The Most Effective Way To Teach Kids To Pray
As parents, we want whatโs best for our children, including a life of solid faith, values, and prayer. How do you teach faith to your children? How do you help them understand things that sometimes even you donโt understand? How do you teach kids to pray?
Sometimes it can seem like a daunting task.
You may search for the โright wordsโ to say, the โright bookโ to recommend, or the โright youth groupโ to send your kids to, and these things are not unimportant. But the most powerful way for you to teach your kids faith, values, and prayer is to live them.
When you bring faith and prayer home from church with you, and when kids see you praying and living your faith in the โsmall stuffโ as well as the big stuff, they notice. And they especially notice when your faith reaches out to them, too. The most effective discipleship begins when your spiritual life intersects with your everyday interactions with your children.
Although Jesus often slipped away to pray privately, He also taught his disciples to pray. As you reach out to teach prayer to your children, you can invite them to join you, or at least contribute, to your times of prayer.
If your child feels uncomfortable praying out loud, you can encourage them to pray silently or give them paper and ask them to write or draw their prayer. Most children would be glad to pray aloud or silently for a friend about whom they are concerned. You can talk about things youโre each thankful for and pray accordingly. Meals and bedtimes are great times for your family to grow beyond โThanks for the foodโ and โNow I lay me down to sleep.โ (Raising Prayerful Kids by Stephanie Thurling is an excellent resource for more ideas.)
Prayer is not so much about asking God for things as it is about acknowledging Godโs work and presence in the daily circumstances of life.
Teach kids to pray: It’s not about asking God for stuff
As your family becomes more comfortable with various kinds of prayer, you can grow to see that prayer is not so much about asking God for things as it is about acknowledging Godโs work and presence in the daily circumstances of life. This truth compels you to actively seek to pray anytime and invite your children to observe or join you.
This invitation to pray takes many forms. Sometimes it comes in the form of a spontaneous outburst of praise with gratitude to God for His love or singing a familiar worship song together. Sometimes itโs expressing an observation of Godโs creative genius in nature.
In the difficult circumstances of your life or the lives of others, you can pray for Godโs peace, for hearts to be open to His love and comfort, and for Godโs will to be done. You can pray for Godโs intervention so that God will be glorified. Sometimes you may not know how to pray; donโt be afraid to tell your kids that. Then confess it to God in their presence. Occasionally, ask your children to pray for you when youโre struggling; this models a natural dependence on God with your emotions and circumstances.
Want to learn more?
Take 30 minutes and listen to Episode 113 of our podcast titled, “How to Pray With Your Child“
Itโs okay not to โhave it all togetherโ
You likely donโt have it all figured out, and thatโs okay! Continue to work at being more open to bringing your prayer to life in visible ways. Itโs good for you, and itโs good for your family.
As you think back on the significant events and emotions of your week (for your children and you), what are some little, but natural ways to discuss faith or incorporate prayer into your interactions with your children?
This post is adapted from an excerpt from our book, How to Grow a Connected Family.
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