“AND
DELIVER US FROM EVIL” The Lord’s Prayer won’t let us go until we acknowledge the reality and power of evil in the world. And perhaps we know this more intimately, more acutely as parents who have children to care for and pray over. Take heart, as people of faith we have something to say in light of traumatic events. We don’t know what the future will hold, but we do know who holds the future. Set aside time as a family. Say “Today, you may have heard about ____.” Describe the event using age-appropriate language. When in doubt, use less information. Remain calm and offer a sense of safety to the children. It’s good for parents to express emotion in children’s presence, but get help if you can’t remain calm. Say “I want you to know that you are safe and protected. Sometimes I want to snuggle you up like a Mommy bird. There is a Bible verse that says, ‘God will cover you with God’s feathers, and under God’s wings you can hide.’ Today let’s remember that God wants to snuggle and protect us just like we snuggle and protect you.” Decorate a picture of a bird, add the words of Psalm 91:4. Pretend you are a momma bird with chicks, wrap your child up in your “wings.”
“AMEN” It is our practice to conclude prayers with “Amen.” This is a Hebrew word for “So be it” or “This is true.” It expresses our assent to the words that have come before. Often, we offer a corporate “Amen.” When praying with our kids, these final words remind us that we do not pray alone. Even as you kneel down in the dark beside your squirmy, or sick, or defiant childthe prayers of the church are with you. Even as you run out of patience or energy or words- the Spirit will pray on your behalf. Read Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”
!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
INTRODUCTION
!
Our children have an innate sense of spirituality. In The Spiritual Child: New Science of Parenting, Dr. Lisa Miller talks about how years of lab research are leading scientists to make the strong claim that “we have a natural spirituality: a biologically based faculty for transcendent knowing, relationship, and experience.” She claims that natural spirituality appears to be the single most significant factor in children’s health and their ability to thrive. While the scientific studies may be new, the idea is not. As Christians, we have affirmed this for a long time. In the 4th century, theologian St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” As parents, we recognize our children’s innate sense of spirituality. We nurture it by giving them a language of faith, practicing patterns of ritual and worship. We teach them to pray. What follows are ways to recognize your child’s innate sense of spirituality, and some tips to help form their faith through prayer. Specifically, we will consider The Lord’s Prayer.
What is prayer? For children especially, prayer can look like lots of things- closed eyes, opened eyes, hands up, hands folded, corporate, private, sung, creative movement, crafty... In Christian Prayer for Today, Dr. Martha Moore-Keish defines prayer as “an encounter between ourselves and God.” Or as we say to our children, “Prayer is talking to God.”
“OUR FATHER
WHO ART IN HEAVEN” Children know intimately the metaphor of God as Father. To children, parent love and God’s love speak the same language. They learn attachment, a sense of presence, feeling safe and secure. Children have an intuition for heaven. They may maintain connections with close loved ones- feel the Spirit in a certain place or want to sit at the grave of a pet and talk. Wonder with your children about heaven. Read 1 John 3:1 “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are.” BE THY NAME” To hallow means to make holy or to respect. In ancient Israel, the divine name was considered so holy that it was never spoken outside of the Temple. One of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). How do we get our silly, goofy, giggling children to take prayer seriously?
!!!! !!
The 5 types of prayer are Adoration, Thanksgiving, Intercessory, Confession and Lament.
!
1.
2.
“HALLOWED
Use age-appropriate language. If a child is able to understand something, they are better able to appreciate it. For example, for Commandment can be “Be Serious When You Say God’s Name.” 2) Take your child on a sanctuary tour. Show her where you talk to God while she is in nursery or Sunday School. Mention a time when prayer was important to you. For example, did you pray for him before he was born? 3) Being serious doesn’t mean being a stick in the mud. Try sung prayer, such as the Superman blessing (tune: Superman theme song). Right arm out, “Thank you God for giving us food.” Left arm out, “Thank you God for giving us food.” Both arms out, “By his hands we’re feed.” Hands on stomach, “Our daily bread.” Both arms out, “Thank you God for giving us food.”
3.
