photo by ccarlstead
I remember as a baby Christian just how immature some of my prayers were. “Lord, help me beat this traffic light. Yes, praise God!” I treated Him more like a magical genie than the Creator of the universe who sacrificed his beloved Son for my salvation. Fortunately for me and many unsuspecting drivers out there, I eventually learned it was better to pray for patience, integrity and self-discipline than it was for traffic to go my way.
As a youngster in Christ the focus of my prayers was toward self-gratification and perhaps even due to a touch of skepticism - Lord, if you help me through this I’ll know you’re here. But praying is an act of worship, and it is in this attitude that we want to teach our children about how to pray.
Not to get gifts, but to be thankful for what he receives.
Not to pass the test, but to be the kind of student God wants him to be.
Not to be popular, but to be a person of godly character.
Not to receive accolades, but to strive for excellence in what he does.
These are not natural outlooks for our children to have (nor for us, for that matter). We approach these issues by engaging in discussion with our children. Perhaps you know that your child has a test in school coming up in an area that is not his best subject. You ask him if he’s ready. He’s not sure, he says. You know how nervous he gets while taking a test. And he doesn’t think the teacher likes him, either.
What a perfect opportunity for teaching him to turn it over to God, not so he can pass the test but to ask for calmness and a focus to help him do his best. In that he is striving to be more like Jesus, living a life pleasing to his Lord. When he realizes he was calmer for this test than any he’s ever been through, then help him to thank God for hearing his prayer. You’ll have taken a step to take his focus off of gratifying himself through prayer, and helped him put it where it belongs - on pleasing God.
As a youngster in Christ the focus of my prayers was toward self-gratification and perhaps even due to a touch of skepticism - Lord, if you help me through this I’ll know you’re here. But praying is an act of worship, and it is in this attitude that we want to teach our children about how to pray.
Not to get gifts, but to be thankful for what he receives.
Not to pass the test, but to be the kind of student God wants him to be.
Not to be popular, but to be a person of godly character.
Not to receive accolades, but to strive for excellence in what he does.
These are not natural outlooks for our children to have (nor for us, for that matter). We approach these issues by engaging in discussion with our children. Perhaps you know that your child has a test in school coming up in an area that is not his best subject. You ask him if he’s ready. He’s not sure, he says. You know how nervous he gets while taking a test. And he doesn’t think the teacher likes him, either.
What a perfect opportunity for teaching him to turn it over to God, not so he can pass the test but to ask for calmness and a focus to help him do his best. In that he is striving to be more like Jesus, living a life pleasing to his Lord. When he realizes he was calmer for this test than any he’s ever been through, then help him to thank God for hearing his prayer. You’ll have taken a step to take his focus off of gratifying himself through prayer, and helped him put it where it belongs - on pleasing God.
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