I don't know how to teach my kids to pray

[butterfly]

I pray differently now than I used to. I meditate; I listen; my spirit visits with the Savior and my Heavenly Parents.
But I've taught my kids to "bless the food" and say their evening prayers out loud. And sometimes they tell me it's my turn and I feel very awkward. I don't know what to say - before I thought blessing the food and evening prayer was praying. Now that I know it's not, I'm trying to teach my kids the right way to pray. I'd love any suggestions.
Here's what we've tried so far:

1) Evening family prayer: 1 person asks a question out loud to our Heavenly Parents. Then everyone quietly listens. After a moment of listening, we share what answer we received.

Problem- the kids just kept asking the same question and got bored quickly while listening for an answer

2nd attempt: passed a telephone around and gave each person a chance to talk to Heavenly Parents. This made everyone come up with sincere comments and really expect that they'd hear our Parents talking back.

Problem- it wore off as they consecutively weren't hearing a response on the other end of the phone.

So how do I teach my kids to pray?
Does anyone else feel like blessing the food is more of a vain repetition than a prayer?

[g_luv_style]

I try to teach my son by focusing on giving thanks and expressing gratitude. Its not as much about blessing the food, but being grateful we have it.

[Dave62]

Baby steps, Butterfly, just baby steps. After decades of blessing the food and feeling like it was just a vain repetition, after decades of hit and miss family prayer, I'm happy to report that my two adult children live prayerful lives.

[Obrien]

I pray differently now than I used to. I meditate; I listen; my spirit visits with the Savior and my Heavenly Parents.
But I've taught my kids to "bless the food" and say their evening prayers out loud. And sometimes they tell me it's my turn and I feel very awkward. I don't know what to say - before I thought blessing the food and evening prayer was praying. Now that I know it's not, I'm trying to teach my kids the right way to pray. I'd love any suggestions.
Here's what we've tried so far:

1) Evening family prayer: 1 person asks a question out loud to our Heavenly Parents. Then everyone quietly listens. After a moment of listening, we share what answer we received.

Problem- the kids just kept asking the same question and got bored quickly while listening for an answer

2nd attempt: passed a telephone around and gave each person a chance to talk to Heavenly Parents. This made everyone come up with sincere comments and really expect that they'd hear our Parents talking back.

Problem- it wore off as they consecutively weren't hearing a response on the other end of the phone.

So how do I teach my kids to pray?
Does anyone else feel like blessing the food is more of a vain repetition than a prayer?

In answer to your immediate question ^^^, yes.

I came to the realization later in life about the rudimentary nature of most "standard LDS" prayers. I try and teach my kids now to pray with respect but with more familiarity than they used to. To me, it is an individual thing, and I teach them individually. I pray over the meal on Sunday, and my prayers are decidedly less formal than they used to be. My kids are still seeking a comfortable public prayer vocabulary, and most of their prayers are mostly rote, but with real intent. Sorry, butterfly, no silver bullets here.

[Jeremy]

So how do I teach my kids to pray?

Example.

I pray differently now than I used to. I meditate; I listen;

Are your kids aware of this?

Does anyone else feel like blessing the food is more of a vain repetition than a prayer?

Yes.

[Finrock]

I can imagine the early LDS apostles and church leaders over time coming across a situation like this in managing the affairs of the Church. I am only speculating at this point, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to struggle with teaching the up and coming generation about things that you know through experience, but now being worried and desiring to pass on knowledge and traditions that might help avoid some of the issues or mistakes that you experienced before being converted to Jesus Christ and His gospel.

I am inclined to say that we teach by example but some times for the practical fact that children's brains are still in a state of development and they may not understand concepts or higher ideas until they learn it by experience. So, do you teach nothing or do you try to help at least develop in your child a habit of praying, even if at the moment the prayers are rote, repetitive, or impersonal. The habit, the idea, will be planted, at least. The best scenario will see you children, over time, following your example while they followed the structured route initially because it was easier for their minds to relate or focus on.

-Finrock

[butterfly]

So how do I teach my kids to pray?

Example.

I pray differently now than I used to. I meditate; I listen;

Are your kids aware of this?

