It's important to remember that there are many ways to pray. Memorizing and praying the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, or any other beloved prayers are wonderful ways to pray, but so are praying with Scripture and even just thinking about God. The purpose of prayer is continuing and strengthening our relationship with God. Just like we can share with a close friend all the ups and downs of life, we can do that with God and we should teach our children to do the same. I love telling children that they need to simply "talk" to God—no fancy words, just talk to him like they would to their best friend. It might be easier for young children to have this conversation out loud.
While prayer is important in our relationship with God, knowing and praying with Scripture is absolutely essential to knowing God (as much as our human minds can know God). When we read the Word of God, we get to know more of who God is and how God wants us to be and act. Knowledge of sacred Scripture will form us into being more the person God wishes us to be—his sons and daughters.
In the video below Sr Martha Moss, author of the newly released My BIble: God's Word for Me, demonstrates how to pray with children using Scripture.
My Bible: God's Word for Me
Discover how God has spoken and continues to speak through the Holy Scriptures. This warmly-illustrated collection of Bible stories brings the Scriptures to life and helps instill in children a love for God's word. It takes the child through the 31 Old Testament stories of Noah and the flood, the parting of the Red Sea, Joseph and the coat of many colors, the first Passover, David and Goliath, and more. The 36 New Testament stories lead the children deeper into their faith with the visitation of the angel to Mary, Jesus walking on the water, the Sermon on the Mount, Thomas' doubts, the Last Supper, Jesus' Passion, Death and Resurrection. the excitement on the road to Emmaus... Each story engages the child in both reading and praying with scripture.
Includes a section with some of the most beloved Catholic prayers, including the Rosary!
About Sr Martha:
Sr. Mary Martha Moss, FSP spent her childhood years in Louisiana riding horses and reading books, her two great passions. Confirmation classes opened up for her the reality of a relationship with Jesus as well as the joy and strength that comes from prayer.
Since joining the Daughters of St. Paul in 1977 she has discovered how infinitely rich God is in mercy and how beautiful it is to serve him. She has shared life and faith with others through the Pauline mission of evangelization through service in and management of Pauline Books & Media Centers in New York, California, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Massachusetts; faith and media workshops; vocation retreats and presentations; faith formation for young adults; and writing for children.
Sr. Martha, who has a master's degree in Religious Education from Boston College, currently serves as Director of Marketing and Sales for Pauline Books & Media. Her hope is that My Baptism Remembrance Book will give children and their parents an experience of what Baptism means and how much God is part of their lives.