We hear it a lot from th mouths of Christians... "The world is going to hell because they took prayer out of schools!"... or "The world is going to hell because they took prayer out of the local city council meetings!"... or The world is going to hell because they took prayer out of graduations... or sporting events or ... whatever your favorite secular activity is.
But here is the question... have "they" taken prayer out of your home? Do you pray with your children before you load them onto the school bus? Do you and your spouse pray together before you begin your day out in the secular world? Prayer cannot be taken out of schools if our children have truly been taught to pray.
That is the amazing thing about the gift of prayer. It cannot be taken away. Our thoughts cannot be monitored except by God who hears every prayer we pray whether it is prayed aloud in a group or in the privacy of our own hearts. If we do not pray regularly with our children, it is not "they" who have taken prayer out of schools, but "us." If we do not set a good example for our families by praying regularly, it is not "they" who take prayer out of every secular activity, but "us."
A few weeks ago I shared a prayer for the workplace. This morning I saw a lovely prayer for the home on Facebook that I want to share with you here:
Heavenly Father,
Walk through my house and take away all the worries and illnesses and please watch over and heal my family and friends. Bring quiet where there is chaos, bring light where there is darkness and put love in our hearts. In Jesus name. Amen.
Perhaps you would like to add a line or two or use it as a basic prayer each morning and add specifics as necessary. But don't you agree that there would be a lot more prayer in the secular world if there were a lot more prayer in our homes? Instead of blaming government and atheists and whoever else we can think of, let's get our own houses in order first. Let's fill our homes with prayer. If we do, our own hearts will be filled to overflowing with prayer and there will indeed be plenty of prayer in schools, political meetings, sporting events, and everywhere else that Christians go.
Father,
Thank you for the powerful and amazing gift of prayer. No matter what, it can never really be taken away from us. Help us to teach our children and grandchildren to pray... especially be example. Amen.
Joys: A truly wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with my family; a warm home; Cecelia's help decorating the Christmas tree
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