Does anyone else feel like blessing the food is more of a vain repetition than a prayer?

Yes.

I tried teaching my oldest about meditation, she's now 8. She understood the basics but it was very boring to her, I think. As I think about it, maybe the situations we've been in are how I'm teaching them, like you said, through example??

For instance, when they're sad, I ask the Savior to come be with us. I tell my child "Here's Jesus right here, in the room with us." I point exactly where He's standing. Then I make the outline of a box in the air and I ask them to find where the sadness is in their body. I tell them that sadness can make us hurt physically. So they point to a spot like their stomach and then we start pulling all of the sadness out and putting it in the imaginary box. When all the sadness is out, we give the box to Jesus and He makes it disappear. Then He gives the child a present. The child opens it and it is filled with love and happiness, which I pour over their head.

Maybe that would be considered prayer. I never thought of that.

How are you teaching your kids, Jeremy? What is working in your family to help your kids learn to communicate through the Spirit?

[butterfly]

I can imagine the early LDS apostles and church leaders over time coming across a situation like this in managing the affairs of the Church. I am only speculating at this point, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to struggle with teaching the up and coming generation about things that you know through experience, but now being worried and desiring to pass on knowledge and traditions that might help avoid some of the issues or mistakes that you experienced before being converted to Jesus Christ and His gospel.

I am inclined to say that we teach by example but some times for the practical fact that children's brains are still in a state of development and they may not understand concepts or higher ideas until they learn it by experience. So, do you teach nothing or do you try to help at least develop in your child a habit of praying, even if at the moment the prayers are rote, repetitive, or impersonal. The habit, the idea, will be planted, at least. The best scenario will see you children, over time, following your example while they followed the structured route initially because it was easier for their minds to relate or focus on.

-Finrock

This is what I was thinking at first, too. But then, when my kids ask me to pray, I just can't do it like they do. It feels so...fake. I don't know what to say out loud in front of a group. So I feel like there has to be a way to teach them the principle of prayer, that you should actually be communicating and not just saying things because we're about to eat or we're about to sleep.

I talk with Heavenly Father all throughout the day and if I meditate, it's when I'm alone. When I'm around other people, it's more difficult to keep that contact, that phone line open. I feel hypocritical telling them to "be reverent" and "say your prayers" when I'm not doing it the way I'm telling them to do it.

But you're right, they have to be taught something. a seed needs to be planted - I just want it to be a seed that will bear fruit.

[Juliet]

I pray differently now than I used to. I meditate; I listen; my spirit visits with the Savior and my Heavenly Parents.
But I've taught my kids to "bless the food" and say their evening prayers out loud. And sometimes they tell me it's my turn and I feel very awkward. I don't know what to say - before I thought blessing the food and evening prayer was praying. Now that I know it's not, I'm trying to teach my kids the right way to pray. I'd love any suggestions.
Here's what we've tried so far:

1) Evening family prayer: 1 person asks a question out loud to our Heavenly Parents. Then everyone quietly listens. After a moment of listening, we share what answer we received.

Problem- the kids just kept asking the same question and got bored quickly while listening for an answer

2nd attempt: passed a telephone around and gave each person a chance to talk to Heavenly Parents. This made everyone come up with sincere comments and really expect that they'd hear our Parents talking back.

Problem- it wore off as they consecutively weren't hearing a response on the other end of the phone.

So how do I teach my kids to pray?
Does anyone else feel like blessing the food is more of a vain repetition than a prayer?

I think you are doing a great job trying to make prayer a real conversation with God. Keep doing what you are doing. But one idea, I pray over everything I bring into my house to remove any impurities. Take Halloween candy, that stuff needs to be cleansed because witches pray that curses will be attached to it. And with all the people in Venezuela going hungry, I think thanking God for food is very important.

[Finrock]

Keep praying how you pray while at the same time allow them to pray in a way that makes sense to them, what they understand, or are comfortable with. If they see your continued example I believe this will have an effect on them. I learned how to pray like every Mormon usually does. When it was time for real power in my life, when roteness no longer was sufficient, or when I was broken hearted and contrite, it was established in my mind to go to God in prayer, which I did using or praying the best that I knew how. God responded and He started to teach me how to pray correctly, or I guess pray with more meaning, with more intimacy, and with more sincerity.

