…the first time I ever prayed with them. I know that sounds weird, but stick with me on this one. I was listening to a pastor on the radio a while back. The pastor talked about how dads really should be setting the example for their kids. Many parents tell their kids, “Give me a kiss and then go on up to bed…oh, and don’t forget to say your prayers.” If the statistics being thrown around are close to being correct, then this sort of dialog is much more likely to be the norm in most Christian homes.
Some of you parents may have heard something like this before, but I am going to say it again. Way more is caught than taught. You can not sit in your recliner and give the old “do as I say and not as I do” speech and expect it to work. That dog won’t hunt, especially with the older kids. Get up and join your children in their bedtime prayers. Teach them how to talk to God by your example. Do you remember the last time you prayed with your children other than when giving thanks for food?
I hope that my kids are not able to remember the first time I prayed with them. I want prayer to be so much of a routine part of our lives that they can not remember when it started because it was farther back than their memory can stretch. I challenge all dads to get a similar mindset towards prayer and daily devotional with their kids.
About Hank Osborne
