Developing a Love of Prayer in Your Kids

This is Focus on the Family with your host spoke of Pres. and Dr. Jim Daly I'm John Fuller and later on in our broadcast featuring Dr. David Ireland the conversation about simple yet profound ways to develop a love of prayer in your kids. Certainly these are days to be praying as we begin with an important and very timely conversation about this court vacancy in the nomination of Judge Amy Connie Barrett those hearings.

Beginning today. Jim spoke by phone with Senate Majority Leader McConnell about the confirmation process leader McConnell thanks for joining us on Focus on the Family.

Let's let's get right to it.tell me about Judge Eric nullification. Why do you think is qualified to sit on the Supreme Court noted, and she'd been on the circuit for the last three years. She got all family of seven children and two adopted one special needs child. Our own is also a lawyer, I'm sure are extraordinarily well organized going to grow careers and take your time that it does for us. It Focus on the Family mean that qualifies you for just about any job right there with the kids, special needs kids, etc. Mr. leader, let me ask you about your role at MSU. Specifically, how many judges have you been able to seat over the last almost 4 years now. During this administration just generally at the federal court level.

How many judges have you been able to get through 223 Will Bring Ct. noted the first time in 40 years that there are no on the circuit board anywhere in America top of our priority list. Most important accomplishment of the trunk Bureau appointment to the court, young men and women who believe in God but God did not follow the law say you want to make policy wanted to run for office monopoly duty or we don't wear red robes or were black robe, men and women pregnant been sending up and be there for years and years and years ago yet again.

I think many people are active in the last election the coming election because of the judge issue. Let me, and I mean no disrespect, I know you I hope well enough I can ask you this question. I'm assuming that you and your counterpart, Sen. Chuck Schumer have meetings from time to time, and I'm just thinking you're sitting there having coffee with them talking about things and he says do you listen mister later. This is really unfair. This Amy Barrett judge nomination. What if you were sitting right across from you. What do you say to him when he says that to you) supreme court right now they would be doing all this talk about is irrelevant going down. I want to complain about having your members remotely been doing that all year.

Now back in.

Barrett also because she is strongly related with all that, when she would confirm to the Seventh Circuit three years ago, the ranking Democrat on the committee.

Personal strong might not be able to be will have a related country, none whatsoever. You don't have to have some kind of neutrality plan regarding your religion in order to serve in public office in America will exactly right. I think many of us certainly are our faithful listeners know people of say have every right to apply for jobs and to do the things in this country to work in government or industry, whatever they might be. In fact, we have the First Amendment which does protect a person's right to that religious conviction. Why is it getting so muddy today and some of us would even argue just add another question of this that the religion of secularism seems to be alive and well but that's not recognized as an ideology. A lot of people and a real parent by unwilling to uphold the deal that will somehow you don't really mean it is wear on hold.

If you happen to also be of person who is deeply religious. I can only repeat we don't have a religious test for public office in this country, none whatsoever, and you charge me way out of the mainstream for many of us Mr. leader when we look at the history I was much younger person as you were when we think of the nomination of Judge Bork to the bench and it really seems to be the modern beginning of all of the really did this sieve tactics being used by those who opposed him. And then of course Clarence Thomason, most recently with Judge Cavanaugh and people just seem to get so in the gutter with this.

I guess the question for me is hat how do you keep above that fray and then how do we as Christians and I know you're a man of faith had, how do we absorb the unfairness of it all. I think when others are nominated by the other party there tends to be a fair review might be rigorous. It might be tough but it doesn't seem to be the same tactical approach at all. People are not dragged through the mud and yet it seems to be the standard protocol for your colleagues in the Senate, occurred around Republican president nominated the line brown so tomorrow (without acrimony are charted in character flaw confirm without laws are operated so Republican in the Senate confirmation process, respectively, down through the last three decades, no matter who the president no matter who was being nominated and the Democrats are so intent on trying to prevent Republican president from confirming judges of their willing to do anything it's laughable now, but the charges against John Hall turned out to be a total liberal and David turned out to be a total liberal playbook at the same every time a Republican president makes nominated springboard final point of use every plated or plot plot, which was certainly Solomon, confirmation process is so true, and I guess it's just that frustration that we see that it feels like it's not a fair process you manage this process I can. I didn't want to ask you that question. I'm sorry to bring it down to Civics 101, but most of us don't live in your world. We don't know all the functioning of the Senate, I what is your job to get this nomination through describe the process and even the date you said how does that get done and then I think, how can we pray for you and that leadership role nomination confirmation is not unusual. We are shortening the process beyond what the average remote confirmation that we are moving ahead because the Supreme Court is currently with were moving ahead with it because were of the same party of the president and we like the nominee they would do the same thing so if your brand cross). We keep a steady hand that we got nominated on the merit and that we finish up the job in the very near future, which is what Charlie intends that Civics 101. I so appreciate the answer that question that this idea of a constitutional judge or an originalist judge again were talking to moms and dads who are busy work and raising the kids.