-Finrock

[Dannyk]

I don't have kids, can't have them in fact. So I don't have anything super practical to teach, only to offer some validation that I freaking LOVE what you're already doing. I wish I'd learned anything like that, learned how to be that creative, or experimental.

I think the fact that you're even showing them that it doesn't necessarily look like church stuff, and that it can be something like meditation, or like envisioning Christ in the room...these things are beautiful, and I would hope will teach your kids they can be creative and personal in their approach.

[butterfly]

Keep praying how you pray while at the same time allow them to pray in a way that makes sense to them, what they understand, or are comfortable with. If they see your continued example I believe this will have an effect on them. I learned how to pray like every Mormon usually does. When it was time for real power in my life, when roteness no longer was sufficient, or when I was broken hearted and contrite, it was established in my mind to go to God in prayer, which I did using or praying the best that I knew how. God responded and He started to teach me how to pray correctly, or I guess pray with more meaning, with more intimacy, and with more sincerity.

-Finrock

I don't know. Why would we teach something that isn't quite accurate? I mean, you figured out how to pray but how many people live their whole lives and never quite figure it out? I read somewhere that babies can still see beyond the veil but that they forget about it as they grow because no one else ever talks about it or explains it to them. Maybe if parents talk about the other side of the veil as children grow, then the children won't lose their spiritual sight.

Maybe instead of telling kids to close their eyes to pray, we help them keep their eyes opened.

[davedan]

First teach children to be thankful and recognize God's hand in their lives.

Second, Heavenly Father is not Santa Clause.

Teach children to seek to know what it is that Heavenly Father wants them to do and to pray to be enabled to do it.

[Rachael]

I try to teach my son by focusing on giving thanks and expressing gratitude. Its not as much about blessing the food, but being grateful we have it.

^^This^^
There is a reality lost to most of us here in the land of plenty and obese, and further in another microcosm of food storing LDS, that there are many, many hungry people, probably a majority of people in the world who are hungry. I'm not some "awareness day" junkie, but teach them awareness about that. God is aware.

So It's not vain repetition if you can make them realize how blessed they are having something to eat. I remember the Ethiopian famine of the eighties, mass graves of children and adults, but that was because of it being on TV all the time,-- I'd have to google it to remember exactly what it was about and why. Those boney people were so glad to have a bowl of some unappetizing bowl of this gruel looking substance that foreign aid brought to them, they were brought to tears. But it's still going on, all over. So if you get a take out pizza from Dominos, teach them they should be grateful, even for a bag of Doritos or ramen noodles.

[butterfly]

Well said, Rachel, thanks!

[Finrock]

Keep praying how you pray while at the same time allow them to pray in a way that makes sense to them, what they understand, or are comfortable with. If they see your continued example I believe this will have an effect on them. I learned how to pray like every Mormon usually does. When it was time for real power in my life, when roteness no longer was sufficient, or when I was broken hearted and contrite, it was established in my mind to go to God in prayer, which I did using or praying the best that I knew how. God responded and He started to teach me how to pray correctly, or I guess pray with more meaning, with more intimacy, and with more sincerity.

-Finrock

I don't know. Why would we teach something that isn't quite accurate? I mean, you figured out how to pray but how many people live their whole lives and never quite figure it out? I read somewhere that babies can still see beyond the veil but that they forget about it as they grow because no one else ever talks about it or explains it to them. Maybe if parents talk about the other side of the veil as children grow, then the children won't lose their spiritual sight.

Maybe instead of telling kids to close their eyes to pray, we help them keep their eyes opened.

