2017
Champions for Family Prayer
August 2017

“Champions for Family Prayer,” Liahona, August 2017

Champions for Family Prayer

By Charlotte Larcabal

Church Magazines

Ten tips from youth to help your family reach new heights on your knees.

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teens cheering

Did you know family prayer is a commandment? Jesus Christ commanded the Nephites to “pray in your families unto the Father” (3 Nephi 18:21). Since then, prophets and apostles have echoed this teaching. For example, Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that it should be “a nonnegotiable priority in your daily life.”1

Family prayer is important! It’s also the key to growing closer to each other and Heavenly Father. And it’s not just up to Mom and Dad. You can have a big influence on your family! You can be a champion for family prayer.

Be a Champion

What is a champion for family prayer? When you think of champions, you might think of people who are the best at something. That’s one kind of champion: a winner of first prize or first place in a competition. Another kind of champion is someone who fights for something, an advocate or defender. So a champion for family prayer would be someone who fights for, stands up for, and defends family prayer.

Think you can do that?

Here are some tips on how to be a champion for family prayer:

  1. Try not to say repetitive prayers when it’s your turn to pray. Jeanel S., age 14, Idaho, USA

  2. Make a list of things you need to pray about as a family. Samantha B., age 17, Alabama, USA

  3. In my family we always try to express gratitude more than we ask for things. We always try to have a spirit of gratitude toward Heavenly Father, so I try to help my siblings with that. Karla S., age 17, Tijuana, Mexico

  4. Remind everyone. If your family isn’t very good at praying together, a good start would be having personal prayers. Camille G., age 18, Alabama, USA5

  5. Get up a few minutes earlier to make sure family prayer happens before you leave. You can set an alarm telling you when it’s time for family prayer. Tess Z., age 16, Texas, USA

  6. Listen to the words the person praying is saying, and repeat them in your head. Afterwards, see what you can remember from their prayer. Saying “Amen” means “so be it,” or that you agree. I really want to know and understand what I’m agreeing to. Grace M., age 14, California, USA

  7. Have a good attitude about family prayer. Don’t think of it as something to check off before you go to sleep. Remember that family prayer can help bring your family closer together. Ranoah H., age 17, Alabama, USA

  8. Try to help all your siblings out. Even just having a good attitude and being a good example does a lot. Will W., age 14, California, USA

  9. Think about what you want to pray about before you pray. Lyric A., age 13, Arkansas, USA

  10. Remember that nothing can be more important than that. Spending time with your family and making sure you get that quality time to read scriptures and to pray is really important. Isaac S., age 14, California, USA

Note

  1. Richard G. Scott, “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority,” Liahona, Nov. 2014, 93.