Last night we instituted a new house rule; for family prayer time. I’m still shaking my head.
My beautiful four year old is so… exuberant in her devotion that we had to put some structure in place to avoid J and I, or at least I, being overcome by the noise just as bedtime should be right around the corner and losing it.
We’ve started using our prayer corner more in the evenings. The girls and I have decorated, installed a little piano on a rug, and it’s become a favourite spot in our home. Bella will often go and sit there for some still time or to make up songs for Jesus.
Last night she put the cross onto her little piano as she tried to teach us her latest composition amid Joy trying repeatedly to return it to it’s place on the little table. Between that and Joy’s quest to blow out the candles before time Bella did quite well at keeping calm. Which is hard to do while banging keys, singing praise songs at the top of your voice and telling a younger sibling ‘no’.
A few minutes later the candles were moved out of reach, permission for one last song was given and a plan was firming in my mind.
Personal prayer time is for whatever form of prayer we feel like engaging in. But during family prayers we pray together. We’ll each take a turn, beginning with the youngest, choosing a prayer, a song, or something else to pray together.
Joy is not yet saying very much, but she knows how to pray and reminds us often. The other day we came upstairs to change her nappy and as we did she put a little hand on my forehead, as we do for her each morning and evening, and prayed indiscernible words. When she’d finished she beamed me a big smile, hugged me tightly, and laid down to let me change her.
littlefamilylife 