Praying with children and for children is such a joy. Parents and Sunday school teachers help kids develop a relationship with Jesus. Prayer is the main avenue God uses to change us and to guide our lives. Richard Foster says it well: “Prayer catapults us into the frontier of the spiritual life.”
As Christians, we know the importance of prayer in our own lives. But are we using prayer as God intended it to be—to plug into his power in our lives? Corrie Ten Boom offered a good word picture: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”
The heart of a child is tender to the teachings of God, and young children are eager to
pray. Prayer becomes a spiritual security blanket where they learn to turn to God and trust in him. Jesus is real to children as they get to know him as their friend first, and then as their Savior.
Jesus Modeled Prayer
Our Lord Jesus modeled prayer for us. Children need us to model prayer for them because that is how they learn best. Nothing is more effective than praying with children and for children each day.
In John 17, Jesus modeled progression in prayer. First Jesus prayed for himself, that he might bring honor and glory to the Father. Then he prayed for those closest to him, the disciples. Finally, he prayed for all believers. Jesus also modeled prayer for us with what we call the Lord’s Prayer.
Partnership in Prayer
First Samuel tells about a child who heard the voice of God. Yet Samuel still needed the loving encouragement of Eli to guide him and teach him how to obey what he heard. As parents and teachers, let us embrace the God-given partnership we have in training our children to hear and obey God. It is more difficult today, because our culture is immersed in activity and our senses are saturated.
How, then, can we hear the still, small voice of God? How can we train children to listen quietly when we are bombarded in sound? We need to show them how to listen to the silence so they can hear God. We also want children to learn to pray Scripture.
A good way to achieve both is to read Psalm 46:10 to students. Invite them to take the first part of the verse to pray quietly. The verse says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
How Should We Pray
Set aside time each day in your home or classroom for prayer. Begin by simply being quiet, helping children become comfortable with silence. They can begin reflecting on the presence of God, the person of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.
Give kids a short Bible verse to reflect on. Or a quality of God or something Jesus said in his teachings. Or you might sing a short hymn or song. Then ask children to think about the lyrics during a time of silence.
Remember, the attention span of young children is short. So keep the time for reflective silence brief and age-appropriate. Perhaps 15 seconds at first, then 30 seconds. Build up to one minute, and gradually add short increments of time as children grow in maturity. After a quiet time of reflection, lead the children in spoken prayer.
