How to Teach Children to Pray

It’s hard enough to pray for adults, but it’s our duty to teach our children how to pray, showing them the necessity and power in prayer.

Talking to God

Essentially, talking to your parents to ask them for help is not much different than asking God for help. The main difference is, God always gives us what is best. Parents can and will make mistakes, but tell your children and grandchildren that prayer is just talking to God. Even though talking to God is like talking a parent, it is with a deep, abiding, holy, reverential respect and fear of God that we pray to. Parents don’t want their children to hold back on their problems, but rather come to them. It is the same with God. He doesn’t want us to go it alone, child or adult. Jesus says to all ages, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).

A Safe Zone

I used to play tag as a kid and we always had a “safe zone” or some object that if we were touching it, we were safe. Might be a tree or might be a rock. One way that makes it easier for children to come to parents with their problems is that they won’t be criticized or chastised for their problems, especially if it’s a problem they caused. There needs to be a “Safe Zone” where children can come to their parents when they’ve really blown it and know their parents won’t blow up! We pray to God in the same way when we’ve blown it big time, right? If children and grandchildren know they won’t be yelled at, their more likely to come to you with their problems. It is even more so for the children of God, at any age, coming to God the Father for help and for forgiveness. We must tell our children and remind ourselves that His mercies are new every day (Lam 3:22-23), so He is always a “Safe Base.”

Your Example

Parents and caregivers are commanded by God to teach their children about the laws and statues of God and what God has done for them in the past (Deut 6:7-9). In similar fashion, I believe teaching them to pray is also important. Do your children and grandchildren see you pray in public before a meal or at home? Have they ever “caught” you on your knees? Do they know you pray regularly? Children are watching…constantly. And they can’t hear what you’re saying if your actions are drowning out your words. That’s because more is caught than taught. They will do what you do more than what you say. If prayer is critically important to you, it will send them the message to them that it must be important to God. Maybe that will cause them to pray more often. That is the hope, anyway. Make sure to remind the children about all the answered prayers in your life and in others to show that God does hear and God does answer prayer…always, but in His way and in His time, which are always best for us (Rom 8:28). Tell them that is God’s promise.

A Prayer Closet

Just as we are told, we must tell our children to find a quiet place to pray so they’ll be interrupted fewer times. The best prayer time is solo-prayer; that is, praying in private where you can open up your heart without hindrance and pour it all out upon God’s broad lap. He can take it…when we cannot.

Praying Scripture

Martin Luther used to pray through the Ten Commandments in asking for forgiveness. Exodus 15, Psalm 103 are wonderful Scriptures where you can literally pray them back to God. I believe He is pleased with this, so when you don’t know what to pray, tell your children that you just find some great Bible verses or chapters and pray them back to God. For example, Psalm 103 and 51 are for forgiveness. And tell them to pray out loud in their “prayer closet.” God doesn’t want the prayers and praise of our thoughts, but from our own lips (Heb 13:15).

A Prayer Journal

I write down prayer requests from church members, family & friends.

For me, personally, it’s easier for me to stay on course in prayer if I have a prayer journal. It’s simply a small notebook where I put people’s prayer requests down, so I have a good place to begin praying. We pray for forgiveness, for parents, children, our church, the lost, and so on. If they do start a prayer journal, then ask them to put someone on the list that doesn’t treat them well because even Jesus asked God to forgive others, even though they didn’t really know what they were doing (Luke 23:34). They should do it because God has done it for us and forgiven us of our sins, even though we didn’t deserve it (Rom 5:6-10).

In Jesus’ Name

It should be made clear to children that we have no access to God the Father except through Jesus Christ. He alone is able to access the heavenly Mercy Seat. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we are praying in His Name and by His authority to enter into the Holy of Holies. Only Jesus can give us direct one-on-one access to God the Father (John 6:44). Tell children and grandchildren that when we pray in Jesus’ Name, it is by His authority and for His glory that we use His Holy Name. Any credit to any prayer that is answered must always go to Jesus and for His glory alone. It’s not that prayer warriors are not important, but the One who answers prayer that is. The Father loves to give Jesus more glory and by praying in His Name, we put Him above all principalities and powers (and even parents!). The more His name is glorified by answered prayer, the more God is likely to answer that prayer. Tell children the “why” we pray in His Name. It is not just an automatic no-feeling ending to our prayers like, “the end.” It is prayer that God will hear and will answer because the Father wants the Son to be glorified.

Conclusion

If we don’t teach chldren the way to pray and the importance of prayer, then they’ll try to overcome their problems on their own or rely on others and not God. Most of all, I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: Teaching Children About Prayer: 8 Tips for Parents

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Children, Grandchildren, Pray, Prayer, Praying, teaching children