Does that title remind you of the story of Jesus and His disciples? In Luke 11 the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus shared with them what we call the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer was not meant to be copied or recited, but it was meant to show us an outline for prayer. Your children probably will never say, “Mommy, teach me to pray”, nevertheless, it is our responsibility and privilege to teach them how and what to pray in an age-appropriate way.
When children are small, they may not have the words they need to make sentences or make complete thoughts to be able to pray. While this can be cute, it is fun to be able to meet them where they are and begin to teach them to pray in a way they can understand and master. Our children will learn from our example and copy the phrases, rhythm, and words that we use when we pray. So here are six easy actions you can take to teach your young children to pray:
1. Apply a posture of prayer.
Encourage your children to bow their heads, close their eyes, and fold their hands for prayer. Why? Bowing your head shows that you are humbly coming to God. You are recognizing that you are talking to the Creator of the world and need to be respectful. Closing your eyes helps you to limit the distractions that you have around you so you can focus on God and what you are saying. Folding your hands keeps your hands and your body still. You are not fidgeting, but you are keeping calm and self-controlled so you can focus on what you are praying. When you start your prayer, remind your children to do these three things – not to earn favor with God, but to show Him the honor, respect, and focus that He deserves.
2. Lead them to open the prayer.
When you pray, you typically open your prayer with something like, “Dear Jesus” or “Good morning, God.” Have your child begin the prayer using a phrase like this. Once they have done that you can continue with the rest of the prayer. This gives them a helpful job during prayer time and lets them feel included when your family prays. It may be a small part, but they were involved and actively participating.
3. Give them the responsibility to close the prayer with “AMEN!”
When our children were quite small, they couldn’t add much to our family prayer time. Before meals we would all hold hands and thank God for our food, but we desired for our children to participate in our prayer time. We encouraged our young ones to say “AMEN” at the end. Sometimes they would say “AMEN” before the prayer was even finished (maybe at a long pause), but other times they would raise their hands and heartily scream “A-MEN” once the prayer was completed. Older kids would praise the small child, a sign that they were all invested in our prayer time. It was such a cute and often fun way to get the little ones involved and listening to our prayer time.
4. Add a time of thanksgiving.
When you pray, include a time of thanksgiving. Say, “Thank you, God, for…” Then have your young children fill in the blank. You might be surprised by some of the things that they say. Some may be thankful for your dog or the food, while others may say “Legos” or “shoes” or “Hobby Lobby”. It is just important to get them participating in the prayer. This will teach them that prayer is just talking to God. They don’t need special words, just speak from the heart!
5. Ask them to repeat a phrase or two in the prayer.
While your young child may not be able to complete a whole prayer on their own, they might be able to repeat words or phrases. Some examples might be: “Thank you, Jesus, for our food.” “We love you, Jesus.” “Thank you for our mommy and our daddy.” Soon, they will be able to complete these sentences without your help and be an active part of your prayer. They might even make new phrases or sentences on their own.
6. Invite them to pray on their own.
Once your children are talking more, you will be able to invite them to pray on their own. While their words might not always be intelligible, God knows their heart. Their short prayers will bless your heart as you see them take the posture of prayer and then talk to their Heavenly Father. Encourage them for their effort and for their heart to want to talk to God. You are planting the seeds of growth in their hearts and Christian disciplines.
In conclusion, even very young children can pray and add to your family’s prayer time. It starts with dads and moms intentionally teaching their children the basics of what prayer is. They may not say, “Mommy, teach me to pray”, but you can begin with these small steps to develop children who know God and desire to talk with Him in prayer.
Which of these actions have you tried in your home? Can you share what other steps you have taken to teach your young ones to pray? Please tell us in the comments below.
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