4 Fun Ideas to Encourage Family Prayer

Each day we have many reasons to pray. Beyond prayers at dinner or bedtime, do your kids talk to God? These fun family activities will help you teach your kids that, whatever they are doing, they have an opportunity to pray. You’ll also enjoy quality time with one another and with God, and will bless others in the process!

Create an Alphabet Journal

This activity works well for children who don’t yet know how to write, but is suitable for all ages. Grab some blank paper, glue, scissors, and a bunch of magazines and fliers you don’t mind being cut up. Decide whether to make one journal as a family or if each person will make their own. The goal is to have a 26-page book with pictures of things you are grateful for.

For your first page, look for images of items that start with the letter A. Examples are a juicy, red apple or an announcement about Awana. Cut out the image, glue it to a piece of paper, and thank God for that item. Tell Him why you are grateful it is in your life. Work your way through the alphabet, stopping to pray after each page. Optionally, children can draw an item or write a paragraph about it.

Supplies needed: paper, old magazines, glue, (optional) writing/drawing tools

Build Your Family Tree

Do your kids know about Great Grandma Sophia or Cousin Dan? Do they know about your family from overseas? Share the stories you learned growing up and pull out the photo albums so your kids can put a face with a name. If you want a visual reminder of this activity, draw a family tree and make a note about each person. (Great Grandma Sophia walked across Europe so she could take a boat to the United States; when Cousin Dan, the naturalist, was a kid, he scared the teachers at school by catching a snake on the playground.) If you have a way to copy your photos, add a head shot of each family member to the family tree. As you finish talking about each person, spend time together thanking God for them and their influence on the family. Older kids may want to search the Internet for more information.

Supplies needed: paper, writing tools, photos, stories, (optional) Internet

Walk Your Neighborhood

Everyone needs to get out of the house from time to time. Make your next journey a trek around the neighborhood. As you pass each home, pray for the people who live there. Even if you don’t know them, ask God to work in their lives and provide opportunities for them to learn more about Jesus. If you have a chance to talk to your neighbors (at a safe distance, of course), and they are open to it, pray for them on the spot. If they aren’t open, consider what they’ve shared with you and pray for them after leaving.

Supplies needed: a listening ear and an open heart

Thank God for Tasks

My guess is very few people love chores. But, chores don’t have to be drudgery if you consider them a gift. As you and your family take time to clean the house or do dishes, consider how God has blessed you with a home, furniture, toys, food, etc. Without these things you wouldn’t have the chores to do. But do you want to be without these things? Make the tasks more fun by asking each person to say aloud why they are grateful for the items they are tidying up. With your minds on God and His provisions, you can find joy in the task at hand. If you still find it hard to be grateful, admit this to God and ask Him to help you find joy.

Supplies needed: helpful hands and a mind on Jesus

Prayer is a spiritual discipline that gets easier the more we do it. Teaching your children while they are young to pray at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18) is a step toward ensuring they’ll continue the practice throughout their life. Whether our prayers consist of praise, petition, admission or intercession, the quality time we spend with God helps us understand Him more and allows Him to work in our lives — and in the lives of others — with love.

Are there activities you do with your children that encourage prayer? If so, share them with us in the comments, below.