When the Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to his apprentice, Timothy, he presented three great insights about cultivating a healthy spiritual environment at home. Paul writes: “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:3-7). This one sentence gives us a perfect picture of three generations of Christians. Timothy’s grandmother Lois became a Christian; lived out what she believed so much that it influenced her daughter Eunice to become a believer. Eunice lived out what she believed, so her son, Timothy, also became a believer. Lois and Eunice had such an effect on Timothy that their lives were visible to Paul through Timothy. In other words, when Paul looked at Timothy, he saw Lois and Eunice's influence shining through.

Their example to Timothy begs a question of us. What kind of values and virtues are you cultivating in your kids? The first insight Paul provides is to be sincere. The apostle Paul says Eunice and Lois both had “sincere faith.” That means they acted out their belief system. They believed in Jesus and believed what he said was true, so they did what he says to do. They forgave others, they shared of their material things, they helped strangers, and they chose to be servants instead of trying to be above everybody else. They walked the walk and talked the talk.  

Our children watch us and they act on what they see. When my kids were little, every one of them was simultaneously screaming before lunch one day. So rather jokingly I said “Josh, shut your pie hole.” Of course he heard what I said and, like a parrot, issued the same command to his sister. So now she was telling him to shut his pie hole and he was telling her to shut her pie hole and Katie told both of them to shut their pie holes. I told Josh not to say that and he immediately told me to shut my pie hole. I had modeled something I didn’t want mimicked. Kids are like magnets; they will pick up anything you give them whether good or bad. I’m sure that Eunice and Lois were not perfect, but their faith was sincere and they modeled what they believed.

The second insight is to be consistent. Being consistent as a parent is tough. Any parent knows being the good example isn't always easy. And any parent willing to teach their teenager proper boundaries with social media and good driving skills knows it is hard to walk the walk consistently. What we learn best as children are lessons that are transmitted through consistent actions and boundaries rather than verbally taught. What are you transmitting consistently to your kids or other impressionable kids or young adults?

The third insight Paul provides is to be a growing Christian. Paul mentions three generations here and there is no indication whatsoever that any of them stopped growing. They kept growing and continued to produce spiritual fruit in their own lives which impacted and nourished others. Jesus promises us we will grow if we stay connected to Him. “5I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Here are a some practical ways you can cultivate a healthy spiritual environment in your home:
-Pray as a family and share with each other the prayers that have been responded to.
-Pray with your kids before bed.
-Serve others together.
-Go to church and be enthusiastic about this time spent together.
-Bring the kids to AWANA, Freshwater Kids, or Student ministry activities.
-Participate in a group with other growing Christians and model your devotion to Christ-like friendships.
-Share with them regularly your love for Jesus and how he is working in your life.

What kind of a role model are you to your children? If you don’t have kids or your kids are grown, what kind of role model are you to others? Are you OK with the life you’re living in front of your children, family, and friends? Is your life revealing more and more the marks of Christ-like-character or self-absorbed character? Are you living a kind of life that you would like to have modeled to you?

God is willing to work with you and help you grow in your faith so you can become the role model to your children and others that you desire to be. 

My daughter Sara loves to make soup. At first her soup didn’t have any flavor because it consisted of boiled potatoes and carrots without any seasoning. Being the good father I am, I ate it. I tried to be encouraging, but she and I both knew it was lacking something. The second time she made soup, she added potatoes, carrots, and an entire cup of seasoning salt. She was getting closer, but it had way too much seasoning salt in it to even attempt consumption. She kept at it and, little by little, Sara started adding the right ingredients, in the right portions, and cooking it for just the right amount of time; some potatoes, a few carrots, a fair amount of chicken, chicken bouillon, and a touch of season salt… and voila! The best soup in the world! It just took her a while to figure it out.
 
Our spiritual life is like a recipe. In order to grow in our faith, we must incorporate different means of fellowshipping, worshipping, and connecting with Christ – all in proper ratios. Your meat and potatoes (the base of your spiritual walk) might be attending church and reading devotional books, but without prayer, it isn’t going to taste right. If you want to take the next step in your faith, you are going to have to learn how to season your spiritual life with prayer.
 
I am convinced that through prayer, God’s power can change circumstances and relationships. God’s power can help you face every problem, fight every battle, and finish strong. I believe that God can heal physical disease, emotional distress, remove marital obstructions, and meet financial needs. We tap into God’s presence and power when we learn how to pray.
 
Jesus’ disciples intently watched him pray and when he finished, they held their gaze at him and said: Lord, teach us to pray. There was something so authentic, so transformative, so peaceful and powerful about Jesus’ prayer life that even the closest people to him asked for advice on how to pray. He gave it to them.
 
 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13
 
If you want to regain the power of prayer in your life, utilize the prayer pattern Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:9-13. Jesus didn’t tell us to recite this prayer over and over. He says this is how you should pray, not what you should pray. In his prayer, Jesus reveals what you need to know in order to have a deeper connection with God in your prayer life. I created an acronym based on this prayer to energize my prayer life. It helps keep me focused when I pray. The acronym is PAPER and it comes right out of this passage that teaches us how to pray.
 
P - for Praise. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” When we praise God, we worship Him for who He is, for being awesome, powerful, righteous and just.  We praise him for his love, forgiveness, and grace.
 
A -  for alignment. “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we pray for alignment we are asking the Holy Spirit to help us align our lives with God’s precepts provided to us in His word, the Bible. The Ah-ha moment is when we realize that it’s really about aligning our lives with His will, not asking Him to align His will with our will.
 
P - for provision. “Give us today our daily bread.” Pray for your needs and wants. There is no request too big or too small for God. I open up to God about my own life and what I need by sharing my aches, pains, and problems with Him. I also share my hopes and dreams with Him because God knows me inside and out. God wants me to pray for specific needs that I have.
 
E - for exoneration. “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors” When we pray for exoneration, we are asking God to forgive us of our sins and help us to forgive others. When I confess, I see the cross. It reminds me that Jesus died on it for my sins. When I look at the cross, I find it easy to see my own sins which I confess to God and restore my relationship with Him.
 
R - for rescue. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  We need God to rescue us from the temptations we face. All of us face temptations and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist them. If you don’t ask God to help you when you are tempted, you will be more likely to give in. Romans 8 talks about living by the power of the Spirit and how you need to tap into it to get through your challenges. Jesus wants us to come to Him as real and as transparent as we can be.
 
It is possible for you and me to integrate the practice of prayer into the rhythms of our lives. It is possible to grow closer to Christ and to deepen our love for him and knowledge of him. It is possible to pray expectantly, trusting that God will provide an answer, even if His answer is not what we expected. When you pray, think of the acronym PAPER to help you connect with God on a deeper level.