How Do I Teach My Kids about Prayer? With Special Guest, Nancy Guthrie

How do I teach my kids about prayer. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity why this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

You can call us with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post a question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter account and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com will today. We are honored to be joined by author and Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie who has been a great friend to this ministry for many years, and Nancy. Welcome to the program. Thank you so much I just love getting to be here with you and your listeners that we love having you and this isn't the first time that you've been on the programming every time were able to record together. It's a joy and I know it's a huge encouragement to two people so thank you for joining us again before we start off you tell us a little bit about your writing and speaking ministry. Nancy now.

Thank you, when I was productive during the pandemic.

Let me just yeah got. I had a book that came out right at the beginning of the pandemic, called saints and scoundrels in the story of Jesus and then one came out in September called God does his best work with empty and then I wrote one that actually has it has come out called. I'm praying for you, but I was also really busy right before the pandemic. I launched this thing called the biblical theology workshop for women. I got about a dozen of them in around the country before we had to stay at home for so long.

I did a lot of them online.

Even my favorite was doing some international ones. I did one started at 3 AM one morning and I had 500 women from places like Egypt and Biel Iraq and by mean Pat was can I say that was a highlight of the pandemic that that had to be just because it felt so significant to get to reach women in that way but now I'm back to doing them in person again. Actually, I'm doing a biblical theology workshop for women every weekend from the end of August through December 4 here in the states and next year in 2000.

Do not what will it be to 2022 I'll be doing some here in the states and I hope to be doing them throughout Latin America and will be doing one in Belfast and Vienna and hopefully London so they have just been so much fun dill to get in front of women and show them how the Bible connects as one story centered on the person and work of Christ and how the divine author has written into his book a number of central themes and that when we know those themes. It helps us to make sense of the Bible of things that we wonder why is that even in that I was asked to because people can hear that biblical theology workshop at almost any yeah but that was a great definition I think of of what were talking about what you're talking about with biblical theology.

It's seeing how the Scripture so coherent, pointing us, leading us by the hand, almost to Jesus and in his grace. Now I hate for anybody to be intimidated by that theology. What is that is the study of God and you know as soon as you say I love Jesus you're doing theology x-ray because it's dependent on who Jesus is and what it means to love him right so that's really what theology is it doesn't have to be intimidating and this is a particular way of growing in our understanding of how to make sense of the Bible you know I'm someone a drill and Bill who just my earliest memories are of my three-year-old Sunday school class, something I was being taught the Bible from the very beginning I I was ill will involving youth for Christ. And then I went to a Christian college and then I got a job in Christian publishing, and I sat on the front row of BSF for eight years. But honestly, it wasn't until I began to discover biblical theology that I feel like the Bible began to just make sense to me in ways that it hadn't before that I was someone before that, who had known a lot of stories in the Bible, but if you had asked me to play some of those stories on it actual like historical timeline and say this happened before that this was what was developing and what God was doing in the world. I just couldn't have done it, though it's just my joy to get to share that with women and I got I have to tell you, it might sound you know heavy like biblical theology workshop.

These workshops are so much fun when I get together in a room with you know 500 women who love Christ and they love the Bible and they discover some of the things that I present in the get to work through it themselves that you know I can do this.

There's just so much joy here that we have to encourage people meet. I know that you do this for several months throughout the year. So look up Nancy Guthrie's biblical theology, workshops, or maybe one you know coming out of town are you and make sure you sign up that are so necessary in today's world, Israel. I often talk about the fact that we need a lot more theological knowledge in our culture and said what a wonderful opportunity for you to be assuring on a regular basis and Nancy would love to have you respond to some questions from our listeners today and here's a question we received from one of our callers named Austin show calling and wondering how better to pray over each.

No kids life. The shortage a I've always heard myself.

It seems daunting to write you teach my kids about prayer. When you know it's always been a struggle. My so just interested in getting my offer much Austin Diaz and thank you so much for calling with that question and when you say that you have struggled to know how to pray.

