Tuesday, December 4, 2012

My Favorite Part of the Day

 One of my favorite parts of teaching at a Christian School is that we open everyday with prayer. Last year, with my second and third graders we shared prayer requests. There's nothing wrong with that. Philippians 4:6 states: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
     What bothered me, was that my children were so focused on their own needs and wants (mostly wants, to be honest), that they often forgot WHO they were talking to during prayer. In fact, one day, one of my boys said to me, "God makes our wishes come true." To these kids, prayer was a time to give their wishlist to God. It was like writing a letter out to Santa...EVERYDAY.
    So, this year, I decided to approach my prayer time a little differently. I decided to teach my kids how to pray. And I'll admit, I stole the idea from a fellow teacher from when I was in Guatemala. She taught her students to pray using the ACTS model (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). Everyday, they would focus on a different letter. I liked it, so I stole it. On Monday, we praise God for who He is. On Tuesday, they have a time to pray silently--specifically to confess anything they may need to--otherwise, it's a great time to talk to God quietly. Thursday is Thankfulness. Then, Friday is the day they share their requests. Friday have been a lot less about a wishlist and a lot more about sharing their needs. One of the other things I've done is allowed each of my kids a chance to prayer. We go around the room and each child says their own prayer--and I love it. Monday is probably my favorite. It's the day when I hear prayers like: God, I praise You that You are Almighty and Creator and You loved us and sent Jesus to save us. Thank you for being so big and awesome. This really is my favorite time of the day--when I hear my kiddos praying and talking to God--doing more than just give their daily wishlist. I love it!


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