Teaching Our Children to Pray: a Parental Summary
Prayer for Children: Prayer means “talking to God.” By creating specific prayers, we can address the child’s individual needs and concerns. As adults, we often have the misconception that little children are “practice praying”, however children who pray to their heavenly Father are not practicing. Their prayers are heard by the Lord as loudly and clearly as any well-practiced adult (Matt. 19:14), and are often even more effective because they are always prayed with belief that God will hear and answer.
A few examples of Bible-based prayers for children might include:
- Thank you God, for taking away my sins and helping me to live right (1 Peter 2:24).
- Help me to know Jesus’ love and to feel Your power in me (Ephesians 3:19).
- I trust God to always protect me (Psalm 91:11, 14).
- Teach me God to be honest about my sins so I can confess them and be forgiven (1 John 1:9).
- I want to sing and tell everyone how wonderful You are (Psalm 150).
“Now I lay me down to sleep” and “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for this food.” Unfortunately, all too often those two simple children’s prayers are the extent of our teaching our children how to pray.
Children imitate what they see, and we need to be an example of praying adults for our children. If they are to know the importance of prayer and make prayer a daily practice in their lives, then as their parents/teachers and grandparents we need to be setting the example. Below are some examples of how this can be done. (Please comment below if you have other helpful ideas!)
Let our children see us praying. Children learn by example. Our children and grandchildren need to see us starting and/or ending our day off with prayer and reading the Bible.
Our children also need to see us praying when a crisis arises or decisions need to be made. We need to make prayer a part of our children’s normal daily life by praying with and for them. Praying with our children needs to be more than a quick prayer said at meal and bedtimes.
Send your children off with a prayer. We have an opportunity to make a difference in our children’s day by sitting down with them before they head to school and praying for them individually. We need to be pray for guidance and protection for our children while they are away from us. Then we need to give each child the opportunity to pray for their activities of the day, and any special concerns they may have for the day. At first we may have to pray for their activities, but as they become more comfortable with this time of prayer and praying in general, they will begin praying for their own needs and the needs of the brothers and sisters as well.
Make a prayer box and write on slips of paper the names of extended family members, church leaders, close friends, and special needs of those in the church. Then at breakfast or during your family devotions, have each child draws a slip of paper and have them pray for the person whose name they drew throughout the day.
Pray over problems. When our children come to us with problems, such as problems with a classmate, upcoming test, we need to not only listen to them, and advise them, but also pray with them.
Make a “Thank You, God” box for answered prayers. As prayers are answered, write them down and place them in the “Thank You, God” box. Then once a week have each member of the family draw out a thank you slip and praise God for the answered prayer.
Encourage older children to keep a prayer journal. The prayer journal can consist of not only their prayer request and answers to prayer, but a place to write their prayers out.
We need to remember that our children and grandchildren will not become prayer warriors overnight, but prayer can becomes a vital part of their lives. Don’t try to put all these tips into practice at once, but start with one or two. Also don’t get discouraged if you miss a day or two of praying with your children. Just pick up and start again. Remember, start with prayer. Pray and ask God which prayer practice He would have you and your children start with and watch how God will bless not only the lives of your children and grandchildren, but your life as well.
To learn more about teaching children to pray click here: http://www.lifecoach321.com/freedom-prayers/teaching-children-to-pray-some-more-examples-and-ideas/
