The environment of Course Correction raises the question “How do I know if I’m off course?” Sometimes it’s obvious when we’re not following the path God has for us, but other times we may only be off by a degree or two and won’t know it until, over time, we wander far from where God desires us to be. Prayer is essential in Course Correction. When we take the time to quiet ourselves and listen to God’s voice, we provide Him with an opportunity to gently correct us when we’ve veered off course.

Set aside 20 or 30 minutes to do a reflective prayer exercise with your family. Find a quiet space where you won’t be distracted. First, have your family members stand up and get their wiggles out.

Then, invite everyone to spread out around the room and find a space to sit down or kneel. Give each family member a piece of paper and something to write or draw with. Have everyone take a few deep breaths in and out, and then begin guiding them through the following four questions. (This is not a time to share answers out loud but is instead a time to process these questions with the Lord.)

Ask: “What are you thinking about? Is there anything currently distracting you or running through your mind?” Give a couple minutes to write or draw. Then say, “I encourage you to let go of those thoughts and distractions for the rest of our prayer time. If you find your mind wandering, ask God to help you focus back on Him.”

Ask: “What are you feeling right now? Are you anxious? Sad? Angry? Excited? Something else?” Give a couple minutes to write or draw. Then say, “I encourage you to tell God how you’re feeling.”

Ask: “What do you want to say to God today?” Give a couple minutes to write or draw. Then say, “God cares about the things that are on your heart, and He loves it when you talk to Him.”

Ask: “What do you think God might want to say to you today?” Give a couple minutes to write or draw. Then say, “The more time we spend stopping and listening for God’s voice, the better we’ll get at knowing what He wants to say to us.”

Gather everyone back together and ask, “What was it like to quiet yourself before God?
Was it awkward? Relaxing? Hard to focus? Fun?” Acknowledge that this experience will be different for each person and that it gets more comfortable with practice. Then ask, “Would anyone like to share what God said to you?” and discuss anything that comes up.

Consider making this a regular rhythm in your home. When we take time to listen to God’s voice, we can rest assured that He is with us and will lovingly guide us back to Himself in the areas where we’re off course.