We don't always understand the terminology the big battle philosophically is about this right the judges doing their job in the judiciary, which is to not make law, but to simply interpret its constitutionality, describe for us that difference and then what on the Democratic side, the type judges that they like to place you want to follow you around for all. Not only do and he prayed over and over again have an awful lot of acolytes around the country of laws will young lawyer that the job is to follow the laws and law. Obama counter to what he said he wanted to point you will think about that a minute you're one of the litigants rendered judgment in your but what if you are is what I will call judicial activism picking winners and losers only maybe in this administration has done an excellent job of sending young men and women and we confirm them rapidly believed the job follow the law and the Constitution not like legislator I so appreciate that. I don't want to mention the former Supreme Court justices name that I had an interesting conversation with a former Supreme Court Justice and again I don't mean disrespect, but in that conversation he said to me, the problem we have Jim, is that the legislative branch is simply to check in to pass laws that are dealing with the tough social issues like abortion like gay marriage, etc. and therefore it puts pressure on the judiciary to make these decisions and I thought to myself, wow, I don't think that's your job.

And that's kinda what you're saying but this was a Supreme Court justice that said that to me that's right for the problem. Not a drop of a nonelected.

It might law elected elected laws have chosen not to so that particular regard Supreme Court justice was emblematic of what the problem with many appointments, particularly from Democratic when you say the founding fathers. In that regard. Just looking at the three branches of government. They intended for those things to boil and to simmer into Cook in the legislative responsibility that if we don't have a clear law that can be drafted and voted on and approved. That means the culture isn't ready for a solution in that particular area is not fair to call about and not know back like they were making law that about their job and I think we with many members. Drifted off in the wrong direction over the last 40 years, virtually all of the document judges have been appointed by Democratic well again I so appreciate the perspective that you bring as the leader, and I'm grateful that you're in the role and seriously am so grateful that the wisdom that you bring and the leadership that you bring is been so amazing.

Thank you for that day-to-day steady hand and the ability to appoint the number of judges that you have grateful to you as a community of faithful believers. Thank you, Focus on the Family president Jim Daly speaking with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and certainly this is a time for your voice to be heard and will urge you to call the Senate switchboard and make your views known. Dear Sen. We got details and also some background materials about Judge Barrett and her qualifications. All of that is at the daily Citizen and the link is@focusonthefamily.com/broadcast in with the hearings.

Beginning today. Now's the time to really make sure that your views are made known to your center now for the rest of the time. Today, as was mentioned earlier, we have some encouragement for strengthening your family's spiritual growth. We spoke to Dr. David Ireland some time ago but teaching your children to pray and he explained what it looks like to rely on God in your parenting and how to develop strong faith muscles as he called even in your youngest children.

The conversation with Jim Daly's first question to Dr. David you for this book, raising a child who prays teaching your family the power of prayer that I guess the simple way to start this essay. Why is it so important to you.

There's no Junior Holy Spirit and our children the best legacy we can leave them is a legacy what I call a God legacy so we can leave the money we can leave them lands and houses. I don't knock that, but something far more important and more substantive is leaving our children to God legacy leave them an opportunity to have an encounter with God, and to know how to talk with God is so good that you listen with the role of mom and dad. A lot of this think the church will fill this void the church as well, your pastor, and we take the kids Sunday school. They'll teach them how to pray. That's not a good approach to this. It's not to mean that the church has the child or the children, maybe about 90 minutes once a week and that's not going to be the greatest influence in the life of the church about how good the church is my pastor and I think that the role of a parent is a daunting role and I don't want to add another burden on a parent's life because it's already overwhelming when you think about mold and shape this little one and when they become teenagers hotly run away from them and how to live mold and shape so that they can become not only productive in society but individuals that are expanders of the kingdom of God and Marlin and I have raised two children and their adults now and with thank God we have been successful with the help of the Lord, and sometimes we were successful because we stumbled on accidentally.

