Family Blessings

Category: Parenting Tools

​Our response when someone sneezes is often, "God bless you". Although we want God’s blessings for our loved ones, we can go days without telling them. Even more powerful than a statement of good will, is a prayer. The simplest and best prayer comes from the heart.  
 
James 5:16 says, “When a good man prays, great things happen.”
 
Prayer will help you connect with your child. Praying regularly with your child will also help them learn how to connect with God in a natural way - by talking to Him!
If you place your hand on your child’s head or hold their hand, it emphasizes the importance of the moment and your desire to connect with them.
Activities like this are most beneficial with repetition. Prayer on a regular basis carries memories of past times, and brings a moment of peace between you and your child.
 
Bedtime
Even infants will benefit from prayer as you put them down to sleep. A prayer for the infant can also give the parent peace of mind. It is beneficial to practice in a setting that is non-threatening.
 
Prayer can be a soothing end to bedtime stories with toddlers and young children. Older children may resist a bedtime prayer, but the   simpler and more natural you make it the less awkward it will be. Encourage your child to participate in prayer by asking them to share what needs they would like prayer for.
 
1 Jn. 5:14 “We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us) then God cares about what we say.”
 
Leaving the house
“God bless you in school today!” can become part of your morning goodbyes to your child and will become a welcome encouragement to them. It also reminds them that God is with them throughout the day.
 
Sickness
A natural and spontaneous time to pray for and with your child  is    during a time of sickness as you give a prayer for a sick person’s  recovery.

​Times of crisis, transition,   or a big event:  
A test is coming up, it’s the day of tryouts for a team, a day of your teen’s driver’s test, or your young adult is leaving for college.
It’s not magic, but praying for God’s blessing can remind your child that you are carrying them in prayer during this special time and it will teach them that they can call on God’s aid in times of stress or difficulty.
 
Deut. 4:6”...Our God comes near when we pray to him.”
 
As you and your child pray    together you will both be        enriched by one another’s     encouragement, and the knowledge that even when you are apart, God is always       present with both of you.
 
The Bible teaches the value of children and the importance of giving them positive guidance.
 
Some of the truths taught in the Bible concerning children:
· Pass on family values to them
       (Deut. 4:8, 6:7)
· Teach them how God has worked in the past (Joel 1:3)
· Teach behavior that will benefit their future and their relationship with the Lord (Ps. 78:5-7)
· Children are precious (Prov. 17:6)
· Children are a responsibility to take seriously (2 Cor. 12:14)
· Children are a blessing to us           (Ps. 127:3-5)
· A parent should give good things to their child (Mt. 7:11)
· God makes time for children
       (Luke 18:16)
· Discipline should be an expression of your love (Heb. 12:5-6)
· Children have things to teach us
       (Mt. 21:16)
· Children should be protected
       (Luke 17:2)
· Having childlike faith is highly regarded by God (Mt. 18:2-4)
· We should refrain from purposefully
       frustrating our child
       (Eph. 6:4, Col 3:21)