A family that prays together, stays together. Only, it is jolly hard these days to get the family together to pray. There are extracurricular groups to attend. Homework to complete. Traffic jams to contend with and dinners to cook. Priorities are shifted, and sadly, God gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list, which is not a good thing. So here are some top tips on how to establish a good prayer life for busy families, to help you all grow closer together and closer to God.
Biblical Examples of Families Praying And Worshipping Together
God instituted the family unit from the very beginning. He walked with Adam and Eve and they could converse with Him every day. Had they not fallen from grace, once they had children, the whole family could have had a picnic with God in the Garden of Eden and talked with him freely. Sadly, they did fall from grace. They got kicked out of the garden, and it wasn’t so easy for their children to have a relationship with God. We all know what happened to Cain and Abel.
God wants families to connect with him as family groups. The bible is littered with examples of family groups singing praises to God and offering sacrifices. After Noah left the ark with his family, he offered a burnt sacrifice to God. (Genesis 8:18-20). Joshua made it clear who he worshipped and how he would raise his family: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). Samuel invited Jesse and his sons to sacrifice with him before he anointed David. (Samuel 16:1-13.)
The Book of Proverbs is full of practical advice on how to live well. This includes how to raise one’s children. “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) Surely, this includes how to teach your child to pray.
Let’s not forget what the New Testament says about praying together: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt 18:20)
And.
“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
The Benefits of Establishing A Good Prayer Life For Busy Families
Prayer is a skill. It’s a vital skill to learn to connect to the author of life. It is no coincidence that the disciples asked Jesus how to pray. They knew the importance of prayer, but not how to pray the way that God wants them to pray. Jesus didn’t roll his eyes and say, “Duh, everyone knows how to pray.”
He gave very clear instructions:
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:7-15)
By establishing a good prayer life in your family, you are teaching your children how to pray. You can start by teaching them the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be. This vital skill will help them throughout their lives, so they will know how to turn to God when in need.
Furthermore, by praying together, your family bonds will be strengthened. You will be spending quality time together away from modern distractions such as mobile phones, video games and the TV. As a family group, you will grow to appreciate each other, as well as teaching your children to think of others with intercessory prayers.
Opportunity for Reconciliation
Family prayer time is an opportunity to be reconciled with each other, especially if there has been conflict during the day. As a member of a large family, I remember participating in family prayer time. It was really beneficial to strengthen family bonds and sometimes to air grievances. It allowed my parents to discover what was going on in our lives and to teach us Christian values. But all members need to approach family prayer time as a time of grace. A time to reflect on our own behaviours that day and pull out the specks in our own eyes. It is not a time to snitch on other members of the family. And yes, that can happen. If you want to know what God thinks about snitching, read our post, “What does God think about snitches?”
However, if family prayer time is done well, your family will become a stronger unit. Relationships will flourish, and everyone will be happy, especially God.
Practical Tips to Establish a Good Prayer Life for Busy Families
Schedule the Prayer Time As A Non-Negotiable
If you are serious about starting regular prayer times with your family this year, you need to schedule the prayer time in the family calendar. It does not have to be daily if that is too hard, but at least once a week. But everyone must attend. No excuses. You may get some push back from your children, but hold your ground on this issue. God is more important than their TV time.
Structure The Prayer Time
Choose which prayers you will say and whether you are going to read from the bible. You may want to give each person a chance to pray freely, if they would like to. This allows you to learn what issues are pressing on your children’s hearts, and they can learn to think of others and pray for those in need. Be warned, some members of the family may give long-winded rambling prayers that go nowhere. If that is the case, you may want to focus on using a prayer tool, such as the rosary. Just make sure you all agree on the prayer structure that you can all follow.
Say Grace Before Meals
As a busy family, a structured prayer time, even once a week may be a struggle. We get that. So instead, consider saying grace before every family meal. If that is the only time you can pray together as a family, that is fine. God still appreciates your appreciation for the food he has given to you.
Pray Before Bedtime
If you read to your children before they go to bed, this is a perfect time to say a little prayer before they go to sleep. Make sure you add ‘say payers’ into their bedtime routine. Even if it is just the guardian angel prayer, it will help your child think about God before they go to sleep.
Resources
If you are looking for some resources to kickstart your family prayer time schedule, we will shortly be creating free resources for you to use. In the meantime, here are some useful websites for resources to try.
https://www.catholic.org/prayers
https://www.catholicfamilyfaith.org/praying.html
https://cafod.org.uk/pray/family-prayer-ideas
