Adapting the LPP for Household Prayer

A Five-Element Method

We have often been asked how to adapt the Living Prayer Periodicals for household prayer, especially when that involves small children. It is an important question and one that we want to provide some suggestions for in this Advent edition. These suggestions come after years of practice and experimenting within our own communities and families. The liturgies can be practiced once or twice a day, depending on your household rhythms. In my house, we practice communal prayer around the table once we finish dinner (almost!) every evening.

Disclaimer: If you have small children, prayer time will probably not always be peaceful and beautiful. These times might involve some chaos, disordered noise, fighting, arguing, silly laughter, etc. That’s OK! Especially as children begin developing new habits and growing in their ability to pay attention, you are encouraged to let them grow in this way and to take your time growing in prayer together. There is no hurry, and things need not be perfect. The Lord is with you and your family and merely desires your presence. The important part is finding a simple rhythm and sticking to it because children (and adults) thrive on rhythms.

The following suggested method takes the seven core elements of the LPP liturgies and reduces them to five:

CALL

LESSON (Psalm, OT, or NT)

ABIDING

THE LORD’S PRAYER

BENEDICTION

Here are some practical suggestions for implementing this method:

Before you begin to pray together, select what your Lesson reading is going to be. For example, if the scripture readings that day are Psalm 62, Leviticus 12, and Mark 10, then choose one or a section of one of those to attend to. It will probably be best for those with small children to begin small. If Mark 10 is chosen, then choose just one of the sections of that chapter.

Before you begin to pray together, distribute the parts of the liturgy to different members of the household. In my household we have five people, so each member is responsible for one movement of the liturgy. If you have children who can read, they might relish the chance to read a different part each day. We keep a chart on the wall with the day, the five elements, and the person’s name, giving each person a chance to do different parts throughout the week. 

If children cannot read, worry not! Children also love to do call-and-response, and this is how their language is formed. For my youngest son, who cannot read, his mother or I whisper the words of the call in his ear and he then gets to say them loudly for the family prayer time. He loves it, and yes, it is often adorable.

Begin each time of prayer by taking some breaths together as a family (we often do three deep breaths), bringing stillness to your bodies, hearts, and minds.

CALL

Again, children often love call-and-response! If necessary, teach them what their response line is going to be (the words in bold). Then someone should read the call and hear the response of the rest of the table.

LESSON

Read the passage of scripture you selected before, or have one of the children read it (mine fight over this privilege . . .).

ABIDING

This element can be really flexible as far as what is done and how long it takes. Here is a suggested flow: 

You might begin by actually reading the italicized text in the Abiding section: “Pause at the start/end of this day. Enjoy communion with the living God . . .” Or maybe start this time by singing a song together (e.g., a song from the back of the book or one from your church’s worship service).

Then invite some reflection on the scripture reading you just heard together by asking simple questions: “What did you hear in that passage?” “What stuck out to you?” “What did Jesus do?” “What do you think it meant when it said _____?” You might get asked a question that you don’t know the answer to, and that’s perfectly fine! We are all always learning together. 

From here you could pray one of the provided prayers in the LPP for that day, you could pray using one or more of the prompts, you could pray as the passage you heard leads you, or you could practice intercessory prayer.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Simply pray this together every day as Jesus taught us.

BENEDICTION

When we practice this element, the person giving the benediction raises their hands and puts them outward while the rest around the table open their hands, palms up, in a posture of reception. Then the benediction is spoken and the time of prayer comes to an end.

This is merely a suggested method, and you are encouraged to modify, reduce, or expand it as fits the context of your household. Our prayer is that you can find your communal rhythm of communing with the Creator and experience the beauty and shalom that comes from praying together.