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Teaching kids to pray for others in a way that isn’t scary or uncomfortable

June 5, 2016 Ticia 7 Comments

A few weeks ago in my Sunday School class we ran short of time and I didn’t take prayer requests.  One of my third grade girls said, “But, Mrs. Messing we need to pray for each other.”  I tried to explain we were short on time, but she insisted because she knew there were important requests to be heard.

And she was right.  We didn’t have much time, but the kids who really had something to share got to.  One girl had a concert coming up she was worried about, another had a parent traveling for business.

This small miracle didn’t happen over night.  We’ve been working on prayer for over six months, ever since school started this year with this particular group.

Teaching kids to pray for others

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{Also all children’s names have been blurred out to protect their privacy}

How I taught kids to pray for others

Each week our Sunday School class is broken down into more or less the same format.  We open with some Bible drills (using the books of the Bible cards you can get if you sign up for my newsletter).  Then we tell the story, recess, and small group time.  Small group time is when we take prayer requests.

 

As we sit down on the floor of the aerobics room (we meet in a YMCA), I pass out index cards* (this would be why I buy index cards in packs of 1000, I use up 30 cards a week) to the kids and a small bin of pencils and pens.  They always take forever choosing just the perfect pen.  Maybe they want the clicker pen.  Another wants the sparkly pencil, and then spends 5 minutes sharpening it.  It didn’t really need to be sharpened, but it gives him time to think, and something to fiddle with as the others are talking.

teaching kids to pray for others sometimes they're praises

I have a rule everyone has to fill out a card.  If they don’t have a request they want to be prayed for, they have to come up with a praise.  Usually with the boys who just want to write something down it becomes, “I’m not sick.”

teaching kids to pray for others sometimes they're sad

But sometimes you prayer requests for lost pets, or pets who have died recently.

Sometimes, they’re worried because they’re moving houses, or their Dad is travelling.

As they finish writing, they pass their cards back to me.  I read all of them, and make note of any that need particular prayers, and then everyone takes a new card.  If they get their own card, they turn it back in, for another, but that doesn’t happen super often.

teaching kids to pray for others sometimes they're not going to come true

Of course some of the cards are turned into paper airplanes.  Others get left behind because 8 and 9 year olds do not always have the best memory.  But many take them home and pray for their classmates.

 

As a bit of incentive we offer any kids who bring their cards back they will get an M&M (yes, one singular.  It’s not a big deal, but it’s a small incentive).

wanted someone who will pray for others

Last week I was cleaning out my Bible and found months worth of prayer request cards.  It was amazing to read over their requests and remember how some had been answered, how some we never heard more about, but they were all prayed for.

 

Want some more prayer ideas?

I’ve got a whole Pinterest board dedicated to prayer.

how to pray for your kids
War Room prayer time
Prayer Wall
interactive prayer stations for elementary
Noah's genealogy

Bible family discipleship, prayer

Comments

  1. claire says

    June 6, 2016 at 9:52 am

    We’re doing prayer with our sixteen year olds next term (September)
    I loved this post!

    Reply
    • Ticia says

      June 6, 2016 at 2:31 pm

      Yea! I’ll confess this is also how my small group does prayer requests with the adults, so it should transition well to your teens.

  2. Kirsty says

    June 7, 2016 at 8:46 am

    What age of kids do you teach?

    Reply
    • Ticia says

      June 7, 2016 at 8:47 am

      3/4 grade so between 8-10 years old usually.

  3. Natalie PlanetSmartyPants says

    June 7, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    I love their requests – they speak innocence.

    Reply
  4. WebMarka says

    June 23, 2016 at 2:13 am

    For instance, we have a close friend whose five-year-old daughter is going through treatment for leukemia right now. We re praying for her everyday, and then adding other requests, too.

    Reply
    • Ticia says

      June 23, 2016 at 9:46 am

      What a great way to work on prayer.

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Ticia Adventures in Mommydom Hi, I'm Ticia! This is the adventures of my family in life and learning. Follow along with us as we share our adventures. We're having a lot of fun and learning as we go.

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