Prayer is an important part of our faith, and teaching kids to pray can be so exciting. So, how do we do it? The best way to teach about prayer is frankly to pray.  Pray in front of your kids and pray with your kids. 

Let your kids see you pray.  When kids hear their parents and their teachers pray, they begin to develop their own understanding of its importance, and their belief in it.  As you pray, demonstrate for your kids how easy and natural it is to talk to God.  God isn’t concerned about the eloquence of our words, or the length of our prayers, what He wants is to communicate with us.

It is important that we teach kids how to pray, and not what to pray. Let them pray using their own words. Look for opportunities to teach your kids to pray.  Saying a quick prayer for a police officer when you hear a siren or thanking God that a child wasn’t hurt when he fell down, are ways to teach kids that God is interested in everything.

Make time for prayer. Let kids share prayer requests and bring them to God together. It takes time, but it is so worth it. If your kids are hesitant to pray out loud, let them finish a sentence.  For instance, say “Thank you God for friends.  Thank God for” – and let a child name a specific friend.  Using this format will help children become more comfortable praying aloud.

Create a prayer wall where kids can write down prayer requests and keep track of how God answers them. Pray specifically for these requests throughout the week. Take a prayer walk around the church praying for the teachers who are teaching God’s word. Pray for the Pastor as he preaches God’s word. Pray for the staff as they lead in their areas of ministry.

Encourage your children to talk to God about whatever is on their mind.  They can pray anytime and anywhere. There is no request that is too small, and no request that is too big.  God loves to hear them all.

Written by Donna Blaydes, Childhood Education Specialist, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board