Learning to Pray

What are the things you do daily without thinking twice? We brush our teeth, we put on clothes, and we never leave the house to begin our day without a pair of shoes on our feet to equip us for the road ahead.

In the same way, we can strive to see prayer as an essential part of our day, for the benefits are greater than fresh breath or comfortable feet! Let us teach our children to start small, with an icon of Christ and just five minutes, but strive for consistency. The goal is to remember, thank, and glorify God each and every day by coming to meet Him face to face. By doing this, we grow to rely on Christ and He becomes the center of our lives.

Remember, when we pray, we open the communication between us and God in a very personal way. There’s no one who knows us better than our Lord. He is with us each step of the way, and He knows exactly what we need. The Blessed Elder, IERONYMOS of Aegina +1966 encourages us in his writings "Do not leave off prayer. No matter how tired you are, you can pray for half an hour. Feed your body as if you were going to live a hundred years, but feed your soul as if she were going to die tomorrow."

In the Orthodox Church, we learn how to pray from the Saints who are illumined by God and who share in His glory. When we use their prayers that were written and passed on to us, we become like them and follow them into union with God. Certainly, we can also speak from the heart, but to rely on the words of the Saints for help is the most accurate way of reaching our Lord – for not every ship that sets sails reaches it’s destination.

Here are some prayers available online:

Print Your Own Pocket Prayer Book! Click Here

Transfiguration Orthodox Prayer Book
Orthodox Prayers
Orthodox Christian Prayers

Here are some of my favorite prayer books for children & teens:

Potamitis Prayer Book
Guardian Angel Prayer Book
Children's Prayer Book

Prayer is the greatest weapon we can equip our kids with!