Getting kids into prayer

[Kelly]

My daughter is 6 1/2. Ever since she can talk, I've prayed over her when I put her to bed. "Lord, watch over her, protect her, guide her tomorrow" etc.

I sat down with her a few months ago and told her that I wanted her to start her own prayer relationship with God, that I would be with her but wanted her to pray on her own as best she could, before bed.

To help her, I gave her a suggested method. "Praise, Sins, Thanks, and Helps." First praise Him, then ask for forgiveness for sins, then tell Him thanks for things in your life, and end with request for blessings for others, or yourself, or just help with things in your life. I walk her through the steps when she gets stuck (and tell her to do confessions inside her head if she wants), and she is always welcome to skip this whole method and just talk to Him the way she feels like.

Well, it worked for a while, although I could tell she was fishing for 'the right things to say' because she would end each statement like a question and look at me. "I love you?" "Thank you for our house?" I was just happy she was doing it so I backed off a bit and would just agree with her intercessory prayer style "yes, Father" etc. to try to redirect her attention off of me and my approval.

Anywho. this goes on for a few days and now she is saying "I don't want to pray tonight. I'm tired. It's boring" etc. I remind her that she can talk to God any way she wants, but she doesn't want to. I don't want to force her to pray, nobody forces me, but then again she's a kid and I just want to get her in the mode for when she's older and understands prayer a bit more.

Any suggestions?

 

[andiesmama]

Well, Andie (my daughter) is just 3, and sometimes I can get her to sit still & pray at night, but more often NOT! lol So, I just sing a prayer song that I made up, kind of like a lullabye, and we think of things to be thankful for.

Maybe if your daughter doesn't want to do it herself, you could just make it a routine that you do when you put her to bed...say something like, "Well, if you don't want to pray right now that's fine, but I'd like to say my prayers now, ok?" And then YOU pray while she listens....maybe that would work?

Good luck!

 

[lucypevensie]

Well, Andie (my daughter) is just 3, and sometimes I can get her to sit still & pray at night, but more often NOT! lol So, I just sing a prayer song that I made up, kind of like a lullabye, and we think of things to be thankful for.

Maybe if your daughter doesn't want to do it herself, you could just make it a routine that you do when you put her to bed...say something like, "Well, if you don't want to pray right now that's fine, but I'd like to say my prayers now, ok?" And then YOU pray while she listens....maybe that would work?

Good luck!

That's similar to what I do with my daughter. She might say a prayer "thankyouforthisdayamen", and I take the hint that she's not quite in tune with God right then. So, I'll pray and she can listen but I make sure she sits still and is respectful even if she doesn't feel the spirit moving in her heart. She hasn't made her own decision yet to become a follower of Jesus, so I keep that in mind.

 

[jenniferstell]

My son is 3 and my daughter 10. They both pray, but are at different stages of prayer. My daughter can pray as you're describing, but it's difficult for my son because of his age. However, he LOVES to say two prayers that we've taught him:

before eating:
God is great.
God is good.
Let us thank Him for our food.
By his hands,
We are fed.
Thank you, Lord, for daily bread.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

then before bed:
Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray, thee, Lord, my soul to keep.
If I die before I wake,
I pray, thee, Lord, my sould to take.
Bless mommy and daddy and sissy and sugar and each of my family!
In Jesus' name, Amen.

He remembers these and loves to do it! As he gets older, I'll add in asking for forgiveness and thanks for blessings, like my daughter is learning!

 

[kingzjewel]

maybe she feels pressure cuz ur sitting there with her. maybe you can try and give her quiet time alone and see if she can do it by herself.

 

[Linnis]

My nephew has a bear which says the now I lay me down to sleep prayer. He prays along with his bear. Then I tell him if he's got anything else to add to do so and say amen at the end.

I also tell him he's got angels protecting him and that Jesus watches out fr every last child and if he's scared, hurt, lonely, he can talk to Jesus even in his head and he'll hear him.

 

[Princessperky]

DS and DD both pray but only thanks, I ask for things occasionally, but generally it is more of a quiet review of things we are thankful for. I insist the family gets included (if they do not pray, which hasn't happened in ages, I do as a PP mentioned, ask if they will give me a minute to do it) They usually include any nouns they see/imagine (without knowing they are nouns, DD is only 1.5). So it is really more english practice than prayer. but it does set the stage for later. I also tell them that 'mommy has to say amen now, but you can keep praying - quietly. So they start to pick up they can do it on their own.

Now that DS is getting older he starts to ask more about what God is and where God is, and that is a pretty big concept for a kid! We have a couple books that I thought were really silly, buit DS and DD love, one is on the names of God, and each page has one aspect of God, teacher, healer, ect. and 'hiding place' we talk about how DS can go talk to God when he is mad, (as opposed to screaming at me) And we talk about how God will always listen and help us. He never fights prayer anymore since that talk, not sure if it is related or not.

I would prolly back up if your goal is for her to do that 'praise sin thanks and helps' start smaller, with just one of them, then in a month or so when that is old hand add another. (I started with thanks, and now I am working on adding helps. though I didn't have a format or anything to start with)

I read about a 5 finger prayer method once, giving categories to each finger, I can't remember all of it, but the pointer finger was teacher and leaders, those who give direction. I think the ring finger was weak and needy, since it is the weakest finger. but all of the stuff was related to the finger to help remember to run thur all of it. A chart or something to help your DD remember all the steps you want might help. Or try to find a way to relate the praise, sin, ect list you mentioned to her hand or other object that is generally handy.

 

[Joseph E.]

My wife and I always do family prayer with our eleven month daughter. We all get on our knees and we take turns praying. The baby says Amen when we are done. We do this in the morning when we get up and at night when we go to bed. Be consitant and schedule it at first. They will pick up on it. I hope this helps! God Bless you!

 

[Joseph E.]

My wife and I always do family prayer with our eleven month daughter. We all get on our knees and we take turns praying. The baby says Amen when we are done. We do this in the morning when we get up and at night when we go to bed. Be consitant and schedule it at first. They will pick up on it. I hope this helps! God Bless you!

 

[LynnMcG]

My 6 year-old does exactly the same. However, I've found that she's been praying on her own. She tells me how she bows down before God in her bed, when she's alone. She'll say she prayed for someone or a situation. Sometimes I can hear her praying all by herself in her bed and sometimes in the middle of the day.

The way I see it, she's just like any new Christian. She's self-conscious. I remember the first time I had to pray out loud in front of a small group. I was terrified! I thought they would think I was stupid or worse, a bad Christian. In time, I grew to understand that I was learning and developing my own style of prayer. If I force my daughter to pray the way I do, at that moment, I may discourage her. And I don't want that.

My daughter hears me pray while I'm doing dishes, or sitting at my computer, or driving in the car. She believes that Jesus is her Lord and Savior, so I know she's getting it. And just last week, while we were driving, my three-year old son asked me to pray. I know God is with them!

Keep praying with her and living a life of example for her. That's the best way to bless her.

 

[Silent Enigma]

Sometimes I'll have my 6 yr old say the prayer at a mealtime. He'll ad in his own thi like help so and so or thanks for the such and such. I guess just let it be a normal part of life like brushing your teeth.