Our family lives in Turkey, where five times a day, we either barely hear or are audibly assaulted by a man’s voice singing the call to prayer (depending on how close we are to the nearest mosque). Last night, as the Arabic sounds came dancing into our open windows, I began thinking about what the “call to prayer” would look like in Christian homes.
Of course, our first reaction may be that we don’t want to be legalistic or formulaic in our prayers and addresses with God, and that is true to a point. And yet the Old Testament is full of examples of external “reminders” of God’s faithfulness for God’s people. (Think of the altars built to recall a certain event, and the unflinching regularity of sacrificial offerings.) The church as a whole, particularly the American church, could do with a little discipline. Regularity and a consistent commitment in our walks with God would be a refreshing change from the have-it-your-way brand of casual, comfortable, and convenient faith of so many that call themselves “Christians.”
Anyway, last night as the call to prayer rang out, I began asking myself, and I want to pose the question to you as well:
What things regularly happen in your home to remind you and your children to praise God and take your requests to Him throughout each day?
- Regular times of prayer together (mealtimes, bedtime)?
- Daily time spent reading Scripture?
- Wall hangings/decor?
- Praise & Worship music, audio Bibles, and Bible stories playing throughout the day?
- Other?
I’ve shared some things about our home before (here and here)… but I’d like to hear from you and possibly get some fresh ideas for all of us to consider as we strive to raise our children to love God and take their burdens to Him, and as we strive to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
So tell me, what does the “call to prayer” sound like or look like in your home?
Jess is a blessed wife and mommy to four kids ages 7 & under, and lord willing a 5th little one in July. Disciple of Jesus Christ. Lifelong learner. Improving homemaker. People & personality watcher. Homeschool teacher. Recovering feminist. She tries to live intentionally, but sometimes really blows it. She doesn’t write because she thinks she’s got it all together, but because she enjoys examining and discussing what it means to live authentically as a Christian woman, wife, and mother. Persevering, pressing on and following after Christ aren’t easy things… which is why Jess relies on Him to finish the work that He’s begun in her. Make sure to stop by her personal blog Making Home.
I recently discovere this place, and I am visiting it often. Thank you for inviting us to come to the well.
In our home, prayer calls sound every time we gather for meals (we do longer prayers, rather than just a quick blessing over the food). But we are learning to come together more than three times a day in prayer. In the middle of our homeschool morning, when peace seems not to be found, we pray; when I hug them, I will pray for them too. We are making this summer, our Summer of Prayer, and we are learning together on how to dive in the depths of his arms, more than three times a day.
Blessings.
dear jess,
thank you for the inspiring message
about prayer. when my children were
little like yours, i would gather them
multiple times a day to pray for whatever
the need of the moment. i considered
them my arrows that we shot into the
fray. they were very powerful, and we
saw many miracles.
now that they are all grown up, they
are still the first i call to pray as needs
arise. guess they are still my arrows.
blessings,
lea
Dear Jess,
When my children were school-aged (all grown up now), we prayed not only at meals but the beginning of each day before leaving for school. I even encouraged them to pray some morning. Now that they are grown, when they call just to play catchup on the day’s or sometimes week’s events, I encourage them to pray daily before, during, and after trouble arises. Nothing works like prayer because their are times when mama is reached too late, but God is forever present.
Be blessed!
I just posted about prayer on my blog today but also I wrote about what our “call to prayer” looks like in our home. Here –
http://thesikesfamily.blogspot.com/2010/01/family-worship.html
We do listen to praise music while we are cleaning or cooking…
we pray before bed…we need to start eating at the table and praying before we eat..
I have books that i read to her about Jesus before bed..
I read an awesome post the other day about making a prayer bench to specify a place to show God this is where i get serious…this is where we meet face to face.
i would love to hear other ideas too!
This was great!!
We have lots of wall hangings/decor in our home pointing to Jesus. I also have scripture I have printed out in the bathroom,our room,kitchen,and the boys room. I have picture frames with scripture or hymns on them. Something I have done is take scripture for the boys and put their names in it and hung it up in their room too. We pray before each meal,read Bible stories,sing songs about Jesus or other people in the Bible,and pray for others when they are in need. I love hearing everyone’s ideas!