Prayer Methods

It is important to guide children in learning how to pray. In prayer, children can connect with God and learn that He hears and answers them. God can become a lifelong friend who is with them every moment of their lives.

Try using a variety of prayer methods from time to time so that the children can learn to connect with God in different ways. Note that you and the children can pray at any time throughout your lesson. Click here to learn more about praying with children.

Some of the ideas below originated from other sources like Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry and Kid Min Mama. You’ll see those mentioned alongside the corresponding prayer methods on the list below.

1. Finish the Sentence Prayer

Materials:

Paper and pencil (optional)

Description:

There is no formal structure of prayer that we must pray in every situation.  To help children learn to pray, I often use the following general outline that I found on the back of a poster from TREND.  The teacher can even write these sentences and let the children fill in the blanks for a written prayer.

• (Opening) “Dear God”
• (Praise God) “Lord, you are ____________”
• (Confess Your Sins) “Lord, forgive me for ____________”
• (Thank God) “Lord, thank you for ______________”
• (Pray for Others) “Lord, please help _______________”
• (Pray for Yourself) “Lord, I need _______________”
• (Closing) “In Jesus’ name, Amen”

2. Repeat After the Teacher

Materials:

None

Description:

This is often one of the first ways a young child learns to pray. The teacher should ask the children to fold their hands (or sit quietly or whatever your chosen posture). The teacher says a prayer, one phrase at a time, and the children repeat after the teacher. For example: The teacher says, “Dear God,” and the children repeat, “Dear God.” Then the teacher says, “Thank you for this day,” and the children repeat, “Thank you for this day.” This continues for the entire prayer.

3. Group “Chain” Prayer

Materials:

None

Description:

This works best if everyone is sitting in a circle. The teacher and children should join hands. The teacher (or one of the children) begins the prayer and then squeezes the hand of the person sitting next to him/her to let them know it is their turn to continue the prayer. After that person says a part of the prayer, he/she squeezes the hand of the next person. Once the prayer has gone around the circle, the last person (or the teacher) completes the prayer with “In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: As the prayer goes around, someone might not wish to pray for some reason. When their hand is squeezed, they should just quietly squeeze the next hand in the circle so the prayer chain continues without pause.

It is often helpful to suggest a theme or assign particular topics for the children to pray for. Here are some variations you can try:

• The teacher begins the prayer, and then each child prays, thanking God for one thing before passing it to the next person.
• The teacher begins the prayer, and then each child prays about something relating to the lesson or the theme of the day. For example, if you have been learning about kindness, then each child can ask God to help everyone in the group to be good in a different situation (“Please help us to be kind at school” or “Please help us to be kind our brothers and sisters at home”)
• The teacher begins the prayer, and then each child prays for one person on the group prayer list.
• When it is a child’s turn to pray, they can pray for the person on their left or right.

4. Prayer Sticks or Spoons

Materials:

This activity can be done using popsicle sticks or plastic spoons. You will also need a small pail or cup.

Description:

Children (or the teacher) can write prayer topics on popsicle sticks or spoons and then place them in a pail or cup. When it is time to pray, the children can choose one or more sticks and pray for those topics. Click here for more about prayer sticks.

Make it personal by praying for other children or people the children know.  Names can be written on sticks and collected in a cup, as above.  A teacher in Botswana came up with the idea of drawing the faces of individuals on plastic spoons.  Children choose a spoon and pray for the person whose face is on the spoon.  This would work especially well for non-readers.  Sharpies or other smudge-proof markers would be best for this.

5. Five Finger Prayer

Materials:

None

Description:

Each finger represents a group of people to pray for. Children can use this as an outline for their prayer. Click here for further explanation of the 5 Finger Prayer. 

• Thumb- (point to heart with thumb) Pray for those close to you.
• Index Finger- (point away from you) Pray for those far away.
• Middle Finger- (tallest of your fingers) Pray for leaders.
• Ring Finger- (only finger too weak to stand straight up) Pray for the weak.
• Little Finger- (least or could be the letter “I” in sign language) Pray for yourself last.

6. Prayer Cards

Materials:

Paper/thick cards, pencils

Description:

Before prayer time, ask the children to help you write prayer requests on normal paper or thick paper. Divide the papers among the children so each child has at least one request to pray for. You can use these papers/cards to pray for people during the lesson, or have the children take the cards home as reminders for their prayer time there.

Alternatively, ask for prayer requests from the children and write them down on cards for you to keep and pray over on your own. If you have younger and older children in your lesson, the older children could write down everyone’s prayer requests on the cards and lead the prayer.
For more information and ideas, follow the link to Prayer Cards.

7. Prayer Tree

Materials:

Tree branch, bucket of rocks (optional), paper, pencil

Description:

Set up a tree branch in the room to represent a “prayer tree”. You might prop it in a bucket of rocks so it will stand up. You and the children can write prayer requests on paper and then peg them to the limbs of the tree. When it is time for prayer, you or the children can take one of the papers and pray for the request on the paper.

8. Post-It Prayers:

Materials:

Post-its, pencil

Description:

Simply write prayer requests on post-its and stick them on the wall or wherever you wish. At prayer time, children can choose which prayer request to pray for.

9. Prayer Journals

Materials:

Paper, pencil

Description:

Provide children with paper and help them make their own personal booklet or journal. During the group prayer time, they can add their own prayer reminders to their journal. Allow time for them to pray for items in their journals silently during the lesson.

10. Prayer Chains

Materials:

Paper, stapler and staples, scissors

Description:

Write specific prayer requests on small rectangular slips of paper. Staple the ends of the papers together to form links of a chain. Connect the links to form a chain of prayer requests. The children can take these home and hang them somewhere in their room to help them remember what to pray for.
Click here for more about prayer chains.

