Family Faith and Fun Fridays: Hoppin’ and Prayin’

 

My mom used to tell me that it’s impossible to pray for someone without growing in love for that person. After decades of experimenting with her hypothesis, I believe her supposition is true. Prayer fuels love. And compassion is love in action. So, if you’d like to plant seeds of compassion in your home, perhaps the best place to begin is in prayer.

Sometimes in the middle of the night, Hannah will call me into her room and tell me that she’s just “got to pray for….”  orphans who need mommies, children who are hungry, kids at school who are lonely…
The specifics change night by night, but the heart of her cries sent to Heaven remain the same. Though I’d prefer to sleep through the night, I am humbled by my tender one’s invitation to join her at the THRONE as we intercede for those in need. And I’ve learned that God is faithful to sleep-deprived moms!

I think that Hannah’s constant awareness in prayer of those in need is a key to her compassionate spirit. Her prayers in the darkness grow love, and that love spurs action when the sun rises!
That’s lesson #3 from Hannah’s school of mercy: Pray for those in need! Then let those ripples of prayer grow into a tidal wave of compassion!

Last weekend, we stumbled on a fun way to spark some compassion-growing prayer. Find your jumping shoes and give it a try!

First:  Draw a hopscotch board on your driveway or sidewalk

Then: Write names of those in need on the various blocks. Let the kids help you come up with the ideas. We listed the names of our missionary friends and those to whom they ministered, places that need prayer, such as Africa and America, and people groups such as orphans, widows, and government leaders.

 

Finally: Toss your stones, hop and pray! When you reach the last square, shout out some PRAISE.

 

It was fun to listen to the prayers that streamed out of my children’s mouth while they hopped about! May you jump into new heights of compassion as you hopscotch and pray.