Teaching Kids to Pray: Nurturing Their Faith Journey

Pray without ceasing! — 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Teach Your Kids to Pray: Nurturing Their Faith Journey

In a world filled with distractions and fast-paced lives, as Christian parents, teaching your children to pray can be a profoundly meaningful way to nurture their faith, instill Christian values, and provide them with a lifelong anchor to Jesus. It's essential for us believers to pass down the legacy of faith and prayer. Watching our children grow in the faith and mature into strong believers is unbelievably fulfilling.

The Significance of Teaching Kids to Pray

1. Deepening Their Relationship with God: Teaching your children to pray allows them to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. It opens the door for them to talk to Him, depend upon His leadership, and experience His presence in their lives daily.

2. Instilling Christian Values: Prayer is a perfect avenue to impart Christian values such as love, compassion, forgiveness, and service. It helps your children understand and internalize these principles in a meaningful way.

3. Building a Strong Moral Foundation: When we teach our children to pray, we can guide them towards making right choices and living according to the way Jesus did and by His example.

4. Coping with Life's Challenges: Prayer equips children with a powerful tool to cope with life's ups and downs. It teaches them to turn to God in times of trouble, finding comfort and strength in their faith.

5. Fostering Community and Worship: Faith in Jesus means being part of the Body of Christ and joining in regular worship and prayer. Encouraging our kids to pray gives them the foundation for being a part of the local church, getting involved in the community of faith, enjoying activities together, and giving them a sense of deep belonging in the family of God.

Practical Tips for Teaching Your Christian Kids to Pray

1. Set the Example: Children learn by watching us parents. Incorporate Christian prayer into your daily family routine (Pray without ceasing! — 1 Thessalonians 5:17), such as praying first thing in the morning, before meals, throughout the day, at bedtime, or doing family devotions.

2. Start with Simple Prayers: Begin with straightforward, age-appropriate Christian prayers - short and sweet! Later on, you can teach them to pray more in depth and praying Scripture.  

3. Encourage Praying in Conversation with God: Traditional prayers are valuable, of course, but also encourage your children to express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns in their own words to God. Encourage them to build a personal relationship with God by telling Him everything and waiting to hear from Him by waiting and listening quietly for His still, small voice. 

4. Answer Questions: Be open to your children's questions about Jesus, faith, the Bible, and prayer. Provide clear and age-appropriate explanations to deepen their understanding. Also, remind them to go to God and ask for His guidance.

5. Consistency is Key: Establish a consistent prayer routine. Whether it's morning devotionals, prayer before meals, or nightly Bible reading, consistency helps make prayer a habit. Do it every day! 

6. Christian Story Time: Share the Bible stories with your kids. Teach them about Adam and Eve, Moses, David, Esther, and most importantly, Jesus. Encourage them to read their children's Bible for themselves and to talk with God about what they read. This helps your children connect their prayers to the rich Christian heritage and the legacy of faith we are welcomed into when we accept Jesus as our Savior.

7. Maximize Vacation Time for Teaching Prayer: Spend extra time on prayer when school is out — summer and vacations! Summer is a fantastic time to focus on prayer. From the moment the kids paddle to the kitchen in their pj’s for cereal and OJ, you, moms and dads, can teach your kids to pray! 

Teaching children to pray can bring about some of the sweetest moments between parent and child that you’ll tuck away for a lifetime. The words they use, the perfect randomness in their thanksgiving and requests, the way they start to communicate with their heavenly Father on their own without any prompting at all. It’s beautiful!

When one of my daughters was about four-years-old, she prayed,

“Dear God, thank You for my dress-ups and my tap shoes. Since You are the King of everything and I am Your princess, could You give me lots of jewels and crowns and sparkly shoes? ‘K, thanks!”

Then she turned to me wiggling with thrill and squealed, “Mama, I can’t wait!”

I’ll never forget how precious that was!

Modeling for kids how to:

• ask God for what they need and want,
• tell Him what they’ve done that’s wrong,
• tell Him of His goodness and praise Him,
• tell Him if they’re sad and why,
• and thank Him for His blessings

will encourage them to grow in their faith and set them up for a life-long habit of prayer. Children are natural imitators, so let’s give them a pattern that will give them life and hope every day! 

We hope some of our kid's prayer resources will illuminate those sweet conversations and help start their faith journeys on the right foot. Check out what we have in store...

International Children's Bible, blue — BUY NOW 

Big Dreams and Powerful Prayers — BUY NOW

If you're looking for prayer titles for yourself or for gifts, we've got you covered. Check out our prayer collection here.

RESOURCES

We also have a great collection of studies on prayer.

Prayer: What Does It Mean to Pray Without Ceasing?