Boy if there's anybody in the world who wouldn't say that.

I just want to go sit at their feet, because I mean that's my testimony to that.

I wanted to let Austin I'm not getting I'm not getting I'm 59 and I want to be better at it next year than a.m. this year and that's worthy of a lifelong pursuit to become more of a person with prayer so I guess in terms of teaching your kids.

I think so.

Like so many other things with parenting. We think we think it's good to be all about what we say to our kids about what they're supposed to do when the truth is there watching and they pick up on what we do and so I would just encourage you to not be so concerned about you know how you do it in front of them and exactly what you say but just that you are pursuing a relationship with God by talking to him about the things that matter to you and the things that matter to him over the last few years.

I think the that best thing that has been developing in my own life in regard to prayer is to just not depend on my own heart and mind for the content of my prayer, but rather to open up the Scriptures and as I read the Scripture actually turn it into prayer so let me tell you what I mean. So for example, let's say in this happened to me like legends all wake up in the mail the night and an alternate well rather than laying here worrying about something � the pray and so I went. I wanted have some substance to those prayers and so what Scripture do I know that I could begin to pray through most of us know, the 23rd Psalm we think about that.

You know the Lord is my shepherd, so we we turn it into a prayer we say Lord you are my shepherd.

I am so grateful to be a sheep in your fault and because of that, I really do believe that I have everything I need and Lord you are guiding me into green pastures you beside still waters.

You are the only one who can restore my soul Lord. Here are some ways I need my soul restore and Lord I'm inviting you to do it. I want you to forgive me for the ways that I'm turning other sources for that restoration of soul that only you can provide.

So Lord keep me turning to you, and keep doing here.

I'm just working my way that you know that song and maybe there's a special concern in your life recently. For me it was a special concern for some Christians in Afghanistan who were trying to get out and I would wake up in the middle the night and here's a good time right so I would I would come up with the Scripture and just begin rather than just Lord save them safe.

And I did say that delivered them rescue them just like you have rescued your people so many times before.

Part the waters of the Red Sea and bring them out, but I would just take a passage and just begin to pray through it for them. You know, and so you can do it with a different focus but I would just encourage you more and more to with your child or your children Olympus Scriptures. We together. Talk about a little bit and then say no, let's just let's pray through it to meet that created a conversation with God. I think so many times. Maybe will open our Bibles and will read and because her Bible and then we pick up our prowess so it's kind of like a rude conversation like not actually responding to what he said is human sometimes and don't you hate that kind of relation like you have talked and talked and then it was like the person you talk to you that I couldn't hear anything you said and they just started in on their own agenda. Sometimes we do that initially we read God's word. He was the eldest and then it's like set that aside, but here's my list.