I think the idea of training children how to pray. Not in this mechanical academic sense, but in organic kind of lifestyle sense is something very sensual and it's so important for us as parents not to get that over to others I know are busy we can make excuses. I think at times I've done that, you know that they'll get this at school or they'll get that at church, but we need to be the primary caretakers of their spiritual development. Absolutely Jim. In fact, nowadays a lot of parents are abdicating their roles and their their paying companies to teach the children things that that we taught our children, and other generations did like child proofing your home, you can pay 1250 bucks the company and they'll do that or two sessions on how to prevent your child from stop sucking the thumb $4300 if you want to have as parents, and the two-week potty training with life instructor $3700.

Okay, that one might be worth it. I imagine a life instructor will come and live in for a while and teach your children how to have manners. Yes sir no sir yes ma'am yes no ma'am or to shake hands $85 check was one of all is the manager I know is running out till the church you I'll bring my child to you and you train my child how to pray and you train my child how to be godly, but I'll do whatever I want to do well that's an interesting phenomenon with what you're describing. There is that in a country where we can now afford to pay others to do the things that traditionally was a parent's role were opting for the easy way the comfortable way… Pay then the teacher could not to suck his thumb and it seems good when we think about it. On the surface level, but when you think about on a deeper level a substantive level when I don't just think about what we're doing to our children by abdicating a rule that we need to think about the future of the church and so were creating this church.

That is what I would call a cruise ship mentality versus war worship and Christianity is a warship and not a cruise ship and we don't understand. That will require raising up individuals who are clinical Christians to take over the helm of the church the Lord's church globally will really have a cruise ship mentality now never heard it that way on the cruise ship.

I'm here to be entertained on a warship. I'm here to fight I'm finding is the culture and fighting is the enemy of our soul on a cruise ship. I look at the captain as the entertainment director on a warship. I look at God. The captain is the general of the Army and is a different mindset. The cruise ship docks during wartime the battleship sales during wartime.

And when we abdicate our roles of being able to be parents that can raise up children that can engage the culture and be thriving and vibrant in this were to walk were creating this cruise ship mentality.

We can never fulfill the great commission. With that kind of perspective.

So often I think we as parents who are hopefully more mature spiritually than our children are teenagers, we can expect a lot out of them and we forget this is a process and what were we like it. 1314.

As a child with you know, not a fully developed emotional brain yet and they're gonna make mistakes we make mistakes.

So hat how do you settle down and I think sidestep the fear trap that Satan can lay there for a parent who doesn't see all the right behavior and their child or they forget it's a process that they're wanting to see instant gratification and I think that when I talk about raising a child who prays I talk about the sociological side of child rearing in the process to mentality and I thought a spiritual side and then I have a lot of spirit of prayer activities that engages the child based on their age and so I tell the parent parent. Children don't want perfect parents.

They want real authentic parents and likewise parents don't want want perfect children. They want real authentic children self when a child makes a mistake even when it comes to prayer, don't stumble. And God doesn't stumble in our children's church before the class starts. The teacher would inevitably ask child, pray, or children to pray and I picked some children and I remember one of the teachers told me that than this five-year-old class DLX Vasco Lilja me to pray and Jimmy prayed any deep in his voice. We prayed like a baritone voice and he's five years old. Somehow he thinks the pregnant requires that and and and then afterwards Sally prayed and when Sally prayed she said God and she spent pray specifically, God bless my mom and meet her needs and then less Elmo and big bird.

She went to sesame characters and I think God has enough wisdom to be able to bifurcate the childishness of children but yet also accepted their prayers.

We must not stumble as parents with that. What I would add to, especially for parents of younger children not to make fun of that is that can be a tendency I I can say, wait, waiting for it for big bird but be thoughtful about how you handle that. In that moment because you're teaching your children how to have an attitude of prayer and if you tease them at that time, they may kinda go into a shell when it comes to prayer because they don't know how to pray according to your desire and also as parents we are our children's world elemental stages in our valuation of them. It really makes them in shape some of.

