Never stop praying. – 1 Thes. 5:17
When they call on me, I will answer; – Psalm 91:15
. . . men always ought to pray and not lose heart, – Luke 18:1
“The reason we should teach little children to pray about the little insignificant things but are significant to them, very early in life, is so they learn that if they talk to God, He will answer their prayers.” Dr. Charles Stanley
Begin early to establish a pattern in your children to pray. Teach them that prayer is simply talking to God about anything and everything just as they would with a friend. Prayer can be saying thanks for something or asking for help with a problem. Jo Bevington in her book, I Can Pray, described prayer as ‘feeling, thinking, listening, and talking to a very special Friend’.
With your older children, help them to start a prayer notebook with a list of things to be thankful for, things to pray about, and people to pray for. Encourage them to make note of when God answers.
A tangible way to establish prayer in a younger child’s life is by beginning a prayer box. Definitely have pictures of people and things to thank God for.
Also include pictures that will be a reminder of things to pray about. Look together through magazines to find pictures or draw your own. For example:
Help me share with my friend
Help me go to the potty
Heal my neighbor’s dog
Mark these pictures with a ‘PTL’ or a sticker and the date when you see an answer. Help your children know that they can trust God to hear and answer. In Luke 18 Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up until the answer comes. The answer may be yes, no, or not yet – but God will answer!!!
