Parents have a lot to worry about when it comes to raising their children. At every age level, it seems there is more potential for disaster. From their earliest playmates to whom they marry; it can certainly be overwhelming.

Christian parents worry even more. Besides the daily rituals all children encounter, we wonder about how to keep our kids in church, whether their friends will be Christian, and should we send them to Christian schools?

The Bible offers many verses assuring and instructing parents in how to raise a child; but it isn’t always easy to find answers to modern questions. When we do, it often contradicts modern opinion and trends. Even Christian psychologists push self-esteem and diversity for youngsters; while the Bible tells us to be humble and meek and to associate with fellow-believers.

So we go to the Lord in prayer to ask for strength and guidance. Maybe we ask a pastor or fellow believer for advice and they pray with us. We can’t pray enough for our children. It makes us wonder, if we are raising kids in Jesus- do they need to pray all the time, too?

All the time?

No one can walk around with his head bowed reciting verses and consciously talking to God all day; but we can come pretty close by making prayer our reflex reaction to everything.

Teach the children to say a “Thank you!” prayer when something good happens. Pray for help as life’s challenges present themselves. Pray for guidance with questions or choices. Make bedtime and pre-meal prayers a habit. Don’t just sing, “Happy Birthday”. Lead a prayer thanking God for the past year and request blessings for the year ahead.

The more we make prayer a part of our child’s life, the more he’ll realize how much he needs his faith.

So…if we’re raising kids in Jesus, they do need to pray all the time?

Christian children are like other kids in many ways. At some point, they will be subjected to peer pressure about their faith and prayer practices. Many will succumb to this pressure and put prayer aside in front of their friends. Others may pray silently in hope that no one notices. Others may fall out of the habit completely.

One way to lessen this type of peer pressure is to surround your child with Christian friends. If you can afford a Christian school, that helps a lot. If not, invite families to visit your home and introduce the children to each other. It’s not that non-Christian friends are always a bad influence, but they are an alternate influence.

If we’re raising kids in Jesus, and they need to pray all the time…and stop; what can we do?

Remember that you have been, still are and always will be the most important influence in your child’s life. It is why God gave you each child. Just like you have moments when you become your mother; your children will model much of your example as they grow older, too. So be a good example at all times.

Take every opportunity to pray in front of your child. Invoke God’s name in front of his friends. It doesn’t have to be a formal prayer. Maybe a quick, “Well, praise God for reminding me to bring this umbrella” or saying how you trust the Lord to guide them through exam week could spark a renewed God-seeking reflex. Your son or daughter might take a little ribbing for having a crazy-religious parent; but that’s okay. They’ll survive and may even find themselves defending the habit and you.

So if we’re raising kids in Jesus, do they need to pray all the time? There are plenty of good Christians who don’t pray enough. Your child will not be lost because he stops praying for a while. The important thing is to instill a prayer habit while you can. It is never too early to start praying with your child. Later, you can trust God to spark memories of those moments when your son or daughter can use them.

Please get in touch now and let’s make these things better together.