I'm kind of crazy about praying straight from the Word of God. Most of the time, when you visit my home, you'll find any number of sticky notes, printables, or framed prayers, in nearly every room of the house.

There's one small, yellow, sticky note that's been on my husband's closet door for close to six years now. There's another sticky note on my bathroom mirror, a framed piece that's my prayer verse for 2014 hanging right outside my boys' room, and my prayer calendar for my boys hanging beside my desk in the homeschool room.

I've taken the directive from Deuteronomy 6:9 seriously, and I wouldn't have it any other way...Working toward a culture of prayer in my home—to raise boys who don't know anything other than asking God for everything they need(<<---Tweet that!)

I'm working toward a culture of prayer in my home—to raise boys who don't know anything other than asking God for everything they need.

It's taken some time, but my sons are starting to get it. For example, just the other day, I dropped a cutting board on my toe. A heavy one. Pointy side down. On my toe.

I spent two hours just trying not to be physically sick from the pain. It was all I could do to get lunch on the table and sit down...head between my hands, glasses thrown on the table, toe throbbing so hard I didn't know if I'd be able to eat.

He started to sing the Johnny Appleseed song.

We do sometimes, when we want to be silly, or sing instead of speak our prayers. He loves to make up alternate endings to it ("the sun, and the rain, and the appleseed, the Lord's been good to me...and my pinto beans..."). But instead of finishing the whole song, he sang the first few words (O, the Lord's been good to me..."), stopped, got all serious, and totally changed the direction of his prayer...

"Jesus, please help mama not to be sick. Heal her toe. Amen."

And even though I could barely speak from the pain, my heart melted right there at the table, because my little boy's heart was soft enough to know that mama needed Jesus to help her. Maybe it's because he hears me crying out to Jesus nearly every day. Maybe it's because he sees so many of my prayers hanging around the house. Or maybe it's because God's working in his heart.

But I know this...

It means he's listening. Seeing. Taking it to heart.

Would you take the challenge to create a culture of prayer in your home? If so, pray with me:

Lord, thank you in advance for changing me and growing me in my faith so I can create a culture of prayer in our home. Teach me how, and make these seeds of faith grow long and strong in my family's heart. Help me lead the charge. In Jesus Name.

Take some practical steps toward your new goal...

1. Set your watch, or the alarm on your phone to begin a habit of praying on the hours. This will go a long way toward helping you remember that you have access to God in the moments of your day.

2. To get yourself even more in the habit of prayer, take the Praying for Boys 5-day prayer challenge.

3. Print out the free graphic below, and hang it in your boys' room, or in a place where you frequently pray. Make it a habit to pray the verses from Proverbs 4:20-27 every day.