Here's what's important to me.and I think it pleases him. When we turn his word into that kind of conversation. Here's what you have said to me, Lord. I'm speak back to you want to talk to you about the things that are on your heart for me which I have gleaned from your word yet is this beautiful dialogue between God and his people and I really appreciate that you just I like this. The struggle that that prayer is for for many of us I have ever met a believer who would be willing to say I struggle in this area and so not relying entirely on the resources within what we have because so often. It was a dead press. I don't have anything right now I feel empty and what about what a wonderful time to open up the Scriptures and let God speak to us and them to respond to him and I also really happy. I'm finding this when the thick of it right now with with four little kids that are trying to teach them how to pray you're totally right. It's something that's more caught than taught. I was convicted. Just the other day thinking about the way I pray in front of my children how often I can just go through the motions of going to pray before meal are we to pray before bed and sort of just just speaking these words almost, almost without even thinking about it you think of Jesus's warning in Matthew chapter 6 and I don't like the Gentiles in a thinker to be heard for their many were to sort of mindless prayers and and boy, the Lord just really convicted me on this because it was like hey I want to model for my kids and prayer will communion with God looks like. Not just this this I'm speaking into the into the wind. But what does it look like to come into the presence of the Lord to commune with him to the model definitely part of that is is like you said, opening up the Scriptures letting God speak to us and responding to him. I think another important thing atrial is to think about the different elements of prayer, I think so often with children. We pretty much only train them for prayer to be asking God for things so we could kind of broaden out the content of our prayers and and you know so often as you think about this to model this so your child hears you do this it maybe begin with praise and just praising God for who he is maybe thinking you thank him for what he's done and then I think this is the big missing part that if if more kids and let me just say this if my child had heard me as mom do this I went. I wish he had because I don't think he has very much is to hear prayers of confession, and I mean imagine the power of that for a child to hear mom or dad say no there's this thing. I got this conflict Lord and Lord, you know, really. I just feel jealous and I need you to work in my heart, and you know by your spirit. Invite your spirit to work on this. My jealousy and Lord. You've seen how I've used harsh words in our home and I need your spirit to work in me. So your love would flow through me in such a way like through my tongue as I set the atmosphere in our home any can you imagine for a child to hear their parent do that and to so that creates this thing between parent challenging actually.

Also, brothers and sisters in Christ, but also you know as your kids get older and they mess up maybe if they've heard mom and dad met how they messed up maybe.

Maybe they'll be more willing to just say I messed up your mom and you know and just like I've heard you ask God for grace for your failures. I really believe I could experience forgiveness and a new start with with him and when that beautiful thing absolutely your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and our special guest Nancy Guthrie and Nancy actually has a book written specifically for parents on prayer and would love to make that the offer available to you today.

Yeah, that's right, Nancy. You wrote a children's book called what every child should know about prayer with illustrations at his many biblical theology right of of prayer for children. It's a phenomenal book and so it's beautiful but more about this resource yet has a number of sections just first of all, you know what is prayer.

And then I look at people in the Bible who prayed and I just work my way through various people throughout the old and New Testament, and specifically what they prayed for. We look at how Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord's prayer with it.

What the Psalms show us about prayer because actually the Psalms are words given to us from God to say back to him. That's a unique part of the Scripture is not. We wonder how to pray, go to the Psalms, because God has given us the Psalms, so we will know what to say back to him.

It gives us words for our thoughts and our feelings and our questions and our struggles so to look at the Psalms and and then just an encouragement to pray and so in others a number of different sections with it. I love hearing from parents when they tell me their children actually asking we open up that book. Mom and dad and then to hear their children seek to pray in that way that just makes my heart. Really glad beautiful yet get a hold that resource. Once again it's called what every child should know about prayer and were making that available to our listeners for donation of any amount you can go to core Christianity.com/offers to learn more about that again. Core, Christianity.com/offers look for Nancy Guthrie's book what every child should know about prayer. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez her special guest author Nancy Guthrie it real. Here's a question we received for you getting why Colossians 113 saying that he is delivered from the bank were predestined why we have to be delivered soon. Partners are controversially therebetween predestined Tyringham to deliver positive very much what question but hey, thank you for that question. Is he didn't taste of some of the sticky questions of you here on on this broadcast is there a contradiction between this idea of being predestined you. You see this in places like Ephesians 1 of the book of Romans Romans chapter 8 where you have that language of predestination, but then just the reality that each of us know we have to exercise faith in Jesus Christ were called to repent of our sins to walk with the Lord in time were were delivered like Paul says there and in Colossians chapter 1 verse 13 were delivered from the domain of darkness transferred into the kingdom of God's beloved son into the kingdom of Jesus Christ and I were just so you know the language of predestination in the New Testament often were predestined on to something. And so this is an be played out in in in time is work being informed more and more into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Paul says in Romans eight, for example, predestined to be conformed to the image of his son and so note no contradiction there really means is this beautiful picture of how God's attorney past is is is seeing acting predestined aiding if you will but but in reality we experience this in time as well as the spirit of God is at work in our lives, drawing us near to the father through the son by the by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and so yeah appreciate appreciate that question over that that clears it up for you brother and death makes for give us a call. Your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and our special guest Nancy Guthrie and Nancy. Here's a question we received recently on this program.

