One of my kids went through a phase where he was obsessed with praying.
Anytime we sat down at the table, no matter what time of day it was, he insisted that we pray first.
Sitting down to play a game? Pray first.
Sitting down to eat a snack? Pray first.
Sitting down just to sit down? Pray first.
But as he grew older, he started to ask many questions about “why” we do what we do.
His insisting on praying turned into asking WHY we always pray before we eat a meal together.
As we’ve worked to develop our family habits of praying and reading the scriptures together, I’ve started trying to be more conscious of how I talk about these habits.
Instead of: “It’s time to read and pray before we go to bed”
I’ve been trying to do more: “It’s time to read scriptures so we can learn more about Jesus!”
When the Lord taught the Israelites about this new Passover ordinance, He warned them that their children would ask about it.
“Your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?” (Exodus 12:26)
The Lord wanted His people to teach their children WHY they repeated this Passover ordinance and celebration.
It can be so easy to get caught up in just trying to get our kids to cooperate in saying prayers, in staying quiet at church, in paying tithing, in setting goals, in serving and showing kindness…
But the Lord wants us to also teach the WHY.
Why do YOU try to be reverent at church? Why do YOU say prayers, and pay tithing, and attend the temple?
When we can share our own testimonies and our own “why”s with our kids, we are sharing our hearts and truly teaching our values in authentic ways.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
