When Christmas time rolls around, we get a bunch of Christmas cards. My fave ones are always the photo cards. I love seeing how people have changed since last year and getting a little glimpse into the family’s life. But what do you do with all the cards once January comes?
I used to feel guilty about throwing cards away. But I knew if I kept them, there was a 99.8% chance I would never look at them again.
This year, we did something different. Meet The Prayer Bucket:
This little bucket resides in Anna Grace’s room. Every night before bed, we read her a Bible story (usually from our fave book), sing, and pray. Before we pray, we pick out the next card in the bucket and pray for that family. Usually Daddy prays for them and then Anna Grace wants to pray. (Many of her prayers start out as her saying the names of the people and end up with her talking about the scenery in the picture. She’s learning, though!)
She loves it when we come to pictures of people in our church and family members, like this picture of my sister and her family:
I also include missionary prayer cards in the bucket so we can have a regular way of praying for our missionaries. It was pretty exciting when we prayed for this family and then got to introduce Anna Grace to them a few days later!
I’ve also enjoyed “introducing” her to friends she hasn’t been able to meet in “real life” yet, like Christina:
So if you don’t send me a Christmas card, make sure you send me one this year and we’ll pray for you throughout the year. That doesn’t sound like bribery, now, does it? 😉
What do you do with your leftover Christmas cards?
Are you a “keeper” or a “tosser?”
Comments
11 responses to “The Prayer Bucket :: Teaching Your Child to Pray”
awwww… love this idea! And I so want to meet Anna Grace! 🙂 and Nate!
I might just do this idea for me! 🙂 I just saw the stack of this year’s Christmas cards in the office last night too as I was cleaning 😉
My nieces are so sweet when they pray at lunch or whenever… “Thank you we got to go to Aunt Nina’s house… and help it be hot so we can eat popsicles… and help Mrs. Judy as she tells the kids with no ears about Jesus (their other babysitter who went on a mission trip to a deaf school.)”
Love their simple and sweet prayers! And the fact that they aren’t coached – but just come up with those things are their own.
Precious. That’s a great idea! We normally put our Chistmas cards on our fridge. And we have a ring (office supplies) that we keep in our car with prayer cards. We will have to add Christmas card pics to that this year. Great idea! (I love that she talks about the scenery. Cute!)
yes, she usually prays for the rocking chairs in the picture…the trees in your pic… 😀
it’s a special thing, too, because then we’re more involved in our friends’ lives!
Cool, I like your idea. I might make a scrapbook though because we don’t really get that many Christmas cards with photos on them.
If I send you a Christmas card you have to send me one:).
sounds good 🙂 although we opted out of Christmas cards last year. 😀
Ok so… this may be the best idea ive ever seen! I absolutely LOVE this! Im totally going to start doing this, both with those christmas photo cards I hate to throw away, and other photos people give us. Thanks for this great tip.. I think ill pin it and share it on FB, too. 🙂
thanks, Nicole! glad you like it!!
We put ours on our fridge too, but I’m going to incorporate this idea for the littles to know better who they are praying for. Love it, Christa!
Just read this post for the first time! What a great idea! I do not have children yet, but I was thinking this would be a good idea for my husband and I to do together as well. Thanks:)
Glad you like it, Judy. It’s been good for me as a way to continue praying for people throughout the year!