No dice.
So we've tried to teach him- tried to wrap one little arm across his body, followed by the other.
Nope.
But he does acknowledge prayer time - with his own chosen ritual: hands (or often just one hand) over his heart.
I'm sure it's his attempt to mimic our folded arms.
And while it's not exactly traditional, it is dear and instructive to us. Helps us to remember daily something that President Eyring wrote a few months ago - something we hope ultimately to teach our children:
"Prayer is a matter of the heart."
"Prayer is a matter of the heart."
We wanted to focus on the topic of heartfelt prayer for today's Fifth Sunday Forum. What are your favorite quotes/scriptures about prayer? How do you improve your personal and/or family prayers (it's a circus with little people, isn't it?)? How do you teach your children to pray from their heart? Any thoughts are welcome!
Here are two of our favorite quotes.
(Wes) "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God- it changes me." — C.S. Lewis
(Lori) "I can’t remember a sermon from my mother or my father about prayer. They prayed when times were hard and when they were good. And they reported in matter-of-fact ways how kind God was, how powerful, and how close. ...I testify that our Heavenly Father answers the pleadings of faithful parents to know how to teach their children to pray." — Henry B. Eyring
(Wes) "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God- it changes me." — C.S. Lewis
(Lori) "I can’t remember a sermon from my mother or my father about prayer. They prayed when times were hard and when they were good. And they reported in matter-of-fact ways how kind God was, how powerful, and how close. ...I testify that our Heavenly Father answers the pleadings of faithful parents to know how to teach their children to pray." — Henry B. Eyring
3 comments:
Adam folds his arms the same way! And Rachel does it traditionally. We didn't teach either one. It must be a gender thing.
Love that CS Lewis quote.
And...the Bible Dictionary entry on prayer is my favorite ever. [Prayer is a correspondence in which the will of the Father becomes the will of the child.] Paraphrased big time but the whole entry has such power.
Praying aloud has always helped my personal prayers be more sincere. Whenever possible I pray in a room with the door shut (or when everyone is sleeping) so I can focus better. Doing it that way has always helped me to feel that I am truly having a conversation with my Heavenly Father.
it helps when we talk about what we are thankful for and what we need before we start our prayer-- I think you're right prayer is taught by example.
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