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How to Make Prayer an Important Part of your Family Life

February 23, 2023

Helping your child develop a relationship with God through consistent prayer is one of the greatest things you can do as a parent. Pray as a family and model a life of prayer for them, guiding them in the practice of praying on their own.

Make Prayer a Regular Part of Your Day


Scripture tells us to “pray at all times and in all circumstances,” so allow your child to see and hear you pray regularly.  Prayer will become more commonplace in your child's life if you make it a regular part of your family's culture.

  • Pray before meals, thanking God for providing for your daily needs 
  • Pray before driving to school in the morning, asking for protection, and over the upcoming activities of the day
  • Take time to stop and give thanks in times when God blesses you or answers a prayer
  • Model prayer in times of difficulty or when seeking wisdom for important decisions
  • Pray for those in your family and others you know are in need


Be an Example


Show by example how to talk to God in prayer. How amazing that we can visit God's throne whenever we want! A priest is not required to act as our intermediary with God. The wall that once separated us from the Holy of Holies has vanished. He is accessible anywhere, at any time, and for anything.


Why do we pray?


It is important for children to understand why we pray.  What is the purpose of prayer? 


1. We pray to praise God for who He is.  It honors God. It shifts our focus towards God and encourages us. 


2. We pray in order to confess our sins. Once Jesus has reconciled us to God, we are united with Christ, yet we still sin, and we don't want our sin to stand in the way of our relationship with God.


3. Thank God for what He has provided. The importance of always having a grateful heart cannot be overstated. Peace comes from a heart of trust.


4. To ask God to provide the things we need, because we are completely dependent on Him.


Easy ideas for prayer time with your child:


Sentence Prayers: Take turns praying short, one sentence prayers. It can be as simple as “Please heal Uncle Bob,” “Thank you for giving Amanda a new friend,” or “I’m sorry for losing my temper with everyone earlier today.”


Fill-in-the-Blank Prayers: These starter lines can help to guide and focus prayer times:

  • God, I love you because…
  • Thank you God for…
  • God, I’m sorry for…
  • God, please help…


Alphabet Prayers: Going through the alphabet, pray for something or someone that starts with that letter.  E.g., A - Aunt Amy, B - baseball game, C - courage, etc. 


Prayer Board: Use a dry erase board or calendar to record the things the family is praying for together and keep it visible to everyone.


Prayer Journal: Consider purchasing a journal for your child to start recording prayers and how God answers them.


Mirror prayers:  Write a list of prayer requests on the child's bathroom mirror using a dry erase marker so they will remember to stop and pray after brushing their teeth.



“One of the greatest responsibilities of parenthood is praying for your kids, but an even greater responsibility is teaching your kids to pray. Don’t just pray for them; pray with them. Praying for your kids is like taking them for a ride; praying with your kids is like teaching them to drive. If all you ever do is pray for your kids, they’ll just stay in the backseat. Your kids will become spiritual codependents who ask you for a ride anytime they need to get somewhere spiritually. But if you teach them to pray, they can download directions themselves and make their way to wherever it is that God wants them to go.”― Mark Batterson, Praying Circles around Your Children

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