Testimony | Why Teach Your Children to Pray?
A very simple reason for teaching your children to pray is because Jesus did.
He taught His disciples how to pray and they witnessed His example of prayer while they were with Him. John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray as well. Children are disciples in our homes for the formative years of their lives and parents are the teachers, trainers and examples. The following is a retelling of a testimony we received at Duane Sheriff Ministries. It is yet another reason to teach your children to pray, and how to make prayer part of your family’s everyday routine.
Jeremy and Gabriella Ferguson of Durant, Oklahoma, gave this powerful testimony in our studio, not too long ago. They have 4 children—3 boys and a girl, at the time of this event—Jediah 2, Ellis 3, Keon 4, and their daughter Elsie 6 months. The testimony starts with Gabriella (Gabe) preparing to attend a women’s conference, which meant taking the children to various family members to stay while Jeremy was at work and Gabriella was at the meetings.
Jediah had been dropped off the night before and Gabe was on her way to drop the other boys on conference day. Right at the end of their driveway, she felt an urgent prompting to pray for protection over their kids.
During the lunch break at the conference, Gabe, and Jeremy at work, got a text from the family member taking care of Jediah (we will refer to her as Annie). “Jediah is okay, but something has happened and you need to know about it now.” It felt strange, but Gabe called her right back.
This is what happened:
Annie and Jediah were working outside when a truck pulling a trailer arrived to haul off some pigs. Annie’s husband went out to oversee the process but neither Annie or her husband realized that Jediah had followed him over to the truck to see what was happening. Like most 2-year-old boys, he climbed up and was holding onto the trailer hitch, between the truck and the trailer.
Annie’s panicked thoughts flew from, “He’s not going to live through this,” to “How am I going to tell Jeremy and Gabe?” When she got to Jediah, miraculously not a single tire had hit him, he only had two little scratches—one on his tummy and one on his back—and that was it (besides some gravel in his hair). Annie gave him a bath and snuggles and he was all good! Gabe reassured Annie and thanked her for taking care of him. Suddenly she thought, “That’s why God prompted me to pray this morning. This is why we pray for protection over our kids.”
We have a speaking God
…who said, “Gabe, stop right now and pray for your kids.” Listening and obeying the Holy Spirit in that moment saved Jediah’s life, and even though they pray over the kids every day, she is incredibly grateful for God’s protection. She asked Jediah a few days later if he had ever seen his guardian angel and he said, “Yes, on the truck.” It is such a comfort as a parent to know the Lord is going to fight for us, especially when there is nothing we can do.
The day of the accident, Jeremy had Jediah on his heart so strongly, he called Annie to check on him. And that morning their oldest son, Keon woke up and began running around the house yelling, “Where’s Jediah?” Keon is very sensitive to the Holy Spirit and he was visibly concerned about Jediah. Only the day before Keon had asked Gabe, “Mommy, what would happen if a trailer ran over a kid like my size or like Jediah?” She said, “Well, buddy, that’s really random, but it would probably kill them. If the tires hit them it’s just too heavy. If not, it would massively injure them. And we would definitely need to be praying for them.” She gave him some mommy instructions about truck and trailer safety and he went back to playing.
Later Gabe asked Keon if he had dreamed about Jediah and the trailer or what made him ask that question. He said, “I don’t know. It just kind of came in my mind. I just asked the question.” Gabe replied, “Hey bud, you heard the Holy Spirit. Next time something like that comes to your mind, share it with mommy and daddy and let’s pray about it.” She used the moment to disciple her son on hearing the Lord and responding correctly.
Gabe and Jeremy have developed an evening routine with their kids which includes chores, jammies, and reading their Bibles. When they are all ready for bed, both parents join for a Bible story and everyone gets to answer some questions—
What are 3 things you are thankful for? and What is something that delighted you today?
They each pray in their age-appropriate way, then Mom and Dad pray with and for them.
The Fergusons both recognize that their children will be in their home for a short season. As parents, they are stewards, teaching and training their children to love God, hear His voice, obey His commands, and become everything God designed them to be. They are grateful for a godly heritage, their Spirit-filled community, and resources available to build a firm foundation for their kids.
They would tell you to let your children hear you pray.
Let them know what you are praying about and why. Tell them how the Lord has answered your prayers and example the things you want to teach them. Partner up with God to steward your children well. Parenting is not for the faint of heart, but you are not alone!
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