Let your own kids know they can turn to God

By Michelle Macicek

Praying with your kids is just as important as praying for your kids.

This was not something I realized in the first few years of parenting and, if I’m being completely real, it was not something my husband and I were good at until a few years ago.

Each of us would pray for each of our six children in our own prayer time and in our prayer time together, but outside of mealtime and bedtime prayer we didn’t pray with them. I’m not talking about reciting an Our Father or praying a rosary. I’m talking about teaching them how to call upon Jesus in times of distress and success and everything else in between. 

Recently, one of our girls came to me feeling defeated and struggling.  Our conversation had stalled, and I had to run to pick up carpool so I asked my husband, Scott, to check on her. When I came back home and asked how the conversation went, he told me they spoke for a while without resolution and, then, he asked if he could just pray with her. She agreed, and they prayed a simple prayer where he asked the Lord to help her find joy in the situation and to not allow the devil to feed her with negative and untrue thoughts.

I can confidently say that this small gesture was much more powerful than a lecture from either of us, and it allowed them both to find connection and a path forward. 

Spontaneous prayer with your children is such a simple action, but a game changer for bringing in the ultimate parent, ultimate mediator and ultimate healer. It did not come naturally to Scott and I, but we constantly work to pray with our children instead of just telling them we will pray for them. 

Teaching our children how to communicate with and rely on Jesus is an incredibly valuable tool. Our hope is that when they are not under our roof anymore, they will know who to turn to and how to turn to him at any moment.