One question we consistently hear from the children we serve at Friendship House is, “How do I pray?” It’s one of the best questions any Christian-based educator can listen to. Many people might feel a bit perplexed about answering such a question. The great thing is that it’s never too early for a child to start learning about prayer and how to build a foundational relationship with Jesus.
After all, can you remember your first prayer? A child’s first thoughts about how to communicate with the Creator, the Savior, and the Holy Ghost can be filled with anxiety and doubt. All these feelings are natural for a child to feel when expressing their interest in prayer and starting a relationship with God.
Two necessary steps to remember are to encourage kids to keep their prayers simple and to keep them honest. An article published by the Church of England reminds us that prayer is simply a conversation with God, so there are no rules to it. This can be quite a freeing statement for a child to hear when so much of their day-to-day activities are surrounded by rules and routines.
One of the best ways to keep prayers simple and honest is to encourage kids to be themselves as they pray. Another great blog from the website faithinkids.org says the best way to talk to your kids about prayer is to “pray like a child with your child.”
Another step to teaching prayer is modeling consistency. Remember, the children in your life will look at you as an example. If your children are watching you pray, pray consistently and pray in a manner that is helpful for your children to understand why you’re praying and what you’re praying about.
Lastly the most important step to ensuring prayer becomes foundational in your children’s development is to enjoy the moment. The Bible teaches us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” If our children see us enjoying our time with God, they will find their time with God to be a time and place of rest and peace.
At Friendship House we help children know and love Jesus through prayer. If you want to help us educate South Billings children in prayer and many other avenues of life consider volunteering your time and skills. Friendship always needs volunteers to be a member on a prayer team, teaching kids in Bible classes, or to read books to children leading story time. You can sign up to volunteer here. Every day, we offer a prayer of thanks to our donors and volunteers because they make what we do possible.
God bless you and yours.
Doug Duckworth
Friendship House
Development Coordinator
