Encouraging children to pray is an important challenge to parents and to church leaders. This can be quite different from helping adults to pray since children may well not have the same concerns about praying aloud as adults. It can be a priviledge and a joy to pray with children. Here are some ideas :
- A brief mealtime prayer before eating together reminds the whole family that God is the provider of all. This is a simple prayer, and even children as young as 4 can take their turn in saying it.
- Conversational praying can be a very natural way of including God in our conversations. You will need to explain that conversational praying is very short prayers without the Amens, which focus on a common subject for a while before moving on. Eg Mum : "Thank you Lord that Granny is feeling better", Sarah "Yes, and we pray that she'd continue to feel stronger each day.", Jim "Help us to remember to call her each day", Dad : "and we ask that you would be with her."
- News Prayer : Pray together as a family after watching a news summary. This is an easy way to start praying for broader world issues, and can encourage children and young people to develop a practical concern for God's world.
- Patterns and Styles : It's a good idea to get into a habit of praying together in a certain place at a certain time - the routine can be helpful. Yet, if there is no flexibility, the routine can become a chore. The style of prayer can be very simple, using simple words and simple ideas - the key is to encourage your child to talk to God, to bring their concerns to Him, and to enjoy spending time with Him.
- You can use simple written prayers to help
your children pray, such as the ones included in this Prayer Guide. However, do encourage
them to use their own words as well - God doesn't demand well constructed sentences and
fine poetry!
