Ran across this great short article...
Teaching children to pray is very important. The purpose of prayer is to help your child develop a relationship with the Lord. Teaching your child how to develop love and patience helps them better understand the nature of God. Here are some tips to help you.
Praying should be out loud. Your child may not readily understand what praying is. To help try replacing the word "pray" with the word "talk." Encourage them to talk with God. It is said of men of old that they walked and talked with God.
Teaching your children love and patience is important when they are learning to pray. These two virtues when practiced keep our hearts soft and teachable. The prophet Samuel was able hear the still small voice of the Lord because his heart was teachable.
Part of praying is asking the Lord for the things we want and need. When we teach children what love is we help them feel positive and hopeful about their future. Their prayers will be more uplifting and from the heart.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe. When children are little they may not understand the word "love" but they certainly understand the emotion. You have been there for them from the beginning and you can share with them how God has been there for both of you from the beginning.
We all have learned patience when we pray because as we have grown older we have accepted that God does not immediately answer our prayers. A child, however, has not yet learned this. Therefore, we need to teach them patience.
Our children can learn to be patient when we set them a good example. When I look at the times I become impatient I see an opportunity to teach my children. When I am driving for example, I do not have to be the first guy there. You can share with your children that this is patient. You are willing to wait a little longer to arrive at your destination just like you are willing to wait on the Lord.
When we teach our children to pray we also need to teach them about love and patience. God is love and will always answer our prayers. We must be patient though and be willing to wait for him to answer us.