We had a caller: Aston Ashley spoke to us after the show for a bit longer. He shared with us how earlier this spring.

He and his wife lost her daughter and how listening to this program really helped to ground him and his wife in the word of God. Why is it so important for people who are suffering to know the deep things about God and his word whenever we suffer, we have questions. I know my own life as you on some of you may know that we have buried two of our three children and as I mentioned earlier him. Someone who grew up in church and studying the Bible to tell you is I faced the death of a daughter and then a son.

There were many ways in that I thought to myself, I'm not sure if I have understood the Bible or certainly there were numerous. There was so much about the Bible that I thought I understood in a certain way that suffering and loss forced me to dig in deeper to figure out what is really true suffering. I think what it does is rather then it not mattering what God is doing in the world or what he's doing in our lives or the lives of someone we love it just it just matters more to us and you know were asking questions like his got involved in this. Did did he allow this to happen today. Cause this to happen.

Is there that I read this in Romans 828 that God causes all things to work together for good will my spouse to try to figure out what that good thing is to determine what that good thing is I think these are the kinds of questions that come up and then I think also you know I hear from suffering people, so why even pray you have got to do what is going to do any so these are the thought kind of things that incredible suffering brings up an I guess I would say to my friends who are listening. This is why it matters that you study and know God's word.

Right now, today, because you don't know what's around the corner and the Bible presents this beautiful picture of those who are saturated in God's words of being like a tree that's planted with these deep roots that go deep into the ground and when I see that image. Any okay when the winds of difficulty below what's can happen for that kind of treat a person who is deeply rooted has some solidity to their lives. Or think about the story Jesus told about the wise man and the foolish man, it's fascinating to me because it says for both of them the word of the Lord came to them. So another words are both kinda sit in church on Sundays but then for the in the happens, the same is this same storm comes to both of them, but you read for one of them for the wise man when it says the word of the Lord came to him. It says and he worked those words into his life or put them into practice and we discover that when that storm hits his life. There's a solidity he's not. It's not that he's unaffected by it, but he's not destroyed by it like this one who's built his house on the sand. In other words, a person who is not built on lies on what God has said and who he is and what he is doing in this world through Christ, so I just encourage anyone is lifting listening. You know me, maybe you're just kind of thinking.

You know, just maybe, occasionally taking up a box of reading a nice little devotion and showing up at church me these days. I think the average is people are most people are church like once a week but you know what can't be there on Sunday I got to be there to hear the word and I need to take in the sacraments and I need to be praying with my brothers and sisters because this is a very hard world to live in. I don't know why we convince ourselves that it's an aberration. Somehow, once hard things happen to us know that's the nature of this world we live in, and what we need is to have been well-nourished by God's word that we get in that weekly worship and then we keep feeding ourselves throughout the week, with God's word. We find it strengthens us.

It grounds us. It builds a firm foundation under our lives so that when the storm hits. We are destroying Nancy. I wish we had three more hours together just die because this is been so so rich and by the way friends.

Nancy recently wrote a book called I'm praying for you, not just for for those were going to suffering with you want to encourage someone who is suffering and want to know how to pray for someone going through the middle of the storm. Check out that resource. Again, it's called I'm praying for you and that that's a book that Nancy just recently wrote again.

What a blessing. It's been to be able to to think about these things and and I hope that you're able to see that that close relationship between who God is and an understanding who use an application to everyday life to the things that we go through the struggles that we face it so important for us to be rooted, grounded in God's holy word so that when the storm comes, we can stand on the solid rock.

Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2670 3833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

As we explore the truth of God's word together