Editor's Note: You can view part 1 of this series here.

John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

As homeschoolers, we are obviously raising our children academically. But, are we training them in eternal things - the things that will prevail when knowledge fails? Let's take a moment and discuss some ways you can bring your children up in prayer. It starts when your children are young.

I remember when I was about 12 years old, agonizing over the fact that I was praying but not 'hearing' God. Did He even know I was there? I wanted God to speak to me audibly. I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to know that He knew me. As my heart was crying out to God about this, I opened my Bible. What I opened up to was the verse above in John, which directly answered my question of, "Can I hear His voice, and does He know me?" To my young heart, this verse sounded forth loud and clear: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." He actually spoke right to that 12-year-old girl and told her what her heart was longing to know. He heard my prayer, and answered me specifically. From then on, I have found the Word of God to be the voice of God in my life. What I desire for my children is that they learn not only to speak to God, but that they learn to hear Him speak to them as well.

As a young girl, what was it that prompted me to turn to prayer in the first place? I have no doubt that it was my mother's example of continual prayer. She did not sit down one day and "teach" me to pray. She just prayed … all the time! She was seen praying while walking around the house cooking and cleaning, while sitting with her Bible, while lying down in bed, or on her face on the floor. She prayed on the phone, or in person with whomever she met. She embarrassed us kids by praying in the stores or on the streets with complete strangers. She prayed when she was happy or sad or when we were. She prayed over sick children, broken cars and empty wallets. It was an all day, whole life, relationship with her God into which she brought others along with her, namely, her children. So, how can I begin my children in this school of prayer? By being the example.

Bringing children with you in prayer from the time they are young shows them your relationship with God. And as we pray with them in all circumstances, they will see the many aspects of God. They will see that He is the One we turn to with our petitions, the One to whom we give thanks, the One we worship, the One we turn to for healing, for comfort, and for the very words of life. As one of the disciples said to Jesus, we would also desire our children to repeat, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

I encourage you to speak those "words of eternal life" in prayer with your children (this is an easy way to hide it in their hearts without any effort on their part.) For example, if you pray this verse often, "Father, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power: nothing is too difficult for You," then your children will know this verse by heart quickly and easily.