Focus: Experiencing different kinds of prayer
Before You Begin:
Before your family gathers for a time of prayer, determine four separate areas of a room or of your home that can be used as “prayer stations.” This could be the four corners of a room, or four separate rooms. At each prayer station place a sheet of paper with one of the following words written on it:
- Praise
- Thanks
- Request
- Confession
The Prayer Time!
When your family comes together for creative prayer, explain that you’ll be taking time individually to pray at the different prayer stations in your home. Show family members where these are and tell what to do at each station, following this guide:
- At the Praise station, tell God why you think he’s wonderful! Say a prayer or sing a song of praise.
- At the Thanks station, thank God for what he’s done.
- At the Request station, tell God your needs and the needs of others.
- At the Confession station, tell God you’re sorry for things you’ve done wrong and ask him to forgive you.
Have each family member go to a different station. (If your family has more than four members, two people can be at the same station, but ask them to pray individually.) Explain that everyone will stay at that station and pray as directed there for two to three minutes. (You can make this time shorter if you have younger children, or longer if you have older children.)
Begin your time of prayer. After two minutes (or whatever amount of time you have decided upon) has passed, have everyone change to a new station. Again, pray at the stations for the allotted time, then repeat the process until each person has had a chance to pray at each station.
Note: If one or more of your children are under age four, this adventure can be done with the entire family together at each station, or an adult can visit each station with the child to guide him or her in prayer.
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