Welcome to this important step along your child’s Faith Path!
Let's start by watching this video in which author, Will Davis Jr., talks about the importance of praying for and with your child.
The Priority
One of the best ways to help your child develop a relationship with God is by teaching them to pray. Prayer is how we communicate with and connect
to our Heavenly Father. Nurture your child’s faith by praying together as a family and by guiding them in the practice of praying individually.
to our Heavenly Father. Nurture your child’s faith by praying together as a family and by guiding them in the practice of praying individually.
Your Example
Allow your child to see and hear you pray on a regular basis. Take time to stop and give thanks in times when God blesses you or answers a prayer.
Model prayer in times of difficulty or when seeking wisdom for important decisions. Pray for those in your family and others you know are in need.
Model prayer in times of difficulty or when seeking wisdom for important decisions. Pray for those in your family and others you know are in need.
Family Prayer Routines
Making prayer a regular part of your family culture will help make it a normal part of your child’s life. Consider incorporating some of the following in your family routine:
• MEALTIME: Briefly give thanks before you eat, then wait until everyone has finished to have a longer time of prayer together.
• BEDTIME: The first person in the family to go to bed (usually the youngest) alerts everyone else that it is time for an end-of-day prayer together.
• DRIVE TIME: As you start the engine, pause for a brief prayer together asking God to go with you and invite everyone to pray a sentence prayer for any concern about the upcoming activities of the day. This is a great routine to begin as you drive to school in the morning.
• WALKS: Taking a walk together is the ideal time to pray. Or pause at the end to pray about the matters discussed during your walk.
• MEALTIME: Briefly give thanks before you eat, then wait until everyone has finished to have a longer time of prayer together.
• BEDTIME: The first person in the family to go to bed (usually the youngest) alerts everyone else that it is time for an end-of-day prayer together.
• DRIVE TIME: As you start the engine, pause for a brief prayer together asking God to go with you and invite everyone to pray a sentence prayer for any concern about the upcoming activities of the day. This is a great routine to begin as you drive to school in the morning.
• WALKS: Taking a walk together is the ideal time to pray. Or pause at the end to pray about the matters discussed during your walk.
Tips and Tools
Jump Start Prayers
Use these ideas to help start prayer time with your child:
• SENTENCE PRAYERS: Take turns allowing each person who is comfortable doing so to pray a very short, one sentence prayer. It can be as simple as:
“Please heal Uncle Paul.”
“Thank you for giving Troy a new friend.”
“I’m sorry for losing my temper with everyone earlier today.”
FILL-IN-THE-BLANK PRAYERS: Use pre-written language to guide and focus prayer times such as the following starter lines:
“God, I love you because…”
“Thank you, God, for…”
“God, please help…”
“God, I’m sorry for…"
FIVE FINGER PRAYERS: Assign a person or topic to each finger as a reminder to pray. There are many ideas online if you look up Five Finger Prayers. Ex: Thumb is for those closest to you - family and friends. Pointer finger is for those who teach you. Tallest finger is for those in leadership. Ring finger is for those who are weak or sick. Little finger is for yourself.
Prayer Tools and Ideas
• PRAYER BOARD: Keep a dry erase board or calendar in a high traffic area of your home and use it to note items the family is praying for together.
• PRAYER JOURNAL: Consider purchasing a journal for your child to start recording prayers and how God answers them. Young children can draw a picture of the subject of their prayers until they are able to read.
• MIRROR PRAYERS: Using a dry erase marker, write a list of prayer concerns on the child’s bathroom mirror so he or she remembers to pause and pray after brushing teeth. For younger children, a simple picture of praying hands can remind them to pray.
• CALENDAR PRAYERS: Print photos of people to pray for and add them to a calendar that your child can see and be reminded to pray.
Make sure you record the date on their My Spiritual Development Tree when your child begins to pray on their own. Download a pdf here or pick up one in the Faith@home Center at church.
Use these ideas to help start prayer time with your child:
• SENTENCE PRAYERS: Take turns allowing each person who is comfortable doing so to pray a very short, one sentence prayer. It can be as simple as:
“Please heal Uncle Paul.”
“Thank you for giving Troy a new friend.”
“I’m sorry for losing my temper with everyone earlier today.”
FILL-IN-THE-BLANK PRAYERS: Use pre-written language to guide and focus prayer times such as the following starter lines:
“God, I love you because…”
“Thank you, God, for…”
“God, please help…”
“God, I’m sorry for…"
FIVE FINGER PRAYERS: Assign a person or topic to each finger as a reminder to pray. There are many ideas online if you look up Five Finger Prayers. Ex: Thumb is for those closest to you - family and friends. Pointer finger is for those who teach you. Tallest finger is for those in leadership. Ring finger is for those who are weak or sick. Little finger is for yourself.
Prayer Tools and Ideas
• PRAYER BOARD: Keep a dry erase board or calendar in a high traffic area of your home and use it to note items the family is praying for together.
• PRAYER JOURNAL: Consider purchasing a journal for your child to start recording prayers and how God answers them. Young children can draw a picture of the subject of their prayers until they are able to read.
• MIRROR PRAYERS: Using a dry erase marker, write a list of prayer concerns on the child’s bathroom mirror so he or she remembers to pause and pray after brushing teeth. For younger children, a simple picture of praying hands can remind them to pray.
• CALENDAR PRAYERS: Print photos of people to pray for and add them to a calendar that your child can see and be reminded to pray.
Make sure you record the date on their My Spiritual Development Tree when your child begins to pray on their own. Download a pdf here or pick up one in the Faith@home Center at church.
going further resources
Take advantage of these resources as you begin the habit of prayer with your child:
• Pray Big for your Child by Will Jr. Davis
• The Power of a Praying Kid by Stormie Omartian
• Peter's Perfect Prayer Place by Kendrick, Kendrick, and Fernandez
• Prayer@home page on our FaithBible.com website. You'll find a guide for praying as a family, a prayer calendar, and other printables.
• The Power of a Praying Kid by Stormie Omartian
• Peter's Perfect Prayer Place by Kendrick, Kendrick, and Fernandez
• Prayer@home page on our FaithBible.com website. You'll find a guide for praying as a family, a prayer calendar, and other printables.
Your Child’s Next Step
As children get older, they become ready for additional steps along the Faith Path.
Thank you for becoming intentional about guiding your child’s faith journey!
Thank you for becoming intentional about guiding your child’s faith journey!