11. Prayer Posture Cards Activity

Materials:

Cards with illustrations depicting various postures for prayer. Draw pictures or photograph real people. Alternatively, download them from the instruction page.

Description:

One child selects a card. The prayer leader then guides everyone into the position depicted on the card before leading the group in prayer.
Click here for instructions and downloads.

12. “I Spy” Prayer

Materials:

A piece of paper or a cardboard tube

Description:

“God sees to the farthest parts of the earth.  And he sees everything under the heavens.” Job 28:24, ICB.

Look through the paper tube and spot:

• Someone you can pray for, or
• Something you can thank God for.

The “I Spy” idea is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry.

13. Play-Doh Prayer

Materials:

Play-Doh

Description:

Take the clay in your hands and close your eyes. Shape it into various shapes as you pray that God will make you into what He wants you to be.  The Play-Doh idea is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry.

14. Bubble Wrap Prayer

Materials:

Bubble Wrap

Description:

Hold a piece of bubble wrap. Think of something worrying you, and tell God in your head or out loud. After you’ve prayed about it, pop a bubble as a sign that you’ve asked God for help and released the worry to Him. The Bubble Wrap idea is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry.

15. World Map Prayer

Materials:

World Map, sticky note or sticker

Description:

Look at the world map. Choose an area of the map to pray for, whether a continent, region, country, state, or city. Place a sticky note or sticker on the part of the world you prayed for. The World Map Prayer idea is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry. 

16. Spinner Prayer

Materials:

Paper, pen/pencil, paperclip

Description:

Draw a circle on a piece of paper and draw 8 even sections. In each section, write down something you can pray for. To start, place the paperclip on the spinner. Place your pencil tip inside the paperclip so the tip is in the centre of the spinner paper. Flick the paperclip with your finger so that it spins around the pencil. Pray for whatever is in the section the paperclip landed on. 

17. Sand Prayer

Materials:

Sand, container for sand

Description:

Think of any sin you want to confess to God. Use your finger to draw a picture of this in the sand, and then tell God your sin and ask for His forgiveness. Move your hand across the sand to erase the picture and show how God has wiped away your sin. 

18. Finger Labyrinth

Materials:

Create or print a labyrinth (find examples here)

Description:

Use your finger to trace the path on the mat. As you trace the path, think about your life journey or simply ask God to speak to you. You can also talk with God about your life and ask Him how He might be with you on the journey. The labyrinth idea is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry.

19. Prayer Game – Feelings

Materials:

Gameboard, dice, game tokens/pieces
(create your own gameboard or find a printable one here)

Description:

Play this game with 1 or more players. When it is your turn, roll the dice. Move your gameboard piece the number of spaces you rolled on the dice. 

• If you land on a blue space, tell God, “I feel sad when… Please help me God.” 
• If you land on an orange space, tell God, “I feel happy when… thank you God.”

The game is over when the first player reaches the end and prays for the group.
The Feelings Prayer Game idea is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry. 

20. Bubble Prayer

Materials:

Bubbles

Description:

Think of any sin you want to tell God about. Pray and tell God about this sin, and then ask for His forgiveness. Blow some bubbles, and as they float away and pop, let this be a sign that God has forgiven your sin. 

Paper, pen/pencil, box or container

21. Letter to God

Materials:

Description:

Using the paper provided, write a letter to God. When you are finished writing the letter, place it in the box. No one else will read these letters. 

22. Coin Prayer

Materials:

Coin

Description:

Flip a coin. If it lands on heads, say a prayer starting with, “God, thank you…”. If it lands on tails, say a prayer starting with, “God, please…” or “God, why…?”
The Coin Prayer ideas is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry. 

23. Button Prayer

Materials:

Button

Description:

• Choose one button. As you hold the button, feel how HARD it is and pray for those going through hard times. 
• Buttons are also used to FASTEN things together. Next, pray for God to bring people together who are not close anymore or have moved far away. 
• Next, look at your button and count the number of HOLES it has. Thank God for that number of things. 
• Look at the COLOUR of the button and thank God for something of that colour. If you’re doing this prayer with others, find someone whose button is the same colour as yours and pray together for families.
  The Button Prayer idea is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry.

24. Sorry Bin

Materials:

Paper, pen/pencil, bin

Description:

• On the paper, write down a sin you have committed. 
• Tell God you are sorry and ask Him to forgive you. 
• Crumple up the paper and throw it in the trash can/bin. 
• Know that God has taken away your sin.
  The Sorry Bin idea is from Flame: Creative Children’s Ministry. 

25. Table Prayer

Materials:

Table, chairs

Description:

Take a seat at the table. Look around at the empty chairs. Pray for the people you sit by at work, school, home, church, or public transportation. 

26. Praise Wall

Materials:

sticky notes, paper/pencil

Description:

Take a sticky note and write or draw why you love God and why He deserves praise. Place the sticky note on the wall.  The Praise Wall idea is from Kid Min Mama.

27. Musical Prayers:

Materials:

Cards with prayer prompts on them, chairs, music

Description:

Set up a circle of chairs that face outwards, and place one prayer prompt card in each chair. There should be one chair for each person praying. When the music plays, everyone walks around the circle of chairs. When the music stops, everyone stops by a chair and prays for what is on the prayer prompt. Do this as many times as you like. 

28. ‘Praise Your Name’ Prayer

Materials:

Paper, pencil/pen

Description:

The “Praise Your Name” prayer is a God-centered prayer that begins with attributes and descriptions of God and then leads children into prayer to be more like him. See more instructions here.

https://nz.pinterest.com/marynnz/prayers/