# Let Us Pray: The Third Element of Lent
*2010-02-21*

> Bill Young discusses the importance of prayer during Lent, sharing family traditions, simple grace practices, and personal moments of prayer.

## Prayer as the Third Element of Lent

The third element of Lent is prayer. If it isn’t already part of your routine, this is a good time to begin saying grace as a family.

## Family Grace Tradition

When our boys were little, we started holding hands and saying grace, partly to keep the “number three” son from diving into the food while our eyes were closed. First we prayed our traditional grace, and then each person added a short prayer of gratitude. We limited each person to one thing they were most grateful for. This was hard for our “number two” son, who struggled to choose only one thing, especially as our food grew cold.

## Simple Prayers for Daily Life

Memorizing simple prayers can be very helpful. Praying before bed is an important practice—going to sleep with God on our lips brings a sense of gratitude and the hope of sweet dreams, even if it can’t guarantee them.

## Personal Moments of Prayer

Don’t neglect your own moments of prayer, whether in the shower, on a walk, or as you fall asleep. Take time to recall the day, thank God for the good, ask for strength to face difficulties, admit where you could have done better, and request grace to improve tomorrow.

*Lent invites us to deepen our prayer life, both together as a family and in our personal quiet moments.*