How can a father lead his family in prayer?

Joel Beeke explains in this video that in terms of praying, it is important to bring all needs of the family in prayer. He shares that the "ACTS" formula has been helpful. First, the family spends time in the "adoration" of God. Then, "confession," then "thanksgiving," and then "supplication."

It is important as a father that you know what is going on with your family. Before family worship, it can be helpful for a husband to ask his wife if she has learned any special needs during the course of the day. In his family, he begins the time of prayer and then someone else finishes it. He explains in this video how he included even his young children in times of prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV) - "Pray without ceasing."

In terms of praying, I think what's important is to bring all the needs of the family in prayer but to follow the Acts formula I found to be the most helpful. First, you adore God, adoration, then confession, you confess your sins. Then tea for Thanksgiving, you thank Him. And then finally come your needs. And it's important as a father that you know what's going on in the family.

So one really helpful way to do that is when you come home from work at night before family worship just pull your wife aside and say, any special needs in the family? Oh yes, Esther's got a big test tomorrow. Calvin's coming down with a cold and you bring that into your family prayer. Now the way we do family worship is as the head of the home I do the opening prayer and then I ask my wife and my children take turns doing the closing prayer and I ask them to start that when they're three years old. I have them on my lap and I say to them, okay, here's a few words to whisper.

I whisper in their ear and they say them out loud. And when they're three, I'm actually giving them all the content for the prayer. When they're four years old, I say, now you start the prayer, you give Daddy a little poke in the stomach when you run stuck. And they do, and then I whisper a few things more, and so on. By the time they're seven, I say, now you do the whole prayer yourself.

So you're in the family worship itself, you're teaching all your children how to pray. Of course the Holy Spirit alone can bless that, but you're teaching them the basics so they don't feel uncomfortable with the idea of praying itself.