Lesson for Children about Prayer

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Prayer:  Talking to God with Your Hands

This children’s message was originally written for a Christian School chapel of 1st – 6th graders.  It teaches the basic elements of prayer and encourages children to establish prayer as a habit in their own lives.  What I’ve written below would be a 15-20 minute presentation, but you can extract the main points for a children’s sermon on Sunday morning. You could also add some additional content for a children’s church lesson.
We’ve also posted some prayer coloring pages for kids. That might be a good activity to add to this Bible lesson.
(Ask the following questions):

  • Does anyone here like to talk on the phone?
  • Do any of you talk on the computer with emails, IM, or Skype?
  • Who do you like to talk to and what about?
  • How many of you have cell phones?
  • How many of your parents have cell phones?  Do they get upset if they lose their phones?

Talking with people is important to us!  We make sure that we can call others whenever we want.  We also make sure people can reach us wherever we are.
So if talking to people is easy and we do it all the time, why is it so hard to spend time talking with God?
(Invite responses such as:  We get busy.  We don’t see Him all the time so we forget.  We don’t know how.  We might question whether God is really listening.  We might think our problems are too small.)
Why is it important to talk with God?

  1. God wants us to know Him.
  2. God really does answer prayer.
  3. God loves us through prayer.
  4. We love God through prayer.

Today we’re going to learn how to pray.  Remember that it’s as simple as talking to someone you love.  (Write out the word TALK as an acrostic on a whiteboard/chalkboard.)
T:  TAKE the TIME: (Have children point to a pretend watch on their wrist.)
Find time in your day to talk to God.  Pray at the same time each day.  Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth.  Ya’ll brush your teeth, right?
A:  AHHHHHH…. Quiet: (Have children take a deep breath with you.)
Find a quiet place in your home.  Turn the TV off, your music off, and find a way to escape from your little brother.  Sit under a table, go in your closet if it’s big enough, make a fort, whatever!
L:  LEARN from God’s Word. (Have children place hands palm side up as if holding a Bible.)
Read one verse a day.  If you’re up for the challenge, read one chapter a day.  Try to understand what God is saying to you.  Ask a grown-up who knows Jesus for help if you need it.
K:  KEEP a Prayer Plan. (Have children pretend like they are writing.)
Write down how to pray.  Pray that way.  Write down praises, prayer requests, and verses that mean a lot to you.  Keep it simple or else you won’t keep doing it.
(Repeat each component at least once, if not twice to ensure retention.)
Do any of you like to talk with your hands? (Mimic people who talk with their hands:  chefs, airline stewardesses, tour guides, photographers, pastors, etc.)
Today our hands are going to help us learn how to pray.  As long as your hands go home with you today (please tell me they will!) you should remember our lesson.  You’ve got five fingers and we’ve got five parts of prayer.  You ready?
1.  PRAISE: Praise is saying what you love about someone.  It’s saying, “God, I love that you are good.  I love how you made the ocean.  I love that you sent Jesus for our sins.”  (As you list each example, number them with your fingers and invite the children to do the same.)
2. CONFESS: Confession is a big word for spit up.  It means to get the junk out of your life.  It’s when you ask for forgiveness of your sins.  It’s saying, “I’m sorry that I lied.  Forgive me for getting in a fight with my brother.  I’m sorry for not loving you like I should.”  (As you list each, use your hands to mimic throwing up.)
3. READ: Reading God’s word helps us see ourselves as in a mirror.  It helps us understand who God is and who we are.  It helps us to pray because we know who we’re praying to.  (Mimic turning pages or holding up a mirror.)
4. ASK: God says in Matthew 21:22 that, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”  Pray for others.  Pray for yourself.  Ask for people to be saved, for God to provide, for wisdom to understand, for help in temptation, for people to be healed.  (Invite children to fold their hands as in prayer.)
5. THANKS: God has done so much for us.  What can you be thankful for today?  (Invite children to list items.  Lead the children in a lively worship song of praise/thanksgiving such as “He has made me glad.”  Have them clap their hands in thanks.)
(Review each of the parts of the Prayer Plan with the hand motions to cue the students’ memory.  Review a second time with only the bolded words.  Have students demonstrate the hand motions for each.  Close the lesson in prayer.  Follow the prayer plan, keeping it brief to hold students’ attention.)

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14 thoughts on “Lesson for Children about Prayer”

  1. I LOVE this!!! I am 14 and I am teaching the Children’s Ministry at my church this coming up Sunday and I knew what I wanted to Preach on, but I didn’t quite know how to put it, and this helped me TONS!!

    Reply
  2. As I searched for an engaging way to teach children about prayer, I found this site. WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for making it available. Blessings to all.

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  3. Hi l am so happy. I’m teaching children on prayer but doesn’t know how to go about it. I’m so grateful for the message. God bless you all

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  4. Thank you ever so much for posting this lesson and having action to go with it. I have learned through the years that if kids are actively involved in the lesson, they learn more than they realize. I am so excited to be teaching this in my Wed. night class for children. Thank you again!

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  5. Love this, it is exactly what I was looking for. I will use this with my Children’s Church on Sunday morning, we’ve already created a Prayer Board and reviewed the Lords Prayer but this will be a wonderful follow up with great memory cues to help the kids put into practice what they are learning. Thank you and God Bless.

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  6. This is so great. Thank you for such a ministry. I am a children’s church teacher and i love teaching children to know more about God and depend on Him.
    The previous night i had a dream God telling me to teach children about prayer and i was trying to see how best to approach the Topic, graciously God led me on your lesson approach and i was very grateful to you. God bless you.

    Reply
  7. I LOVE THIS I AM GOING TO START TO TEACH SUNDAY SCHOOL AT MY CHURCH AND I HAD NO IDEA AS TO HOW TO START,BUT THIS IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
    THANK YOU VERY MUCH.GOD BLESS.

    Reply
  8. Thank you so much for sharing this lesson! I have been searching for something to help me teach our Sunday school kids to pray, but the wording of a lesson wasn’t coming to me. This will be perfect! We purchased Prayer Journals from Oriental Trading for the kids too.

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  9. Thank you for sharing, I wanted something to present to the children who join our Sabbath morning zoom meeting and this wonderfully fits the bill. 👍🏽

    Reply
  10. Thank you so much for unselfishly sharing bible lessons for kids. It is such a great help for us teaching Sunday School for children. You are a blessing to us and may God bless you more and more. Keep doing the work for His glory.

    Reply

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