Because I guess it really isn't inaccurate. God responds to us not based on how we pray, whether it is eyes closed, eyes open, arms up, arms down, walking, sitting, whatever. If a person is praying with sincerity and with real intent, it doesn't matter what or how they are doing it. Also, your children will likely learn from your example if you allow them to see you pray, or whenever you pray, do it how you feel is correct. If it is good and right, they will pick up on it and likely follow your example. I guess my main point is that we can safely and successfully follow patterns until we figure out how we best pray to Heavenly Father. Prayer is truly an individual thing. God will teach each person. Maybe that is another thing that you can teach your children, that there really isn't a wrong way to communicate with God, Yes, a person can go their whole life not understanding what prayer is all about, but that isn't likely going to happen in a home where a person is being taught or it is explained to them what prayer really is or how it should be done. It really is about the state of mind a person is in, not specific actions, etc. So, a person who is praying based on the pattern taught at Church will be just as much heard and responded to by God if they are praying with real intent and with sincerity as a person who opens their eyes, uses informal language, or whatever else you might do, as long as they are being sincere and praying with real intent...and with faith, of course.

Teach sincerity, teach real intent, and teach faith. Teach your children that there really isn't a wrong way to pray and if they feel comfortable with the pattern taught at Church, that is just fine as long as the components of sincerity, real intent, and faith are there. I agree with the gratitude part of prayer. In the last few years I have changed my food prayers in my family to reflect being grateful. I no longer ask my family to give a blessing on the food, but rather I ask them to give thanks. I also teach them that the most important component of any prayer is probably being grateful and giving thanks to Heavenly Father. In my family when I pray, I converse with God as if I were talking with Him face to face or as if I were to a person I really respect and honor. I use formal language, even though I don't have to, but that is more habitual. But, the formal language isn't bad because I can still converse with Him as one person converses with another. I think He understands that I'm trying to show deference and respect to Him. I think that it is important for my kids to learn to pray individually. I think that is where the good stuff happens, as they start to build a personal relationship with God, by having their own personal prayers. I don't know how good they are doing this, but I feel like they don't pray individually as often as I would like because at the moment I don't think they really feel like God is close or involved in their lives on a day to day basis or that He is accessible. So, I try to teach that concept to them as well, that God is close, He is right here with us, and is involved in our day to day lives perfectly and completely. I try to teach them that He cares, He is interested, and He is very desirous to talk and to interact. But, that is pretty much all I can do. They will have to figure it out. They will have to build that relationship. They will have to come to understand God is there and is involved. They will need to experience all of these things themselves and learn to know how they best communicate with God.

-Finrock

[Kitkat]

Great conversation! I love what has been shared. We are also trying to help our little ones feel connected to God, and we definitely have our fair share of vain repetitions.

I have tried teaching my kids meditation too, and they were more interested in wiggling like worms on the sleeping bag mats, and although it is kind of fun, I don't think they are experiencing the zen I envision for them .

I have found, on occasion holding hands while we pray is very effective in helping them feel the communication. Being comfortable helps too. We still have formal prayers because...it's just what you do, but we also have "talk time" with God where we just invite him to be with the real, sometimes goofy, or moody us. One of us starts a conversation with God and anyone can jump in at anytime and add a thought or tell Heavenly Father about our day. This seems to remove the stiff vain repetition part because it would just be really weird to have a conversation that flows like our prayers, during talk time we keep our eyes open and smile And interact with each other. Maybe we will add a special prayer chair for Heavenly Father/ mother/ Jesus as a visual reminder.

I also try to be really open with my kids and let them know that mommy is learning too, and whenever I find a better way to do something I try to go with it.

My biggest hurdle is not getting annoyed/angry when they foil my super spiritual moment lessons...on purpose

[Kitkat]

First teach children to be thankful and recognize God's hand in their lives.

Second, Heavenly Father is not Santa Clause.

Teach children to seek to know what it is that Heavenly Father wants them to do and to pray to be enabled to do it.

Loved what you shared here. God is not our vending machine to get what we want. The beauty is in knowing God.

I have one child who never forgets her prayers...ever. They are very sincere and very repetitive . It is almost like she uses prayer as her free ticket to keep her life safe and easy. I struggle to find a way to nourish her desire to rely on God for protection and teaching her that there are no guarantees that she will be safe all the time.

It is difficult to teach children faith and balance that with the reality of the unfairness and cruelty in the world. Anyone have any good,ways to teach this without crushing the tender seed of faith a child has?

