Years ago a tradition started in our home. When we were kneeling for family prayer, one of the kids would say, “Don’t let the fire out.” Everyone would scoot together until our knees touched so the “fire” couldn’t get out. I have thought on that a lot. Here we are kneeling to ask The Source of Light for help and to give thanks to Him. What better analogy could we ever have of keeping His spirit with us throughout the day than keeping the “fire” in? Don’t get me wrong…sometimes our family prayers have giggles included or someone leans into another person to create a domino effect in the whole circle, but the power comes in the constant effort to teach children to talk to Heavenly Father.
There is power in gathering your family together. There is power in a quiet pause and reverence. There is power in kneeling in a circle. There is power in speaking fervently to One greater than us all. There is power in asking spiritual and physical protection. And there is power is saying “Thank Thee” to the One who has given us all our blessings. We can have power in a world that is so busy and rushed, when we take time to pray as a family. I know that is true.
“In the family prayer there is even more than the supplication and prayer of gratitude. It is a forward step toward family unity and family solidarity. It builds family consciousness and establishes a spirit of family interdependence. Here is a moment of the rushed day with blatant radios hushed, lights low, and all minds and hearts turned to each other and to the infinite; a moment when the world is shut out and heaven enclosed within.” –Spencer W. Kimball
Other posts that talk about how to build unity: Storytime! and Game Time!
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