One of the most important things parents can do in the discipleship of their children is to create a culture of prayer in the home. What constitutes a culture? Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society. Through culture, people and groups define themselves, conform to society’s shared values, and contribute to society. (Source)
So a culture of prayer would then be the beliefs, behaviors, objects and other characteristics relating to prayer common in your home.
Beliefs. What are your beliefs on Prayer? Are you teaching your children the significance of conversation with God? Are you sharing points of significant prayer in the Bible? In the life of Christ? in the New Testament church through the book of Acts? In the Pauline epistles? God calls for His house to be a house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7), Jesus affirmed this (Matthew 21:13) and modeled a life of prayer that was so inspiring that the disciples asked Him specifically to teach them to pray. (Luke 11:1) Our homes should be houses of prayer.
Behaviors. What behaviors are you modeling in your home relating to prayer? Prayer before meals? Bed time prayers? Crisis prayers in difficult times? Intentional moments every day where you consistently converse with Abba? Paul instructs we should live a life of prayer without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Objects. Do you prayer journal, recording your conversations with Abba? His responses? Do you pray the scriptures and have a particular Bible you use for that activity? Do you have a prayer list that you pray from consistently?
Creating culture, that is what we are called to do in our homes. One of the resources Liela and I have used and love is the book “Prayers that Changed History” by Tricia Goyer. Liela and I had the privilege of meeting and talking with Tricia at the Teach Them Diligently conference in Bentonville Arkansas in 2017 and we picked up this book. Our lives with Tricia’s cross over multiple themes. Tricia is a homeschool mom, author and conference speaker, like we are but we also share a heart for the orphan, the fatherless and adoption. Tricia spoke life into us that weekend about moving forward with adopting from foster care and what transitioning to homeschooling from that context might look like. For us it was powerful and helped us springboard towards our 2018 adoption.
Here is the description of the book from the publisher:
One prayer can change everything, says bestselling author Tricia Goyer in Prayers That Changed History.
Martin Luther. Sojourner Truth. Helen Keller. St. Patrick. We read their stories, and of other people like 
them, in history books and hear about the amazing things they did to change the world. But one part of the story is often left out: Each one of them wouldn’t have accomplished what they did without prayer.
In Prayers That Changed History, the stories of twenty-five notable people are presented along with how prayer changed their lives and changed history. Following each historical example is a biblical story that ties to that person’s life and actions, as well as ways you can use the power of prayer in your life as well. Because God isn’t done changing the world yet, and he would love to use you to make history.
How Liela and I use the book in our discipleship and how you use the book may not look the same but the result is an excellent teachable moment to discuss prayer. Twenty-five different stories of historical figures who prayed and how those prayers changed history. That could break down to a month or so long, once a day (weekday) story reading with intentional prayer time following where you and your children pray together. It could be an almost six month journey of once a week reading together one of the accounts from the book, again followed up with some intentional family prayer time. Let me encourage you today, grab a copy of Tricia’s book “Prayers that Changed History” and add it to the toolbox you’re using to disciple your children and create a culture of prayer in your home.
Hope over to Facebook and give Tricia a follow, she is always full of insight onto topics such as parenting, homeschooling, foster care and adoption and tons of other stuff: Facebook Look her up online at: https://www.triciagoyer.com/
Be sure to check back next week for another Wednesday Resource.