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Teaching Our Children To Pray

Teaching Our Children To Pray. Deborah Harris, PhD (813-245-9779) www.prayingforourchildren.org. Typical Beliefs. Prayer must be done at least 3 times a day Prayer must be done on your knees Prayer is one-way communication with you doing all of the talking and God doing all of the listening

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Teaching Our Children To Pray

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  1. Teaching Our Children To Pray Deborah Harris, PhD (813-245-9779) www.prayingforourchildren.org

  2. Typical Beliefs • Prayer must be done at least 3 times a day • Prayer must be done on your knees • Prayer is one-way communication with you doing all of the talking and God doing all of the listening • Prayer is how you ask God for what you want • Prayer is a ritural • Prayer is an art where you master a specific way to pray (Adoration ConfessionThanksgiving Supplication)

  3. COMPLIMENTS OF SATAN • Warped understanding of prayer

  4. Warped Understanding Leads To • Unrealistic expectations • Prayer becomes a tool to accomplish personal goals • Disappointment, frustration and anger • Empty unfilled prayer life • Distance from God • You Get Stuck!

  5. Understanding the Essence of Prayer • Communion with God • Humbly opening one’s heart to God • Building a relationship with God • Knowing God • Surrender to God’s will • Natural, spontaneous expression of our feelings • Communication (expressive and receptive)

  6. Types of Prayers • Personal Prayer (Hannah - 1 Sam. 1) • Prayer of Deliverance (Jonah 2) • Elijah’s prayer about the greatness of God (1 Kings 18) • Daniel’s intercessory prayer (Dan. 9) • Prayer of Commitment by Jesus (Matt. 26) • Prayer of Unity by Jesus (John 17) ZdravkoStefanovic, Walla Walla College

  7. What Really Matters? Whether or not we accept His will in our lives. “Don’t try to change God’s mind or His plans for us or those for whom we pray. Rather, seek to be changed and be conformed to His will in our life.” Stefanovic (2002)

  8. When we open our hearts for His will in our life it also opens our hearts to all who interact with us.

  9. The Power of Prayer • There is great strength and blessing in praying together in our families with and for our children (Child Guidance, 525) • Even the babe in its mother’s arms may dwell as under the shadow of the Almighty through the faith of the praying mother (Desire of Ages, 512) • Many children have been saved by a mother’s prayer. (Testimonies for the Church (Vol 2, 274, 275)

  10. What Is Prayer? Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the well-spring of life…” Gospel Workers, pp 254, 255)

  11. Why? • Because they are a gift of God. • Because their whole life is before them • So they might be saved • So they grow and serve the Lord • So they may have a hedge of protection around them • Because you love them But We Often Neglect The Importance of Praying Without Ceasing

  12. Why?

  13. Why? Why?

  14. Why We Must Intercede for Our Children? • Roaring Lion (1 Peter 5:8) • Last Day Events (2 Tim. 3:2) • It Works! (Bible Stories, Jesus,) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:13-16)

  15. Intercessory Prayer • Never a human invention. It comes from the heart of God • It is selfless • God is searching for intercessors, someone who would stand in the gap on behalf of the land, but He found no one. (Ezekiel 22:30) • Jesus is the great intercessor.

  16. Intercessory Prayer • Jesus intercedes for us all of the time • Unbroken communion with His Father • John 17 - Prayed for self - His disciples - Others • Prayed for Simon Peter • Luke 22:31 • Prayed for those who crucified Him • Luke 23:34 • Prays for us • Romans 8:26

  17. What Changes? • Our perception of others • Our acceptance of others • Our status among others • Our patience with others • Our understanding of God RELATIONSHIPS

  18. Stop telling God about your mountains. Start telling your mountains about your God!

  19. Now let’s teach our children • Understand how they learn • Begin with obvious • End with the not so obvious

  20. Patterns • Meaning • Novelty • Questions What The Brain Seeks….

  21. What The Brain Seeks…. • Community • Security • Active Participation • Feedback/recognition

  22. Patterns • Memorization • Habit • Example

  23. Meaning • Stories • Conversation • Experience (Object Lessons)

  24. Novelty and Questions • Try something different • Make them think

  25. Community • Prayer Scroll • Traveling Prayer Chest • Prayer in the Park • Hands Across the City • Corner Stop • Covered With Prayer • Prayer Parade • Anoint The Halls

  26. Security • Relate to concrete (parents) • Develop object permanence (peek-a-boo)

  27. Active Participation “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand. Step back and I will act.”

  28. Feedback and Recognition Even Jesus wants our PRAISE!

  29. The Message Starts With Prayer, Ends With Action

  30. Faith Without Works Is Dead Do Something!

  31. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. Ecclesiastes 11:4,5 Bigger Than Me

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