Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36 (NKJV)
Here are a few more ideas to teach our children to pray from Children’s pastor Pete Hohmann.[i]
24 hour prayer vigil. This would work well if you join other parents, and their children. Kids sign up for a 30-minute time slot and pray around the clock for a specific reason. This also works well during camps or weekend retreats when all the children are together in one place, or during a school lock-down where teachers, parents, and kids spend an entire night, locked inside a school, both in prayer and playing.
Outreach Prayer. Teach kids how to pray for others, particularly in preparation for some outreach activity such as an evangelistic effort. If you are aware that the pastor or a member of the church is preparing someone for baptism by studying the bible with them join your children in praying for those studying and those providing the studies. If your church is mailing fliers to invite the community for an event at the church or if there is an event scheduled spend time praying for those fliers and for each person that will receive them that they may respond and attend the event.
Prayer Retreat. A prayer retreat allows kids to reach deeper levels of intercession. Plan to have short presentations about prayers, inspirational stories, question and answer periods, and also periods of prayer based on what is being discussed.
Debriefing. It is good to debrief times of prayer. Talk about such things as, what did God show you? What did you learn? How did God use you during prayer? How do you feel?
While prayer should become as natural as breathing, our children need to learn about it: “By your own example teach your children to pray with clear, distinct voice. Teach them to lift their heads from the chair and never to cover their faces with their hands. Thus they can offer their simple prayers, repeating the Lord’s prayer in concert.”[ii]
Father God, help our children to experience and enjoy communion with you through prayer, and may it become as natural as breathing.
[i] http://singles.ag.org/singleparents/spirituallife/?targetBay=d101cc3a-9cb6-411a-95b0-9ed87e198c95&ModID=2&Process=DisplayArticle&RSS_RSSContentID=22938&RSS_OriginatingChannelID=1255&RSS_OriginatingRSSFeedID=4964&RSS_Source=
[ii] White, E.G. Child Guidance, p.522