Bible Verse: But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
Scripture Reading: Luke 18:1-7
“We teach what we know; we reproduce what we are.”[1]
My mother was astonishingly available to me. My parents made the financial sacrifice to live on less so we’d have her more.
She was astonishingly available, except when she sat in her rocking chair with her Bible open.
That time was aside for Another. Believe me, we tested the limits! But she didn’t move this sacred time to before we woke up or when we weren’t around; life paused for this time, and we kids saw its priority.
As I grew up, I assumed prayer and Scripture were a normal part of the daily Christian life because of what was modelled to me daily.
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). His disciples saw the significance of Jesus’ prayer life. Jesus’ intimacy with the Father was at the core of His miraculous life.
Jesus didn’t just model this. He taught what He knew, and He reproduced who He was. Jesus taught the Parable of the Unjust Judge “to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1), and then He lived that out before His disciples and called them to do the same.
If we’re to help our kids find God’s path, we need to follow Jesus, and we need to follow my mom. Our kids have an all-access pass to our lives. Will they see a life of prayer?
I know other kids who had the same experience I did growing up. They’ve walked away from following Christ, yet I’ve heard them talk about their parents’ rocking chairs with respect and envy. The image of their parent praying continues to stick in their mind and testify to the goodness of life with God. They envy their parents’ connection with God and haven’t found a great substitute.
There are no guarantees to make our kids find God’s path, but modelling a life of prayer is a well-trod road we must keep travelling. We must keep teaching our kids that Jesus prayed and taught His disciples to pray. We must help them know the Lord as much as we help them know about the Lord.
Will your kids, grandkids, and the kids of others see a life of prayer in you? Will you “keep praying and never give up?” (Luke 18:1)
Prayer: Lord, give me hunger to pray! I know You are worthy, yet I often find myself bored, distracted, and uninspired to pursue a deeper connection with You. Fill me with a desire to pray. Amen.
Reflection: Have you ever noticed that sometimes it’s easier to do stuff for God than just spend time with God? Why do you think that is? What might help increase your hunger to know God?
[1] Rob Reimer
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