TOOLS FOR PRAYER

Most children remember things easier if the learning process includes things the child can touch, see, hear, or do. The following activity pages are tools that you can use to teach your child how to pray:

A Prayer Journal
A Prayer Hand
A Prayer Calendar


A Prayer Journal

A prayer journal is an excellent tool for recording answered prayer. Psalm 103:2 says, "...and forget not all his benefits." In times of crisis, a prayer journal can serve as a reminder of the benefits of praying to God and His faithfulness in answering.

A prayer journal can be a simple notebook or an elaborate book put together as a family project. The important thing is that there should be a place to record the date the prayer request was made, the request, the scriptural promise, how God answered the request and the date of its manifestation. Let your child come up with ideas for the journal, as this will foster a sense of ownership.

A sample copy of a Prayer Journal is below.


MY PRAYER JOURNAL

__________________
NAME

REQUEST
PRAYER REQUEST
SCRIPTUAL PROMISE
TESTIMONY
ANSWER DATE
         
         
         
         

 

Go Back To Top

The Prayer Hand
A "Handy" Reminder That We Can Have T.A.L.K.S
With God Every Day.


T hanksgiving: We should start our day by giving thanks to God.
Authority: We should pray for those in authority over us.
Loss: We should pray for those who need Jesus.
Kin: We should pray for family and friends.
Self: We should pray for ourself.

 

  1. The little finger serves as a reminder to start times of prayer with thanksgiving and adoration to God. Adoration is the great love and respect we give to Him. Boys and girls can learn to say, "God, You are a wonderful Creator. I love You because You are all-powerful."
  2. The ring finger reminds us to pray for those who have authority over us. First Timothy 2:1-2 says, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, Intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinessand honesty." This includes parents, the country's leaders, pastors, teachers, policemen and other leaders. Children should be reminded that God has placed these people in authority over them for their good.
  3. The middle finger reminds us to pray for those who don't know Jesus as their Lord and personal Savior. This includes people we know and those whom we don't know. We can remind children that God wants everyone to be saved. This part of prayer helps give boys and girls compassion to win souls for Christ.
  4. Our pointer finger reminds us to pray for our family members, relatives and friends.
  5. Finally, the thumb reminds us to pray for ourselves. The prayer that Jabez prayed in 1 Chronicles 4:9 is a simple, but effective, prayer that children can learn and confess over their lives.

 

Go Back To Top



A Prayer Calendar

Most children love calendars. They enjoy counting down the days before holidays, their birthdays and the last day of school. A prayer calendar makes an already exciting experience more meaningful. Most Christian bookstores sell Family Prayer Calendars, but nothing beats a personalized prayer calendar that can be custom-made for you and your child. Below are a few examples of ways that a prayer calendar can be used:

1.                  To pray for people in other countries.

You could choose a different country each month. The first week could be dedicated to praying for the government of that country. The second week, you may decide to pray for the missionaries there. Week three might be when you pray for the children of that country. And on week four, your family could pray for the country's economy or spiritual growth. You could apply this to your country as well.

2.           To pray for your church.

Each month your family could choose a different department in the church on which to focus your prayer time. For instance, you might pray for the choir one month and for ushers another month.

3.           To pray for your community.

You could break this down in a variety of ways, including prayer for schools, local businesses and your neighbors.

The possibilities are endless. By targeting specific areas during certain months or weeks, you can cover a lot of ground and concentrate your prayer efforts for a long period of time. Let your children be creative and come up with ideas.

Go Back Top