Memorize these verses as a family:

James 5:16b The prayer of a righteous man [or woman] is powerful and effective.

Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Listen. James tells us that when a righteous person prays, their prayers are powerful. Elijah was a righteous person (see James 5:17-18) and he prayed for the rain to stop and it stopped for three and a half years. He prayed again and the rains came. That is real power!

What made Elijah righteous and what made his prayers’ powerful is that he prayed for what God wanted, not what he wanted. Elijah prayed what Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “your will be done,” which means, “I want what God wants.” 

Discussion. If we are going to pray what God wants instead of what we want, what do we need to believe about God? [Think about how the Lord’s Prayer begins in Matthew 6:9] How will we need to trust him? 

Do we ask God what he wants when we pray as a family? If not, how can we pray differently?

Set Goals. Make a plan to pray the outline of the Lord’s Prayer when we pray as a family. [See Matthew 6:9-13.] Start with worship, telling God how great He is. Then ask him what he wants. Then pray for our daily needs, forgiveness (God forgive us and we forgive others), and our protection