1)
“GIVE
US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD” In The Lord’s Prayer, we are only allowed to ask for bread. As parents, we will probably hear prayers for material things- toys, toys and more toys. Take heart, we are also teaching our children to pray simply for bread. It is good for our kids to know they have enough. Try this Almsgiving Ritual. Set up a box for canned goods in the kitchen. Each person picks an item from the pantry to donate.
4.
5.
Adoration– We notice Gods gifts and offer praise to God. It is the “Wow, God!” in Ann Lamott’s Help Thanks Wow: Three Essential Prayers. o Try the Nature Examen. Ask your child to name one thing she feels, smells, sees, hears, tastes. Thank God for these things. Thanksgiving- We thank God for God’s blessings. This includes large categories like salvation and creation, as well as the particular gifts of a good friend or delicious food. o Add a table blessing to your meal time routine. Or try a grace meal where you make two, identical meals but give one to a neighbor in need. As your family eats the meal, offer a prayer for the person. Intercessory- We pray for others and the world. Children learn about who they are, and who God is, through their connections with parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, teachers, childcare workers, and more. o Keep a box of photos in a special location. As part of the bedtime routine, point to each picture and say, “God Bless ___.” Confession- With awareness of our distance from God, we admit our shortcomings and wrongdoings. We don’t think of children as needing to confess their sins; however, they do have a clear sense of right and wrong. o Be a model for your children by saying, “I’m sorry” when you have done something wrong or reacted inappropriately. Reassure them that you know God forgives you and loves you. Lament- We cry out to God in anger or pain. We wish that our children would be spared from such emotions, but they will not. How good for them to know they can turn to God when they feel these ways. o Acknowledge your child’s sadness, while ensuring he feels safe and secure. Faithful Families by Traci Smith is a great resource for rituals around divorce, death, traumatic events and more. Try this for a pet burial- read “All Things Bright and Beautiful”, go around in a circle and share one memory of the pet that is special.
At times children don’t want or need answers to the questions they pose. Try responding with, “I wonder what you think? I wonder how that makes you feel?”
“OUR FATHER
WHO ART IN HEAVEN” Children know intimately the metaphor of God as Father. To children, parent love and God’s love speak the same language. They learn attachment, a sense of presence, feeling safe and secure. Children have an intuition for heaven. They may maintain connections with close loved ones- feel the Spirit in a certain place or want to sit at the grave of a pet and talk. Wonder with your children about heaven. Read 1 John 3:1 “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are.” BE THY NAME” To hallow means to make holy or to respect. In ancient Israel, the divine name was considered so holy that it was never spoken outside of the Temple. One of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). How do we get our silly, goofy, giggling children to take prayer seriously?
!!!! !!
The 5 types of prayer are Adoration, Thanksgiving, Intercessory, Confession and Lament.
!
1.
2.
“HALLOWED
Use age-appropriate language. If a child is able to understand something, they are better able to appreciate it. For example, for Commandment can be “Be Serious When You Say God’s Name.” 2) Take your child on a sanctuary tour. Show her where you talk to God while she is in nursery or Sunday School. Mention a time when prayer was important to you. For example, did you pray for him before he was born? 3) Being serious doesn’t mean being a stick in the mud. Try sung prayer, such as the Superman blessing (tune: Superman theme song). Right arm out, “Thank you God for giving us food.” Left arm out, “Thank you God for giving us food.” Both arms out, “By his hands we’re feed.” Hands on stomach, “Our daily bread.” Both arms out, “Thank you God for giving us food.”
3.
1)
“GIVE
US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD” In The Lord’s Prayer, we are only allowed to ask for bread. As parents, we will probably hear prayers for material things- toys, toys and more toys. Take heart, we are also teaching our children to pray simply for bread. It is good for our kids to know they have enough. Try this Almsgiving Ritual. Set up a box for canned goods in the kitchen. Each person picks an item from the pantry to donate.
4.
5.
