How do you like to pray? Many people like to pray silently or just in their mind. It is natural to do this throughout the day as we walk and talk with the Lord. However, I have found that my prayer life is far more effective when I pray OUT LOUD.
When I pray aloud, I know when I stop praying! And this happens. It’s easy to get into a dream, isn’t it? When you start to do this when praying aloud, you come back to prayer with a jolt when suddenly there is silence! It also gets you used to praying aloud in corporate prayer meetings.
Teach your children to pray aloud too. Encourage them to pray aloud in their personal praying. Encourage them to pray aloud when you have Family Devotions each day. When we gather together, we get everyone to pray, right down to the youngest who can talk. Children should be comfortable with praying aloud.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He didn’t go into a great discourse on how to pray. Instead, He prayed. He showed them how to pray by praying. We learn to pray by praying. Your children learn to pray by praying.
I am frustrated when I go prayer meetings and end up listening to a message. Or people talk more about the needs than praying about them. I thought we came to PRAY! Why don’t we get stuck in and pray? The need is so great. The nation is in peril. Our only hope is to call upon the Lord. Let’s do it.
We all know 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and hear another sermon.” Ooops! Did I get it wrong? Sorry. But isn’t that what we do? We come together for another sermon. Prayer is the last thing on our minds! But God won’t save our nation by another sermon. He will save our nation when we pray.
Let’s get it right: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
But we don’t have to wait to go to a church prayer meeting. You can have a family prayer meeting every day in your home with your children around you. What a blessing.
Be a praying family,
Love from Nancy Campbell
Painting: “Lord, Teach Us How To Pray” by Ron DiCianni