Set a Prayer Rule and Serve as a Good Example to your Children
Adults in Christian families should behave with dignity and serve as good examples to their young ones. Reading prayers before meals and bedtime every day is a must. Parents should start suggesting to their young children to join them in prayer. Depending on the ages of their children, the family can set a prayer rule. For example, older children can pray for about 15 minutes, and younger can start from 5 to 10 minutes. And, later they can prolong the prayer if they want to. However, parents shouldn’t force their younger children to stay throughout the whole prayer. This can become boring to them. One of the reasons why they shouldn’t be forces is that children still do not understand the power and value of the prayer. For example, parents can eat beans and meat or any kind of strong food, while children can’t. When a child still drinks milk will his parents give him meat to eat because it is good for their physical strengthening? Perhaps it is good for strengthening, but that poor child won’t be able to digest it. That is why, in the beginning, they start by giving them only a little meat-flavored soup to get them used to it.
Never Stop Praying- Keep Praying in Sickness and in Health
In cases when we feel very tired or sick we don’t have to read the whole prayer rule. We can only read half of the night prayers or at least Lord’s Prayer. But, we should never miss or skip praying. It’s like a war. If you find yourself in the middle of a mountain surrounded by an enemy, you fire a small bullet to scare the enemy away. So that you don’t get attacked. Same thing happens with a prayer. With a small prayer, like with the small bullet, the evil forces get frightened and chased away.
Family Members Should Pray Together
Prayer has great power in the family. It is very important and helpful for the family members to pray together. This will help them stay healthy and united. If there is a problem within the family, they can all pray together. They can ask God to help them solve it. God doesn’t ask too much from us. All he wants is half an hour to a hour of our day in mornings and evenings dedicated to our souls, to Him. It would be ideal for families to eat their meals together. Also, they should read prayers before meals and give thanks to God after their meals.
As our Lord Jesus Christ said:” For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20. Praying together is a great blessing for the family and would bring them piece, love, and happiness.
Read and Learn About Lives of Our Saints and Pray to Them
Lastly, we should set God’s saints as good examples. Read and learn about how they lived and prayed. For example, Saint Father John Kronstadt carefully and attentively read his prayers. Shortly after he felt his heart warmed, and peace and joy soon spread in his soul. And, afterwards his prayer would become a lot stronger.
We should pray to Saints to intercede for us. To ask God to help us in our various needs in accordance with His great will. The words of prayers should be pronounced with the belief that the Saints and our Lord are watching and listening to us.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7