As a Dad, It’s My Job to Model Prayer to My Kids
Throughout my life, I’ve held different leadership roles in school, sports, work, and church. But by far, my most important and favorite leadership position I’ve held is that as a father to my kids. Raising kids and being a role model for the family requires many responsibilities, but none so important as practicing prayer and teaching them about our Lord.
Recently, while preparing a message for my weekly Bible study on Ephesians 6:1-4, my wife showed me this video. It shows a dog owner pouring food for his pet, but before the puppy can devour his dinner, he lies down on the ground while his owner prays for the meal and only gets up to eat when he hears the word “Amen.”
My wife couldn’t have picked a better time to show me the clip because the passage I was studying at the moment is all about how parents have a God-given responsibility to train their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Seeing the video of the puppy lying down as his owner prayed, it got me thinking, “This little puppy recognizes prayer when he sees it because his owner has trained him. Have I been diligent in showing the importance of prayer to my kids? If a little puppy can be trained to respond to prayer, imagine how much more powerful it is when little children learn what it means to talk to God!”
Many of us grow up praying as a family before mealtimes. I think this is a great thing to do and that it honors God and gives thanks to Him for our blessings. However, if it’s the only time our kids see us pray or engage in it themselves, they may start to see prayer as a box to check off, not as communication with the Creator we are called to do without ceasing.
As a Christian, I need to pray if I want to engage with the Holy Spirit, ask for help, wisdom in discerning God’s will, strength during difficult times, pray for others, and hear from the Lord. But as a Christian with a family, I need to pray not just for my benefit but to instill the power of prayer in the kids watching my example. As I reflect back, I have not always been the best role model, but it is never too late.
A great way to begin doing this is by practicing prayer outside of mealtimes. At this stage in my life, sometimes it looks like asking my adult son and his wife, “Is there anything going on in your life you could use prayer for?” or merely saying after we’ve had a visit, “Can I pray for you before you head home?” With my special needs daughter, I can pray with her before putting her down for bed and ask her to pray along with me to receive comfort and healing after a surgery, or when she is feeling scared. Or ask her to join my wife and me when we are praying together.
These may seem like small gestures, but for a child or grandchild who sees these types of things early on, they will develop a habit of prayer because it’s something they know how to do in every situation and not just at the dinner table.
Personal and direct communication with God is one of the amazing aspects of Christianity that sets it apart from other religions. It’s an incredible gift we too often neglect to engage in or forget to model, likely because we didn’t grow up seeing it very much. However, it is never too late or too early to start training those under our leadership (and ourselves) to engage in prayer.
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