[Finrock]

Great conversation! I love what has been shared. We are also trying to help our little ones feel connected to God, and we definitely have our fair share of vain repetitions.

I have tried teaching my kids meditation too, and they were more interested in wiggling like worms on the sleeping bag mats, and although it is kind of fun, I don't think they are experiencing the zen I envision for them .

I have found, on occasion holding hands while we pray is very effective in helping them feel the communication. Being comfortable helps too. We still have formal prayers because...it's just what you do, but we also have "talk time" with God where we just invite him to be with the real, sometimes goofy, or moody us. One of us starts a conversation with God and anyone can jump in at anytime and add a thought or tell Heavenly Father about our day. This seems to remove the stiff vain repetition part because it would just be really weird to have a conversation that flows like our prayers, during talk time we keep our eyes open and smile And interact with each other. Maybe we will add a special prayer chair for Heavenly Father/ mother/ Jesus as a visual reminder.

I also try to be really open with my kids and let them know that mommy is learning too, and whenever I find a better way to do something I try to go with it.

My biggest hurdle is not getting annoyed/angry when they foil my super spiritual moment lessons...on purpose

This reminded me that in our family prayers pretty much anyone who wants to can add or ask the person praying to say or thank Heavenly Father. We don't make a big deal out of that or forbid it as long as it is respectful. So, while I'm praying, one of my kids might remind me to pray for someone or something or they might even correct me. We, the parents, do the same as well sometimes. We don't try to be too rigid, although I do expect my children to be reverent. It's important in my home that whatever prayer a person says or gives, is acceptable and good, as long as they are being sincere. On a rare occasion one of my kids might be in a mood where they want to use prayer time as a time to joke or to make the rest of the family laugh. Although that isn't awful, it still isn't what prayer is about so we do correct that and ask them to start over if that is the case. Once or twice we've had to change spokespersons for the prayer because one kid was not able control their laughter or were just in a mood to be really silly.

Something else I've noticed in my family is that during family prayer we often have lots of antics going on before we pray. Sometimes we can just sit there and hang out for 10 or 15 minutes or even more talking, hanging out, laughing, messing around, or popular in my family are my little girls like to start doing gymnastics and showing off how flexible they are. This is a fun and wonderful perk to praying as a family. I'll certainly miss those moments when my children are grown and move away.

So, family prayer is pretty relaxed and we don't try to control too much how someone prays, we feel comfortable adding or asking things to be said even if we aren't praying, and so in essence we are all taking an active part in the prayer sometimes.

Not sure how helpful these thoughts are, but that's how it goes around my home. One thing that I do wish I could do better, which I mentioned in my last post, is how can I encourage my children to pray individually to God each day?

-Finrock

[Contemplator]

Butterfly,

I have followed this thread and thought about what I might add for a while now. I have appreciated your approach toward prayer. You have a wonderful spirit and connection to God. I think it is important to help our children learn how to talk with God individually, as well. I know my personal prayers are quite different than what i learned in primary so many years ago.

As for public prayers, though, I think there is a place for learning to address God in that setting. The purpose seems different when praying as voice for a group then when praying in personal communion with God. I think of praying in public as a chance to help focus the group on God, His love, and His work. I think of how the hearts of the people burned within them when Jesus prayed for them in 3 Nephi. We have a chance to invite people closer to God as we address Him in public prayer.

I agree that a rote prayer that follows a recipe in public is uninspiring. But, a sincere expression to God in behalf of a gathering of a ward or a family can be inspiring. That is what I hope to model and teach to my children.

[butterfly]

Butterfly,

I have followed this thread and thought about what I might add for a while now. I have appreciated your approach toward prayer. You have a wonderful spirit and connection to God. I think it is important to help our children learn how to talk with God individually, as well. I know my personal prayers are quite different than what i learned in primary so many years ago.

As for public prayers, though, I think there is a place for learning to address God in that setting. The purpose seems different when praying as voice for a group then when praying in personal communion with God. I think of praying in public as a chance to help focus the group on God, His love, and His work. I think of how the hearts of the people burned within them when Jesus prayed for them in 3 Nephi. We have a chance to invite people closer to God as we address Him in public prayer.

