Here are some ways to help your kids know the God they are praying to:
Play Alphabet Praise.
Forty energetic kids from kindergarten to fourth grade wiggled in their chairs for children’s church one autumn Sunday. “Let’s praise God from A to Z,” I suggested. “He’s so great and mighty we could describe Him all day, but we only have 45 minutes. So let’s start with A. Raise your hand if you know something about God that starts with an A.”
Hands shot up, “Awesome! God’s awesome!” said Morgan.
“Able! He’s able to do anything!” said Andrew.
“Authority,” said a serious eight-year-old wearing glasses. “God has all the authority.”
I wrote the words on a white board as fast as the kids called the words out. We finished with A, covered B, then started on C.
“Creator! Compassionate! Kind!” they called out. The kids surprised me with how much they knew about God. It took two Sundays to complete the whole alphabet and all the while we were praising God aloud for His wonderful attributes.
You can help your child create his own journal of God’s names and character. Each page can feature a different letter of the alphabet and include verses about who God is. Encourage your child to write or draw his “favorite things” about God in the notebook.
Then choose one attribute to focus on each week and make that your center as you pray together as a family. You will never run out of attributes because God’s character and nature is inexhaustible!
This is a key thing as children learn to know God and grow in prayer because “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us,” wrote A.W. Tozer. He believed having a right concept of God was basic to living the Christian life. And to usher power into our prayers, he said we must begin to think of God and praise God more nearly as He is.
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Known for her warmth, authenticity, and love for people, Cheri Fuller is a gifted, inspiring communicator who speaks nationally and internationally. From the east coast to the west coast and as far away as South Africa, Brazil, Switzerland, and Singapore, Cheri presents encouraging programs that impact people. Through her engaging storytelling style and practical wisdom, audiences leave inspired and challenged to face life's struggles with hope and purpose. She keynotes at women's retreats and conferences, writers' conferences, Christmas events, and national parenting seminars.
Cheri is an award-winning author of forty two books including her newest, Mother-Daughter Duet and The One Year Women's Friendship Devotional.
A former Oklahoma Mother of the Year, Cheri has been a frequent media guest on Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, NBC Radio News, Moody Broadcasting, and other national radio and TV programs. Her articles have appeared in Family Circle, ParentLife, Guideposts, Focus on the Family, Today's Christian Woman, Better Homes & Gardens Faith & Spirit, and other publications.
Cheri's passion is encouraging women and inspiring and equipping people of all ages to connect with God in their busy life and impact their world through prayer, as they live life to the fullest, focus on what really matters, and build loving connections with family and friends no matter what their circumstances.