and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors. (12)
An important part of the Lord’s Prayer involves asking the Lord to forgive our sins. If I feel I need to forgive anyone, I do so. I ask God to help our kids forgive anyone who has sinned against them.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. (13)
First, I ask the Lord to deliver me from all temptation and sin. I want to fear the Lord, for I know I am capable of any sin. Plus, I ask God to deliver me from certain specific temptations. And I ask the Lord to deliver Kristi and our descendants from temptation and sin. If I know my kids are being tempted or struggling in certain ways, I mention those to the Lord. I pray that the Lord will deliver us from all the enemy’s lies.
deliver us from evil. (13)
I also ask the Lord to deliver us from sickness, disease and any other evil we face. Sickness is evil. I pray for healing for our kids and grandkids who need healing.
Other Ways to Pray With Kids
This is how I use the Lord’s Prayer to guide me in my prayers for my family. And it’s how you can pray the Lord’s Prayer with your kids. I might not always use this pattern. Sometimes I just cast my cares on God as he invites us to do in 1 Peter:
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 PETER 5:6-7
Remember to Thank God in Your Prayers
Often I try to begin prayer time with thanksgiving too. For God said:
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! PSALM 100:4
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:18
I hope this encourages you to pray the Lord’s Prayer with your kids. Remember: God loves your children and grandchildren far more than you do. He desires these blessings for you and your descendants even more than you do. We serve a wonderful, generous, gracious, loving God. He has abundant blessings stored up and is waiting to pour them out on us:
Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! PSALM 31:19
This article about how to pray the Lord’s prayer with kids originally appeared here.