I agree that a rote prayer that follows a recipe in public is uninspiring. But, a sincere expression to God in behalf of a gathering of a ward or a family can be inspiring. That is what I hope to model and teach to my children.

This is a good way to look at it, thank you. It's almost like how God's speech in scripture is so formal but then, one-on-one, He speaks in a way that is personal to you specifically.
In what ways has your method of praying changed over the years?

[Contemplator]

In what ways has your method of praying changed over the years?

For many years I went through the motions:

1. Address my Father in Heaven
2. Express thanks
3. Ask for help
4. Close in the name of Jesus Christ

The thanks I expressed were often real expressions of my gratitude. I asked for things that I sincerely wanted to know. But, I did not "hear" answers in real time as I prayed. As a teen, I felt like I was trying to do something good, but didn't understand it. As I prepared to serve a mission I was blessed to receive an answer to one request that I made of God. It was not answered as I prayed but I received a clear answer from God as I moved forward in faith. That began a long period of time where I felt like prayer was a form of spiritual email. I would place my prayers in God's "inbox" and wait patiently for answers.

The next step is difficult to describe. In the past, I had not really felt that I was communicating with an actual being through prayer. Rather, something vague, called "God" or "Heavenly Father" was teaching me through the scriptures, temple ordinances, friends, conference talks, or anything else that was carried into my heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, I had several experiences where it became clear that I was talking with a real being. This being was communicating with me, much as I would communicate with people around me in life. I learned the sound if God's voice (the still small voice) and His communication became more clear. Then, my prayers became more like a conversation. I think the trigger for this was the experience of being baptized with fire. I KNEW that my sins were forgiven, felt God's love, and heard His voice.

I still offer formal prayers where I will express love, gratitude, and desire to learn more. I pose specific questions, as well. Now, though, I am less interested in a formula or formal language. I just express my thoughts through words, mental images, and feelings. I rarely pray out loud because it is spiritual communication. Then, I go on with my day with the thoughts expressed in prayer carried in my heart. I like to run. That is great moving meditation time and I often hear the answers to my prayers during that time. I still feel that my prayers are answered as I read the scriptures or attend the temple. But, now it is more clear that there is a Being who is communicating with me through those mechanisms. I just feel that life is lived in conversation with God.

Not sure if that makes much sense, but that is an attempt to answer your question.

[butterfly]

In what ways has your method of praying changed over the years?

For many years I went through the motions:

1. Address my Father in Heaven
2. Express thanks
3. Ask for help
4. Close in the name of Jesus Christ

The thanks I expressed were often real expressions of my gratitude. I asked for things that I sincerely wanted to know. But, I did not "hear" answers in real time as I prayed. As a teen, I felt like I was trying to do something good, but didn't understand it. As I prepared to serve a mission I was blessed to receive an answer to one request that I made of God. It was not answered as I prayed but I received a clear answer from God as I moved forward in faith. That began a long period of time where I felt like prayer was a form of spiritual email. I would place my prayers in God's "inbox" and wait patiently for answers.

The next step is difficult to describe. In the past, I had not really felt that I was communicating with an actual being through prayer. Rather, something vague, called "God" or "Heavenly Father" was teaching me through the scriptures, temple ordinances, friends, conference talks, or anything else that was carried into my heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, I had several experiences where it became clear that I was talking with a real being. This being was communicating with me, much as I would communicate with people around me in life. I learned the sound if God's voice (the still small voice) and His communication became more clear. Then, my prayers became more like a conversation. I think the trigger for this was the experience of being baptized with fire. I KNEW that my sins were forgiven, felt God's love, and heard His voice.

I still offer formal prayers where I will express love, gratitude, and desire to learn more. I pose specific questions, as well. Now, though, I am less interested in a formula or formal language. I just express my thoughts through words, mental images, and feelings. I rarely pray out loud because it is spiritual communication. Then, I go on with my day with the thoughts expressed in prayer carried in my heart. I like to run. That is great moving meditation time and I often hear the answers to my prayers during that time. I still feel that my prayers are answered as I read the scriptures or attend the temple. But, now it is more clear that there is a Being who is communicating with me through those mechanisms. I just feel that life is lived in conversation with God.

