How to Make Prayer an Important Part of Your Family Life

Helping our children develop a consistent and meaningful prayer life is one of the best things we can do for them as they grow, physically and spiritually. Whether we pray together gathered around the dinner table, before bed, or in spontaneous moments of request or thanksgiving, prayer offers a sacred space for family to connect together and with God. Here are some ways to make prayer an important part of your family’s life.

Talk about why we pray. Simply, God wants us to! Jeremiah 29:12 says, “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” God desires us to talk to Him about anything and everything, and he promises to listen. Plus, God wants to help us with anything we need! Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Whether we need wisdom, help with our anxiety, or prayers for healing, God desires to help His children.

Make prayer a natural part of your day. There are many opportunities to add prayer to your day:

• Before meals, asking the Lord to bless the food and the hands that prepared it
• On your way to school, praying for the day’s upcoming activities and for your child’s teacher 
• When God answers a prayer request
• When you hear of a family member in need
• Before bedtime, thanking God for something specific that happened that day

What should we pray about? While honestly there is no formula for prayer (God just wants to hear from us, after all!), if you are looking for some guidance, there is a handy little acronym that’s been floating around that might be helpful: ACTS. 

Adoration: Start your prayer praising God for who He is. The psalms have many ready-made praises. Psalm 8:1 says, “​​LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.” He is worthy of our praise.

Confession: We confess our sins so we can receive His forgiveness. While we are always forgiven, by acknowledging our sins we get on the same page with God about them. Psalm 32:5 says, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Thanksgiving: James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” We should always include in our prayers things we are thankful for. Whether it’s for something as simple as a beautiful day or a premium parking spot, or something more meaningful as our family’s health.

Supplication: This is the part where you ask the Lord for specific requests. Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” This can be anything: from losing your glasses, to your child’s success in school. God wants to hear it all!



Model daily prayer. When our children are little, we do the heavy lifting when it comes to prayer, but this time is so special because we are modeling the habits we want them to establish in their own lives. The more our children see us praying with them, with our spouse, or on our own, the more they see the importance of prayer in their own lives. This is the most essential part of making prayer important in your family life.