As Christmas is over and the New Year is beginning, you may be taking down your Christmas decorations. Maybe, like me, you have beautiful Christmas cards sent to you from friends and family. What do you do with those cards? Maybe you save them in a cedar chest somewhere or maybe with a heavy heart….you throw them away! Here is an idea for you and your family that involves using those Christmas Cards to encourage your family to pray.
This year, take all of your Christmas cards and place them in a shoe box. Call a family meeting and talk about the beautiful cards your family received this year. Explain that you are going to do something new this year with all of the pretty cards. They are now weekly prayer cards. Each night, gather together in someone’s bedroom. It doesn’t matter where you pray, just that you are praying. On a particular night of the week (let’s say, Sunday), have one child pick a Christmas card out of the prayer box. Whoever sent you that card, becomes the prayer family of the week. Place that Christmas card somewhere in the house where everyone can be reminded to pray for that family (the refrigerator works nicely). As you pray each night as a family, include that particular family in your prayers. Try to pray specifically for each member of that family. The next Sunday night, pick a new card out of your shoe box and continue this process each week until all of the Christmas cards are gone. Let your kids decorate the prayer shoe box or write a letter to the family you are praying for. They can thank the family for the Christmas card and tell them they are praying for them this week.
At my house, family prayer time is not always picture perfect. There are times when our kids squirm or act silly. They are kids and they have to be taught how to have reverence for God. Try not to get discouraged. You may miss a night or two along the way because life happens. Don’t let it get you down. Be persistent. Don’t give up! The most important thing our children can ever do in life is to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Maybe this idea will help spark that in your family!
I pray you have a blessed New Year! May the gracious hand of God cover your family!
I am so grateful for you!
~Joy
1 Comment
Adrianne
atI love this! I did this years ago with my kids but we prayed for the family for one night and then chose a new card each day. This way you can really focus on the family more! I also like the encouragement when “life happens”. It is so important to not got bogged down when we fail–which we will do from time to time.
WHat a great message for us all.