Teaching Your Children To Pray

MOTHERS DAY 2012

This past Tuesday was teacher appreciation day. In recognition of that, we would like to say a hearty “Thank You” to Mike. Right now I believe you are the only public school teacher we have attending here. We appreciate what you do, and the Christian witness you have in an environment that is not always open to a Christian Witness. We would like to say thank you to Susan, who home schools and also teaches at a Christian Community School.

We would like to say “Thank You” to Tom, for so faithfully preparing and teaching our adult Bible Study for the past several years. As his son so frequently points out, he misses less services here than I do.

We would like to say “Thank You” to Gladys and Doe, and Teri, for teaching our children in children’s church and the nursery each week; and Bonnie, and Steve, and Russ, and Linda, and Adam, Neil and Teri, and Gladys and all of the others who have worked to make MPC such a success this past year. Friday night, the last night of MPC for this year, there were a lot of hugs and tears.

I’d like to thank Christina, and Lydia, Steve, Russ, Gladys, Neil and Teri, and the others, who have worked so hard teaching and serving in 4-H. I know a family that now has their children in a Christian school because through you, the dad was reminded of the importance of teaching his children about God. This past Sunday, one of the mothers who attended MPC graduation with her children said, “Now I understand why you have 4-H”. Yall have worked and prepared week after week and modeled before these children and parents; most of which do not attend church, what Christianity looks like lived out. Thank you.

Interesting that teacher appreciation week should fall on the week of Mothers’ Day, for there are no greater teachers than mothers. You ladies do your best to try and teach us when we’re growing up, and then when we marry, you hand us over to other women, hoping they can finish the job.

My mother has had to often shake her head and apologize to Gladys saying, “I didn’t rear him that way. His dad did that.” Some of you, with and without children of your own, have adopted the kids in church and in your neighborhoods and have shown them what a mother’s love looks like. The kids around here get more hugs from Teri than Neal has ever dreamed of getting.

To all of you mothers, and to all of you others, who teach in so many ways, we say “Thank You”!

SERMON

We spoke earlier about teachers. In God’s economy, in God’s plan, He has given us mothers who are responsible for teaching us so many things. You teach us how to blow our noses and wipe our mouths and remind us that sleeves are not for either one of those. You teach us to walk, and talk, and attempt to teach us to dress ourselves. You teach us manners, and what to eat.

Through your examples, you teach your children either how to be a good wife, or what to look for in one. Part of the task God had charged you with is to teach us, hopefully, not without help: a love for God.

And ladies, parents, one of the most important things you can teach your children about their relationship with God is the importance of prayer.

- Matthew 6:5-15

This account of the Lord’s prayer is found in the context of the Sermon on the Mount. …

I. TEACH THEM CHRISTIANITY IS TO BE LIVED OUT IN FAMILY

- verse 9

First word, “Our”.

There are those who mistakenly believe that they can do a relationship with God alone. There are times when you have to walk with God alone, if you are the only Christian in a town; perhaps, or if you are in solitary confinement, perhaps, but Christianity was never intended to lived out alone. There is a reason the Bible says,

“Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as some are in the habit of …

There is a reason the early Christians met together regularly, and even the underground church in China and other places do so today, even at the risk of being found out, because Christianity is not meant to be lived out alone.

> Colossians 3:16 Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Teach your children that they need to be in the Lord’s house regularly so they can learn, so they can encourage others and be encouraged by others. Christianity is meant to be lived out in family.