Not sure if that makes much sense, but that is an attempt to answer your question.

It's great how you described this process!
My journey has been much along the same lines, which is why I've been stumped as to how to pray vocally in front of others, or encourage my kids to do so- prayer has become a conversation and so talking to God so formally and without giving Him a chance to speak feels awkward and like a step backwards.

I try to use mental images and feelings more than words, too. It seems like the message is sent and received better that way.

So have you tried to teach others this method of direct communication with God or do you think the majority of us have to start out with a basic primary prayer?

Can people be taught to skip the formality and jump straight into hearing God's voice? It seems that if anyone could, it would be children- they'll believe what you tell them and they don't struggle with feelings of sin and guilt.

[Contemplator]

So have you tried to teach others this method of direct communication with God or do you think the majority of us have to start out with a basic primary prayer?

Can people be taught to skip the formality and jump straight into hearing God's voice? It seems that if anyone could, it would be children- they'll believe what you tell them and they don't struggle with feelings of sin and guilt.

I honestly don't know the best way to teach others how to pray. It is, in many ways, enough of a challenge just to figure it out for myself. But, I share my experience with family and friends who express interest and are willing to engage in conversation about the topic. Then, it is their opportunity to experiment and learn to talk with God for themselves. In a sense, we show them the veil and invite them to talk with God through the veil. But, it is up to them to have the conversation.

Like I mentioned earlier, I find that public prayer is almost a language of its own. My goal is to not shock people who have prior ideas about how to pray, but to pray in such a way that the prayer is a conversation with a real being on behalf of those who are present or for whom we are praying.

Just some thoughts. Thank you for asking a great question that prompted me to think more about this topic

[butterfly]

So have you tried to teach others this method of direct communication with God or do you think the majority of us have to start out with a basic primary prayer?

Can people be taught to skip the formality and jump straight into hearing God's voice? It seems that if anyone could, it would be children- they'll believe what you tell them and they don't struggle with feelings of sin and guilt.

I honestly don't know the best way to teach others how to pray. It is, in many ways, enough of a challenge just to figure it out for myself. But, I share my experience with family and friends who express interest and are willing to engage in conversation about the topic. Then, it is their opportunity to experiment and learn to talk with God for themselves. In a sense, we show them the veil and invite them to talk with God through the veil. But, it is up to them to have the conversation.

Like I mentioned earlier, I find that public prayer is almost a language of its own. My goal is to not shock people who have prior ideas about how to pray, but to pray in such a way that the prayer is a conversation with a real being on behalf of those who are present or for whom we are praying.

Just some thoughts. Thank you for asking a great question that prompted me to think more about this topic

I've been trying a new method that has had some good results. My son has been having a bad cold so when it was time for family prayer, I told everyone that we would try something new. I basically did a guided prayer. I told them:
"Hold open your hands. Close your eyes. See Heavenly Father standing in front of you. He has a gift for you to give to your sick little brother. The gift is love. See how Heavenly Father is putting the love in your hands. What does the love look like? It could look like flowers or hearts or snowflakes, etc. When your hands are full, turn them towards your little brother. Now let all the love pour down your brother's head. Look how it flows all around him, covering him in Heavenly Father's love. This love will make him feel better.

Now add your own love that you have for your brother. See how the love comes out from your heart? What does it look like? Maybe it looks like rainbows or presents all wrapped up, etc.

Now see how your little brother is happy and playing and breathing without any problems.
Tell Heavenly Father thank you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. "

I was surprised at how well this worked. When we finished, my daughter talked about how she could really feel the love on her hands. They all shared what their love looked like. For every prayer we have had since, they have asked to do this same thing. And what's great is that they are so focused during the prayer - no one is playing or running around - they are really concentrating.

I told them that they are creating in the spirit world. I can adapt this method to any situation. Instead of praying for a long list of things, it would be for one specific thing that we are all focused on.