We affirm them and build them up and to give them the high-fives after their prey or just as they're making any baby steps towards ongoing progress. It means a lot to them like a stranger's words words outwards have significant weight and heft in the mind of our child.

Let's turn to some of the practical advice for moms and dads you have some great ideas on how to make this really simple for parents who are listening, so let's get to it. You list three ways that children can develop a healthy habit of daily prayer one and having a place to pray this a time and then take it from there place and time in an agenda side three things to develop a habit of prayer. Set a place of prayer. Set a time of prayer and set an agenda of prayer and lysis of the place of prayer. Your children need a private space a place with a can call their own, and you may still alive. So many kids there is no private space, but let's take a play out of the playbook of Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley. She had 19 children have any really stressed out and I know I can count that high when it comes to kids that it is like wall-to-wall children but yet she had every day. She had her own private place to pray.

She had an apron that should wait around her waist as you thought overhead and taught her children every see mom and her place of prayer. Never interrupt her so we can teach our children get a place of prayer, private place, it could be part of the closet they just push some of the closing away that's there place or could be the favorite chair, or could be a favorite sofa, and they can take that place and that's an pray when they're there. Then when I say set a time of prayer. I want to be in some formalized way. Whether it may be right before they go to school for five minutes or when they come home before they start homework or boot or some time with a formal meeting with God was an official time with God. The discipline of prayer is so important, so they set that time and so based on their age. Again, I draw from Susanna Wesley when her children were young, she taught them the. The Lord's prayer. She taught them to memorize it, and she taught them to then say it twice a day. They had to say it, as they aged, she taught them then how to branch out in prayer in specific things praying for your dad.

Praying for your mom and I think we need to say that than to sit our children. The third thing Jim I would bring out is this in John is to set an agenda of prayer agenda is specific topics that it's important to us. It's important to others when it comes to the agenda of press why coming to practical ways of habits and styles to make prayer engaging based on the age's age of the child. Sometimes I say let's take the tallest person.

Your family have your child pray for the tallest down to the shortest and the next day for the shortest of the tallest and estimated size and mix it up. That is good and we also talked about the five fingers of where I really think this is helpful. What if we take the thumb, which is the closest to us and was saying someone close to us. One of the experiencing of a hurting of the going through tough time prefer that individual. The pointing finger at someone in our life. The brute gives instruction a teacher you'll maybe a coach maybe a Sunday school teacher. Pray for that individual that middle finger. Someone who takes a leadership role in our life. Pray for their weather. Maybe the president of the moms company are dads workplace order. Pray for the. The principal of the school lower pray for the pastor of your church and then the ring finger speaks of a family member and then you pray for family member and then the pinky you pray for someone that's close with is a good friend of whether it's your body, whether it's something in your life that you're concerned about when you go through this five finger method they hold their little fingers up and they wiggle them and they make it fun and engaging in, and you make it enjoyable and you go through this maze will that's foolish that silly. It's not our children. We need to engage them in ways that they can understand as they mature as a develop a life of prayer.

We can pull away some of these kinds of methods and going to larger methods where you social media as a way to connect in terms of prayer styles and perhaps prayer journal THAT could lead into but it opens their heart up to the practice of prayer David, this is been so good and I have really enjoyed the time has flown by and will let's continue with a few questions for our web extra so folks want to join us at the website can do that and that will have two or three more questions for you, but man, thank you so much for being here talking about the power of teaching our children a prayerful life and the impact that it has on themselves and on the world around them. Thank you, my pleasure Jim my pleasure John, thank you for the opportunity and if I can turn to you the listener. I hope you'll follow up with us on this topic of prayer Dr. Ireland's book, raising a child who prays is an excellent resource and I recommend that you get a copy of it. That's how you can learn about what we talked about today if not for you may be for a young family you know of. We can send you a free copy of this book.

When you send a financial gift to support the ministry of Focus on the Family. This is our way of saying thank you for helping us equip and empower parents like we done today request your copy and donated Focus on the Family.com/broadcast or call 800-232-6459. To learn more 800 K and work for and please remember to leave a review of this podcast on iTunes or wherever you're getting the fee on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team. Thanks for listening to Focus on the Family I'm John Fuller inviting you back next time. As we once again help your family thrive in Christ during the coveted 19 pandemic.

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