(Newswire.net — May 25, 2018) — One of the biggest struggles for the modern family is finding time to spend together. When everybody is running around tending to their own obligations, you might find that the time you actually spend face-to-face grows increasingly rare. This makes it even more of a challenge for families who want to stay spiritually connected. If you can’t find quality time, how can you find prayer time? It is vital that families strategize when it comes to their schedule. If you do not make time to see each other and grow spiritually as a family, you can fall by the wayside.
If you would describe your family as too busy, there are still a few tips you can follow to ensure you find time to pray together and grow spiritually together. Prayer doesn’t always have to take place in a quiet, calm environment. Sometimes you have to create that environment with the resources you’ve been given. Consider the following six places to pray the next time you need to make spiritual time on the fly.
The Dinner Table
Dinner is the perfect occasion to connect with your family and enjoy some prayer time together. Even if you do not have the ability to eat dinner together every night, you should be able to have family meals throughout the week, and any time you are all sitting down together, you should stop to say a prayer. This shouldn’t just be the ritual you follow before you eat, though. This should be a thoughtful practice that everybody engages in. Rather than having one member of the family lead prayer, consider having every member say their own prayer and reflecting together.
On the Way to School
If you have kids that are school-age, the struggle every morning to get them out of bed and on the way is likely stressful enough. Adding prayer time to the equation might seem like too much. If so, perhaps you are viewing it in the wrong light. Prayer time should be a stress relief, not cause. When you stop to pray, you can center yourself and your family in spite of whatever other stress you may be battling at any given moment. A prayer said in the car is no less valid than one said in church.
Before Bed Time
Do you and your family stop to pray before you all go to bed? If not, this could be a great time to reflect on the events of the day and take a moment to bond as a family. No matter how crazy the rest of the day has been, when everybody is home and ready to pack it in, you can bond and enjoy some spiritual rejuvenation through a quick prayer. This ends the day on the right note, solidifies your family and gets you ready to have a good day in the morning.
At Church
This one might seem obvious, but one of the best places to pray, of course, is when you are at church. Ministries such as The Way International offer tips for parents to help instill godly values, and there’s no better place to begin practicing those ideals than in the supportive environment of a church. Needless to say, prayer is an integral component. The next time you are at church, in addition to prayers made as a congregation, take a moment as a family to pray together and give thanks. This reinforces the importance of church in your family’s lives.
During Fun Activities
Some of the other tips offered by The Way International include how to foster authority as a parent. Maintaining your position as the spiritual leader of the family is one of the best ways to do so. This means that prayer should not be treated as an obligation or inconvenience, but rather as a moment to give thanks and connect as a family. A great time to do this is when you are embarking on fun activities as a family. When such opportunities arise, give thanks and say a prayer to connect spiritually and maintain your family’s focus.
Via Skype
Sometimes there is no easy way to gather together physically as a family. If one parent is often away on business or if you are simply too busy to all be in the same place at one time, you can take your spiritual time digital and utilize applications such as FaceTime or Skype to get your family prayers in. This is a great way to minimize the inconvenience of distance and ensure that your family remains spiritually connected despite an inability to connect in person. Schedule time that works for everybody and take time to pray together.
There is always time to pray with your family if you dedicate yourself and make that time. As the spiritual leader of your household, it is your responsibility to encourage the spiritual growth of your family, regardless of how busy and overwhelmed you might be.