No matter how old your children are, it’s never too late to begin praying with them. Here are a few
ideas to help you get started.

Newspaper prayer: Have each family member take a portion of the newspaper and circle items that he
or she feels need to be prayer for. Then ask family members to pray for the things they circled.

Sentence Prayer: You can help your children pray aloud by giving them a sentence to complete, such as:

“Lord, I thank you for…”
“Lord, forgive me for…”
“Lord, help my friend…”
“Lord, help me to let go…”

Highs and Lows: Ask your children what their “highs” were from the day, and then ask them about their
“lows” from the day. Share your highs and lows as well, and than pray about them together.

Prayer Journal: Share your prayer requests with the other members of your family, and then record
them in a prayer journal. One person can pray for all the requests you’ve listed for the day. The next
time you pray together, look over the requests you listed previously, and update any changes and
answers. This is a good way to see how God has been active in your prayer lives.

Remember that prayer is just a conversation with God. Let your children hear you talking with God
about your day, your concerns, and your joys, and then ask them to do the same.

Adapted from Faith Begins at Home by Mark Holmen