Praying With Children

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Overview

It is important for children to know that they can talk to God about anything and that He will listen. When a child prays to God about a sick pet or a scary “monster,” I am reminded that my Heavenly Father also listens to my heartfelt prayers and cares about my concerns and fears.

What is Prayer?

  • Talking to God. If we speak to someone standing on the other side of a curtain, we cannot see them, but they are still there. God is listening to us even though we cannot see Him.
  • Praise. We express praise to Him for His unique and wonderful qualities. We like to hear people praise us, and God likes to hear us praise Him.
  • Thankfulness. In prayer, we voice appreciation to our Father for what He has done for us and others.
  • Confession. Prayer is a time when we can tell God we are sorry for sins we have committed or for things we should have done that we did not.
  • Making Requests on Behalf of Others. Children can pray for many things, including praying for the sick or hurting, for the gospel to be preached to unsaved people, for adults and children they know or have heard about, and many other things.
  • Making Personal Requests. In prayer, we can ask God to forgive us of our sins, help us to act in Godly ways or do good deeds, give us strength when we are weak or simply share our feelings with Him.

What Children Pray About:

  • Their parents and grandparents, stepparents, uncles, aunts…
  • Their siblings, cousins and various family members
  • Friends and friends’ families
  • Teachers, coaches, community leaders, government
  • Ministers, missionaries and church leaders
  • People they have heard adults talk about, and people who are mentioned in church announcements or in the church bulletin.
  • Sick people need to get well.
  • Their pets
  • People who have suffered losses or difficulties
  • That bullies will be nicer
  • That they can do well in math, science, or any schoolwork
  • That they can do well in a sport

Respecting Children:

When we ask someone to pray for us, we do not necessarily want everyone else to know about that prayer request. It is important to treat a child with the same respect. As a teacher, you will sometimes hear a child pray for matters that are private to that child’s family. If appropriate, you might wish to talk to the parent(s) about it, but never gossip about it to others.

Inappropriate Prayers:

Sometimes, children are not focused on God when they pray during the lesson. They may be silly or try to make jokes in the prayer. If a child prays an inappropriate prayer, I generally say something like, “Our God is the Creator of the universe. He is stronger than the strongest person on earth. He loved us so much that He sent His son to die for each of us. Next time we pray, let’s give Him our respect.” Then move on and don’t dwell on it.

Celebrate the Answers!

Whatever method of prayer you choose, be sure to talk about how God is answering the prayers the children are praying. God always hears our prayers. When we make a request, He might answer:

  • Yes.
  • No.
  • Not right now, or
  • I’ve got something different in my plans for you.

Click here to learn about various prayer methods to use with children.

Bible Verses About Prayer

Songs about Prayer

Other Helpful Resources:

1. Videos about Children and Prayer

Kid’s Prayers (1 minute 50 seconds)
https://vimeo.com/6649768

What do children pray for? (1 minute and 8 seconds)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0faiprt4To

2. Bible Stories That Emphasise Prayer