“What is prayer?”
Prayer in the most basic sense is God’s gift to us! St. Therese of Lisieux once said, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” Prayer also has a covenantal character, it brings us into God’s family. To be in covenant means to oath ourselves into ones family or kinship, such as adoption or marriage. And lastly, prayer is communion, as a living relationship between God and man through Jesus Christ. These are the core concepts of prayer which we will be exploring as we continue throughout the year.
Helpful videos on Exploring what prayer is
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Prayer time with kids stressful? practical advice from Dr. Scott Hahn!
Activity: Building a home “altar” or Space for God
A fruitful way to reflect on what it is to pray for your family is to think about the kinds of things we as a family would like to put on our Altar at home. In our zoom session on the unit we played a scavenger hunt looking for religious items in the home. Any items that help us think of Jesus may help us create a space that we can feel at prayer. Below is a link and video on helpful suggestions on just that.
Coloring!!! Who doesn’t love coloring pages
Reflect on scripture and relax with coloring, I hear it even works for adults. Everyone is a child of God. Use a sheet for your home altar, frame it, talk about it, pray about it together. You design your own activity as you begin the conversation at home on this months question: “what is prayer?”
It’s a great way to kick off discussion over the dinner table. “What do you think prayer is for?” You can also ask “What are things you find yourself praying for or about most often?” If your child or adult in your house is a philosopher you might ask them “Why do you think God gave us the gift of prayer?” Or if you know a person who is “good” at prayer you might say, “What’s the most helpful way you pray?”
It’s a great way to kick off discussion over the dinner table. “What do you think prayer is for?” You can also ask “What are things you find yourself praying for or about most often?” If your child or adult in your house is a philosopher you might ask them “Why do you think God gave us the gift of prayer?” Or if you know a person who is “good” at prayer you might say, “What’s the most helpful way you pray?”