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

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, and another had a parent traveling for business.

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

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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, have 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 to choose 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.

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.”

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 traveling.

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.

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).

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.

• Moms Need to Constantly Pray
• Prayer Wall
• Interactive Prayer Stations
• Prompted to pray
• Did Enoch pray?