God “is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Your Heavenly Father wants to fulfill your righteous desires. Jesus taught, “Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your [spouses] and your children may be blessed” (3 Nephi 18:21). When you pray as a family, the Holy Ghost can bring feelings of comfort and a spirit of love to your home. Family prayer can ease tension and bring lasting happiness to your family. It can help you and the rest of your family become more patient, kind, forgiving, and humble.

God is mindful of you and your family, and He hopes you will approach Him in prayer as a family. Praying as a family brings you closer to God and closer to one another. When you kneel with your family to pray, you are doing more than speaking to God. You are demonstrating faith. You are serving God through your prayers. Praying as a family fortifies your love as you pray for each other. Your family prayers can bless your children for generations to come.

When your family prays together, remember the needs of others. Help your family members realize that there are people around you who are sad, less fortunate, or in need of help. Be mindful of leaders in the world, community, and Church who carry heavy responsibilities, and pray for them. Through prayer, your family can focus outward and develop a deeper love for all people.

Praying doesn’t have to be formal, eloquent, or memorized. You can talk to God like you would any other person. He wants you to sincerely speak to Him from the heart. To begin your prayer, address God by saying, “Dear Heavenly Father.” Then have a conversation with God. Express gratitude, tell Him how you feel, and ask for blessings you or your children may need. Then end your prayer by saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

When you pray together as a family, choose one person to say the prayer, and ask everyone else to kneel, bow their heads in reverence, and listen while that person prays. Teach the other members of your family how to pray, and take turns praying each day.

God has counseled us to “cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening” (Alma 34:21). This life is full of challenges, tough decisions, and temptations. He wants us to pray often to Him so He can always be with us and with those we love most. In other words, “Let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually” (Alma 34:27). Aim to pray as a family at least once a day, and encourage the other members of your family to pray on their own as well.

Prayer is also a way to give thanks to God for the blessings we have. Taking time to reflect with a heart of gratitude helps us feel God's love for us and our family. 

Find times you can routinely pray together—whether before breakfast, right after dinner, or before you go to bed. Make family prayer a priority. When you and your family pray to God “with all the energy of heart” (Moroni 7:48), your family can receive strength to withstand the trials and challenges that too often tear many families apart. You can be filled with God’s love for each other and those around you.