By Steph Thurling, co-founder of Raising Prayerful Kids.
One of the questions we are most commonly asked when we speak to groups is, “My kids don’t want to pray, how do I make it fun?”
I think that one of the biggest misconceptions of prayer is that it is a very sacred, very solemn, quiet, eloquent, solo act. This can be true, but it is not the only truth. There is a time and a place for quiet and solitude, but there is also a time and a place for joy!
Kids are full of joy and life and enthusiasm and that is why we are passionate about praying in a variety of ways. Using variety teaches kids (and adults!) that prayer can easily fit into their day and can be done in a way that works for them. Faith is not supposed to be a separate part of our life. We are not Christians at church and at Bible study and regular people the rest of the time--we are Christians, living out our faith, consciously or not, all the time.
The same goes for prayer. Prayer does not have to be a separate part of our day. There are a lot of things we can do to make prayer part of our daily life, we just have to be intentional about it and change our language a bit.
Grateful Game
The Grateful Game is our most simple prayer, but it is so fun and one of our kids’ favorites! All you do is take turns shouting out something you want to thank God for and try to keep thinking of new items to thank him for on each turn.
Kids are competitive and love to think of new and creative praises. We start each phrase with “Thank you God for…” and add in our idea. Then we tell God why we are thankful. For example, we might say, “Thank you God for cookies because they are delicious.” For an extra challenge, go in order and avoid pauses just to make it a bit more fast-paced and fun!
We like to play this one when someone is having a grumpy day or if we are in the car and the kids are getting restless or fighting. It’s amazing how showing gratitude and praising God can turn even the hardest day around and make everyone smile.
Nature Prayer Walk
Nature Prayer Walk is another really good example of how you can change your language to turn something that you are already doing into prayer. If you’re walking to the park, point out all the things you see that God made along the way. “Thank you God for the beautiful clouds.” “Thank you God for this big tree that is making shade for us to sit in.” Or you can bring a basket along and have your kids collect nature objects. Thank God for all of the items collected and then make an art project out of it. This is a really simple, but genuine prayer, and it is a wonderful opportunity to show your kids the wonder of our Creator.
Beach Ball Prayer Game
Sometimes it can feel frustrating when kids only ask for things when they pray. Even though it is developmentally normal, I still find myself annoyed sometimes! We have found that when we make prayer fun, kids are more excited to try new things. We started the beachball prayer game in Sunday School classes and it is always a hit. Here is how you play:
You need a sharpie and a beachball (you can also use any other type of ball that you already have on hand, just improvise with the sections). Write one category of “fill-in-the blank” prayer prompts on each colored section of the ball:
I praise you for…
Thank you for…
Please bless…
Jesus, forgive me. (ends with a period because we don’t want to force confession)
Please help me with…
Hallelujah! (yell it out and do a crazy dance!)
Have fun throwing the ball from person to person. When you catch the ball, check and see where your right index finger landed and read off that prayer prompt.
If you don’t have a ball, you can print out our Dice Prayer Game HERE. It’s the same concept, just with a dice instead of a ball. Print it out, cut it, and tape it together.
Be encouraged that prayer can be fun, accessible, engaging, and not a ton of work! There are so many ways that you can incorporate prayer into your family’s life. Check out our website HERE for more ideas but don’t be afraid to come up with your own ideas too. Pay attention to what your kids are doing, what they love, what they’re good at, and how they learn, then ask yourself how you can incorporate God into that. You will likely be surprised at your creativity! And remember, our job is not to be perfect and have scheduled daily devotions and prayer time that we never miss (though those are awesome goals!). Our job is to love Jesus and love our kids in a way that points them to Him.
Steph Thurling is a co-founder of Raising Prayerful Kids, a ministry that equips and encourages parents to be praying with their kids in a meaningful way. She is passionate about faith formation at home, almond milk lattes, deep friendships, and beagles. She lives in Minnesota (even though she hates the cold) with her husband and three kids.
