Malachi 4: 5-6
Behold I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord to turn the hearts of fathers to the children and children to the father’s lest I come and strike the land with a curse.
Prayer or having an intimate relationship with the Lord where you’re sharing your heart with God and seeking to know his heart is such an important part of ministry. It’s from that place that our ministry was birthed and it’s from that place that our ministry continues. How do we engage our children so that they want to pray and have this relationship with God? I can say for me I’ve taken my children with me to my prayer meetings since they were infants. As well as praying with them before bed and sometimes during the day. There have been times at some meetings where others have seemed distracted or displeased that my child was there. Some meetings they would melt down and I would have to leave the meeting early. Other meetings they would sit at my feet coloring. But the fruit of allowing my children to experience my relationship with God has been worth any uncomfortable moment where they were the only infant or toddler at a prayer meeting.
I remember when my oldest was 4 and she came to me telling me that she had a prayer meeting upstairs with her sister. She told me that they were praying for Israel and that they were praying for the fatherless children in Israel. She also told me that she was praying for bad people who want to hurt children that they would know God is real. She had combined two prayer meetings that I took her to. One where we pray for Israel, one where we pray for the fatherless, and it was fun to her. I can say out of all the prayer meetings I take her to the one that I am especially thankful for is the Malachi prayer meeting. It’s a prayer meeting where we have worship and Families come together with their children. Some of the families are families that have adopted or are fostering. The prayer Focus is praying for the fatherless. It’s a prayer meeting that makes praying fun for kids and gets them involved in fun interactive ways. There’s musical instruments for them to pick up and play with as well as items for them to dance with. There’s even a microphone for kids or adults to pray on and Lead everyone in prayer. What I really enjoy about it is that they get to play and be kids as they engage in worship. And when it’s time to pray they want to pray. It’s a prayer meeting I can bring all of my children to without having any expectations of them being still or quiet.
So I want to encourage you allow your kids to experience your relationship that you have with God. In your personal time and in group settings. The things God has put in my kids hearts from allowing them to occasionally join me has been so powerful and encouraging.
Travis & Juanita Miles 