Intentional Prayer

While attending college, my husband and I both took a class on prayer.  The summer after that class I taught the lessons to my children's church class.  However, since then the vital truths and lessons I learned in that class have been neglected and set aside for what I "thought" were more important things like cleaning, laundry, cooking.  Now, as the Lord has been working in my life, I see how wrong I was to let these lessons fall away. 

This year, one of our goals as a couple is to be intentional in teaching our children how to pray.  We want to teach them that prayer isn't just a routine we go through before we eat, before we sleep, and when we disobey.  We want them to develop a lifestyle of prayer.

Last summer I read a book about a monk named Brother Andrew and how he took every moment and every event as an opportunity to talk with God - he didn't need a special place, or perfect quiet, just a heart felt desire to communicate with God.

Today MoneySavingMom linked up to a post at When You Rise sharing seven printable prayer cards she created to post around the house to pray aloud in the presence of our children.  I think it is so important that our children hear us praying even when we are not specifically praying with them. 

This morning as I was completing my Bible reading, I shooed my son away with the statement, go play in your room so I can read in quiet.  Oh, how wrong I was to push him away instead of allowing him to observe and realize how important the Scripture is and how vital it is to not allow the little distractions to push us away from communing with our Father.