In “The Blessings of Family Prayer,” President Gordon B Hinckley says:
“I submit that a return to the old pattern of prayer, family prayer in the homes of the people, is one of the basic medications that would check the dread disease that is eroding the character of our society. We could not expect a miracle in a day, but in a generation we would have a miracle.
“A generation or two ago, family prayer in the homes of Christian people throughout the world was as much a part of the day’s activity as was eating. As that practice has diminished, the moral decay discussed by the Apostle Paul has ensued.
“I feel satisfied that there is no adequate substitute for the morning and evening practice of kneeling together—father, mother, and children. This, more than soft carpets, more than lovely draperies, more than cleverly balanced color schemes, is the thing that will make for better and more beautiful homes.”
It can be difficult to squeeze family prayer into an already hectic schedule, but it is very important to do so. Here are five ideas that may work for your family.
1) If you have teenagers in high school and early morning seminary, you may have the entire family get up to pray together in the morning. If this is not going to work for your family, have a prayer with each group of children before they leave for school. Then you should have a prayer together as family in the evening.
2) An easy time to have family prayer in the evenings is dinnertime. This works especially well if your family eats together every night. If they don’t eat together every night, now is a great time to establish the tradition. If this will not work for your family, have a set time when everyone needs to be home, so that you can have family prayer together.
3) When you gather together as a family for prayer, keep the tone upbeat and positive. It is not the time to berate your children for leaving their shoes in the living room, or neglecting to do the dishes. Praying together is most effective when love is felt by all that are there.
4) Be consistent with the times that you have family prayer. It can be difficult to remember to pray together on the weekends, simply because the schedule changes so much. You can start a weekend tradition of big breakfasts together and have prayer then. You should try to keep the evening prayer consistent with the evening weekday prayers.
5) When praying encourage a spirit of reverence. Your children will follow your example. My one-year-old is extremely active, but when he sees us all kneel down and fold our arms he will follow suit. This can become more difficult during the preschool years, but consistent example and prayer can help you through this time.