Guilt Praying

We pray a lot at our house.  We try to have family prayer in the morning and at night, and we pray at each meal.  We pray before family home evening and before we leave for a trip.  One of the perks of having children after not having them for so long, is that there are other people to say prayers; it's not just me and Kent anymore.

Our children must have tremendous faith in God's ability to change people's behavior.  That, or they view prayer as an opportunity to express an uninterrupted opinion about fellow family members.  Here are some recent statements made by the children as they prayed.

Please help Mom not to be outrageous.

Please help Brandt to be reverent.

Please bless that Blythe won't be a doofus.

Please bless that Mom won't forget the money for the 4th grade store.

Apparently one and all feel that Kent's behavior is above reproach, because he never gets guilt prayed.  I've sort of felt that this kind of request made to God is a below the belt punch, but I think I may begin employing it myself.  If I exercise more faith, perhaps Heavenly Father can help me with my desires to see some behavioral changes.  My requests?

Please help the children to do what I ask the first time without my having to repeat myself six times and then blowing up.

Please help the children not to launch into a tirade about the unfairness of life in general and theirs in particular at 8:30pm when I am tired and just want them to go to bed.

Please bless that Blythe will keep her glasses on her face and not leave them outside in the dirt.

Please bless that Brandt will not leave Legos in the middle of the couch where we occasionally like to sit.

Please bless that the children will do some piano practicing today.  Really.  ANY piano practicing at all.

And please help me not to be outrageous.

Amen.


Post posting addition:  Here are a couple more examples.  I say amen and amen to both of these, too.

Please bless that when Mom or Kent ask Blythe to pray, she'll do it.

Please bless that we'll be nice.