things that I often pray for, but then they get bold and begin praying their own way with their own words. It’s the most amazing thing to witness. It’s like peeking into their heart and seeing some gleaming gold thing that you didn’t know existed.
So I keep drawing names right along with them. Rubbing the crisp wood between my fingers as I bring my petitions before God in the presence of my children.
These days where popsicle stick prayers are precious are fading fast. They are confidence building times for these little hands and little hearts. Because all too soon their world will be bigger and so much harder. Hurting people with crushing burdens will ask my children “can you pray for me?” And I know they will say “YES!”
What activities do you do to encourage your children to pray for others? I’d love to hear your ideas!
