Hello! Is anyone out there?
Something we all struggle with in prayer at some point or another is wondering if God is out there, if He is listening and if He cares. Children are not immune to the same questions and doubts. Prayer is an exercise of faith and an opportunity to have good conversations in our families about what that means.
This week's lesson was from Isaiah 59:1-2, which says,
"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear."
There are great opportunities to speak to your children about right living and right prayers. Often times, the disconnect in prayer is not because God isn't out there, it is because we are not where we should be. This is true from the beginning - why did Adam and Eve try to hide from God?
Take some time to think through this aspect of prayer and how you might teach your children as you go.
Here are a handful of ideas you can take with you if they fit your family and time.
Light some incense or a scented candle.OR make note of a good smelling meal as it is being prepared (I love the smell of coffee brewing or bacon sizzling). In Psalm 141:2, King David likens his prayers to an incense offering. Elsewhere in the Bible, the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8) and even our lives (2 Corinthians 2:15) are compared to this kind of gift to God. Talk to your children about how God might process our prayers as a sweet-smelling sacrifice to Him?
"What? Huh? I can't hear you!" Is this a conversation that ever happens in your house? It is frustrating to not be able to hear and understand someone who is trying to communicate with you. It is also frustrating when we cannot be heard and understood. Relate those thoughts to the verses above? Can God always hear us when we pray? How does He feel when we hide Him with our sins?
Have you worked on a memory verse? Something to write on the doorposts? Philippians 4:6 and Proverbs 3:5-6 are our recommendations for this series of lessons on prayer. Find a way to incorporate these verses into your next craft project or rainy day activity.
As you go this week you will definitely be exposed to colorful, leaf-changing trees. There may not be a direct link to talking about prayer - but the main point of all of this is teaching our children about God. What is happening to those trees? Here is a reminder: https://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm#:~:text=Chlorophyll%20Breaks%20Down,part%20of%20their%20fall%20splendor. God's creation is so amazing and we have signposts all around that speak of the greatness of our creator.
In all of the creative ways we can explore to teach our children about God and prayer, don't forget to pray with them. The best way for our children to learn about prayer is to see and hear s doing it and to experience prayer with us firsthand.
Be blessed as you go this week.