3 Simple Prayers
Cultivating Gratitude, Honesty, and Love in Your Family
Every day, our culture is discipling our kids—apprenticing them in a way of life shaped by:
Hurry: always rushing to the next thing.
Instant gratification: expecting life to move at the speed of a swipe.
Consumerism: believing happiness can be bought.
Hyper-individuality: learning to prioritize “me” over “we.”
Performance: equating worth with achievement.
Comparison: measuring identity through likes and highlights.
All of these forces are shaping our kids every single day, and none of them are neutral. Whether it’s on their screens, in their schedules, or through their peers, our kids are constantly being formed by this world they live in (just like we are). They are being taught what to love, what to chase, and where to find identity.
That’s what discipleship really is: formation in the way of something. If we don’t intentionally apprentice our kids in the way of Jesus, the world will apprentice them in its way instead.
As parents, we get to apprentice our kids in the way of Jesus. I used to feel like that was something heavy, and I was never going to get it right. Now I’m learning to see the whole day as another moment to integrate a simple rhythm that will point their heart toward His.
For years, our family has gathered early before school. Sometimes we eat waffles, sometimes cereal, and sometimes it’s just “grab something.” But we’ve always tried to make that space intentional. We open the Bible, read together, and talk about who Jesus is.
During the school year, that rhythm has been our anchor. We’ve read through the Jesus Storybook Bible more than once because it captures the grand narrative of Scripture so well, showing how it all points to Jesus instead of treating each story like a standalone moment. As the kids have grown, we’ve moved into reading from the New Testament and using a simple discovery Bible study approach.
Recently, I spent a week with some good friends. The first night I arrived, I was invited to join them for “morning devotions” at seven. I imagined it would be similar to what we do at home.
To my surprise, no Scripture was involved. There were four of us in the room, and we were simply invited to share three things:
One thing you’re thankful for.
One thing you need prayer for.
One person you’d like us to pray for (and maybe how we could pray for them).
We went around the room, everyone shared, and then we prayed for what we heard.
During that prayer time, I had a moment with Jesus where I sensed Him saying,
“Reading about me is good. You should keep doing that. But your kids will learn just as much about me by spending time with me in prayer.”
It seems so simple. You can read a paper about me and you’d learn some things, maybe ven a lot of things. But you don’t really get to know me until you spend time me.
When I came home, we started integrating that same rhythm into our mornings. We didn’t abandon Scripture. I still think it’s important for my kids to learn what Jesus was like by reading the stories about Him. But we began alternating between reading together and praying together. Some mornings, instead of reading a passage, we’re simply asking two of the three questions: “What’s one thing you’re thankful for?” and “Who’s one person we can pray for today?”
I’m looking forward to introducing the third. I actually believe it will be the question that will teach me more about my kids than the other questions.
In this practice, we’re learning together how to cultivate gratitude in our hearts. We’re also learning to think about the people in our lives more often, to think beyond ourselves and for the people we’re interacting with and what their needs might be. It’s teaching us to be more like Jesus.
I also realized that for years, I’ve been the one praying over my kids. This new, simple practice gave me a way to begin inviting them to engage Jesus on their own and to use their own words to express what their hearts want to say to Him.
The Practice
Try this two or three times this week. You don’t need long. It doesn’t have to be the first thing in the morning. Everyone’s schedule is different. It could be right before bed, around the dinner table, or even on the drive between sports or the store. Maybe the weather’s good enough to take a short walk around the block together. The only “rule” here is to make sure you give everyone space to share.
When you begin, explain what you’re doing. You might say something like:
“We’re going to try something simple together. Each of us will share three things: one thing we’re thankful for, one thing we need prayer for, and one person we want to pray for.”
If your kids are young, you can even write the three prompts on a notecard or stick them on the fridge:
Thankful for…
Need prayer for…
Pray for…
Go first. Model the kind of openness you hope they’ll share. It’s okay to stretch them a little, but keep it simple enough that no one feels pressure to say something profound. When you talk about the person you’d like to pray for, tell them why. Let them see how you’re thinking about the people around you.
Once everyone has shared, take a moment to pray. Invite each person to pray for one thing someone else mentioned. Remind them:
“It doesn’t have to sound perfect. Jesus just wants to hear us.”
If your kids feel shy or unsure, that’s okay. Actually, it’s expected. Let them start small. This might only be a one-sentence prayer, or even a whispered “thank you.” Over time, they’ll find their voice.
The goal isn’t to make prayer another task. It’s to create space where your family can slow down, listen, and talk with Jesus together.
I believe that as this rhythm settles in, we’re going to notice some new things in our family. This is giving us the opportunity for faith to move from being something each person carries on their own to something shared and communal.
What you’ll be cultivating is a family environment of shared disciple-making. This is a space where everyone, kids and parents alike, learn together what it means to follow Jesus in ordinary, everyday moments.
Optional Add-Ons (for older kids or repeat use)
If you want to extend the conversation:
After “thankful,” ask: “Why do you think God gave you that gift?”
After “need,” ask: “What might Jesus want to say to you about that?” or “Is there anything you need from us to help you with that?”
After “person,” ask: “Is there any way we could bless them this week?”
Reflection
You don’t need to be an expert to disciple your kids. You just need to be present. Every shared moment becomes holy ground when Jesus is in it. This little rhythm won’t solve everything. It won’t make life slow down or fix the chaos of the world pressing in around your family. Honestly, it won’t ever happen as perfectly as you imagine it could. However, it will create space for gratitude to grow, honesty to surface, and for love to stretch beyond yourselves.
And in that space, as it becomes a more natural part of your rhythms, you’ll begin to see Jesus showing up, teaching your kids (and you) what His voice sounds like.
So take a breath. Keep it simple. You’re not just raising good kids, you’re apprenticing them in the way of Jesus.
