You can communicate with God, your Heavenly Father, through prayer. God and His inspired leaders have counseled that families pray together often. Praying as a family will help you draw closer to God and become more united.
The power of prayer
Prayer brings blessings and peace to your home
God “is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Your Heavenly Father wants to help you move forward. Jesus taught, “Pray unto the Father in your families, always in my name, that they [your spouse] and your children may be blessed” (3 Nephi 18:21). When you pray as a family, the Holy Ghost can bring feelings of comfort and a spirit of love into your home. Family prayer can ease tension and bring lasting happiness to your family. It can help you and the rest of your family become more patient, kind, humble, and forgiving.
Prayer strengthens your family
God has you and your family in mind, and He is waiting for you to come to Him in prayer as a family. Praying as a family will bring you closer to God and make you more united.
When you kneel with your family to pray, you are doing much more than just talking to God. You are demonstrating faith and serving God through your prayers. Praying as a family strengthens your love as you pray for one another. Your family prayers can bless your children and future generations.
Prayer blesses others
When you pray with your family, remember the needs of others. Help family members realize that there are people around them who are sad or need help. Remember people who have responsibilities in the Church and pray for them. Through prayer, your family can develop a deeper love for all people.
Daily prayer with your family
How to pray with your family
Prayer doesn’t have to be formal, eloquent, or memorized. You can talk to God just like you talk to anyone else. He wants you to speak to Him sincerely and from your heart. To begin a prayer, address God by saying, “Dear Heavenly Father.” Then, have a conversation with God—expressing your thanks, telling Him how you feel, and asking for any blessings you or your children need. Then, you can end your prayer by saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
When you pray with your family, choose one person to pray for and ask the others to listen, kneel, and bow their heads in reverence while that person prays. Teach your family members to pray and take turns doing so each day.
Pray frequently
God has counseled us to “Cry unto him in your houses, yea, by all that are of your household, both morning, and noonday, and evening” (Alma 34:21). This life is full of challenges, difficult decisions, and temptations. He wants us to pray often so that He can be with us and those we love most. In other words, “Let your hearts be filled with joy, being continually given unto prayer” (Alma 34:27). Make it a point to pray as a family at least once a day, and encourage other family members to pray individually as well.
Prayer is also a way to thank God for the blessings we have. Taking time to meditate with a heart of gratitude helps us feel the love of God and our family.
Pray together
Find times when you can establish a routine to pray together, whether it’s before breakfast, after dinner, or before bed. Put family prayer first. When you and your family pray to God “with all the energy of your hearts” (Moroni 7:48), your family can receive the strength to endure the trials and challenges that often tear families apart. You can be filled with God’s love for your own family and for those around you.