Adoration– We notice Gods gifts and offer praise to God. It is the “Wow, God!” in Ann Lamott’s Help Thanks Wow: Three Essential Prayers. o Try the Nature Examen. Ask your child to name one thing she feels, smells, sees, hears, tastes. Thank God for these things. Thanksgiving- We thank God for God’s blessings. This includes large categories like salvation and creation, as well as the particular gifts of a good friend or delicious food. o Add a table blessing to your meal time routine. Or try a grace meal where you make two, identical meals but give one to a neighbor in need. As your family eats the meal, offer a prayer for the person. Intercessory- We pray for others and the world. Children learn about who they are, and who God is, through their connections with parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, teachers, childcare workers, and more. o Keep a box of photos in a special location. As part of the bedtime routine, point to each picture and say, “God Bless ___.” Confession- With awareness of our distance from God, we admit our shortcomings and wrongdoings. We don’t think of children as needing to confess their sins; however, they do have a clear sense of right and wrong. o Be a model for your children by saying, “I’m sorry” when you have done something wrong or reacted inappropriately. Reassure them that you know God forgives you and loves you. Lament- We cry out to God in anger or pain. We wish that our children would be spared from such emotions, but they will not. How good for them to know they can turn to God when they feel these ways. o Acknowledge your child’s sadness, while ensuring he feels safe and secure. Faithful Families by Traci Smith is a great resource for rituals around divorce, death, traumatic events and more. Try this for a pet burial- read “All Things Bright and Beautiful”, go around in a circle and share one memory of the pet that is special.
At times children don’t want or need answers to the questions they pose. Try responding with, “I wonder what you think? I wonder how that makes you feel?”
“AND
DELIVER US FROM EVIL” The Lord’s Prayer won’t let us go until we acknowledge the reality and power of evil in the world. And perhaps we know this more intimately, more acutely as parents who have children to care for and pray over. Take heart, as people of faith we have something to say in light of traumatic events. We don’t know what the future will hold, but we do know who holds the future. Set aside time as a family. Say “Today, you may have heard about ____.” Describe the event using age-appropriate language. When in doubt, use less information. Remain calm and offer a sense of safety to the children. It’s good for parents to express emotion in children’s presence, but get help if you can’t remain calm. Say “I want you to know that you are safe and protected. Sometimes I want to snuggle you up like a Mommy bird. There is a Bible verse that says, ‘God will cover you with God’s feathers, and under God’s wings you can hide.’ Today let’s remember that God wants to snuggle and protect us just like we snuggle and protect you.” Decorate a picture of a bird, add the words of Psalm 91:4. Pretend you are a momma bird with chicks, wrap your child up in your “wings.”
“AMEN” It is our practice to conclude prayers with “Amen.” This is a Hebrew word for “So be it” or “This is true.” It expresses our assent to the words that have come before. Often, we offer a corporate “Amen.” When praying with our kids, these final words remind us that we do not pray alone. Even as you kneel down in the dark beside your squirmy, or sick, or defiant childthe prayers of the church are with you. Even as you run out of patience or energy or words- the Spirit will pray on your behalf. Read Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”
!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
INTRODUCTION
!
Our children have an innate sense of spirituality. In The Spiritual Child: New Science of Parenting, Dr. Lisa Miller talks about how years of lab research are leading scientists to make the strong claim that “we have a natural spirituality: a biologically based faculty for transcendent knowing, relationship, and experience.” She claims that natural spirituality appears to be the single most significant factor in children’s health and their ability to thrive. While the scientific studies may be new, the idea is not. As Christians, we have affirmed this for a long time. In the 4th century, theologian St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” As parents, we recognize our children’s innate sense of spirituality. We nurture it by giving them a language of faith, practicing patterns of ritual and worship. We teach them to pray. What follows are ways to recognize your child’s innate sense of spirituality, and some tips to help form their faith through prayer. Specifically, we will consider The Lord’s Prayer.
What is prayer? For children especially, prayer can look like lots of things- closed eyes, opened eyes, hands up, hands folded, corporate, private, sung, creative movement, crafty... In Christian Prayer for Today, Dr. Martha Moore-Keish defines prayer as “an encounter between ourselves and God.” Or as we say to our children, “Prayer is talking to God.”