Prayerful parenting: teaching our kids to talk to God

Do you find it difficult to talk to your kids about God -- or to teach them how to talk to God? Many parents do. It may be because we don't always feel as connected to God ourselves as we would like. Other times, we just regard spirituality as something personal and private -- or, alternatively, something to "leave to the professionals." And yet, as parents we are our children's first and most important teachers. Each day we show them life's mysteries, including (and perhaps especially) issues of faith.

It can be delightful to watch the lessons catch on. One of my favorite parenting memories is a simple family dinner when my daughter was about 4 years old. Over Italian sausage and spinach quiche, we bowed our heads and thanked the good Lord.

God is great, God is good Let us thank Him for this food; by His hands we all are fed, Thank you, God, for daily bread. Amen.

Just as I started to pinch off a bit of the crust (my favorite part), 4-year-old Sarah spoke. "Now I wanna say special grace."

I had offered a prayer like this the day before, when extended family gathered to celebrate the completion of our new deck. "OK, Sarah. Go ahead ... "

"Thank you God for ... for sausage and Popeye spinach ..." There was more. Lots more, much of it unintelligible as Sarah conversed with the Almighty with her own special prayer language.

My husband opened one eye and looked at me as if to say, "Can we eat yet?"

"... and thanks for everybody here. In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and started to dig in. Then, just as I started to take a bite of my rapidly cooling sausage, Sarah spoke again. "Can I say another one?"

Christopher's sour expression reminded me of the time he shoved a jalapeno up his nose.

Now, Christopher’s reaction was doubtless prompted by hunger than a lack of faith. At the age of 6, Christopher already has a firmly entrenched faith. I’ll never forget the time I found Christopher handing out Cheez-It crackers, one at a time, to his preschool friends, intoning "The Body of Christ, the Body of Christ." At that moment, he looked like he needed a handful of those cheesy little crackers, so I intervened.

"Let's save it for bedtime -- or for supper tomorrow night, OK Sarah?"

Still, I had to smile at my daughter’s first unprompted extemporaneous prayer offering. It's those unguarded moments when we are reminded how closely our children watch us, and how thirsty they are to know what you REALLY believe so they can incorporate it into their own little lives.

These daily encounters with God, over time, produce a symphony of grace in family life, drawing us closer to each other as we grow closer to God . . . together.

Heidi Hess Saxton is a contributing writer to the AnnArbor.com "Parenting" channel and the founder of "Extraordinary Moms Network," a faith-based online resource for parents of adopted, foster, and special-needs children. You can reach her at heidi.hess.saxton@gmail.com.

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