Guiding Our Children to Pray for Others
Bible Verse
18 Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people. Ephesians 6:18
Prayer is a powerful tool for Christians. Of all the nuggets of wisdom we will give over the course of their lives, prayer is one of the greatest to share with our children. Prayer is how we communicate with God and strengthen our relationship with him.
In addition to our relationship with God, prayer can impact our relationship with others. Christ told us that the second greatest commandment was to “‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these” (Mark 12:31). We can express that love by praying for others. By teaching our children to pray for others, we help them grow into Christ-centered individuals.
Here are some suggestions for guiding our children to pray for others. Take some time this week to guide your children through praying for others and model it by completing the activities below with them as a family. Also, check out the ebook from Kids Corner, Faith Practices for Families: Prayer.
Step 1 Study Bible verses that emphasize praying for others. Here are some passages to get you started.
- Romans 8:26 - The Holy Spirit prays for us.
- Ephesians 6:18 - Pray on all occasions for all people.
- Colossians 1:9 - Pray for understanding and wisdom of God’s will.
- James 5:16 - Pray for the healing of others.
- Mathew 5:44 - Pray for your enemies.
Step 2 Identify whom each family member will pray for. You can help your children with this choice by providing suggestions such as family members, teachers, friends, or even someone who may not have been kind to them. Allow God’s Spirit to guide children to a person.
Step 3 Using the ACTS Prayer model, guide your children to pray for the person they identified.
ACTS is an acronym for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (or supply needs).
- Adoration: Praising God for who he is and what he has done.
- Confession: Saying sorry for the hurt we’ve caused God and others.
- Thanksgiving: Thanking God for all he has done for us.
- Supplication: Asking God to grant us what we need.
Sample prayer for a classmate:
Dear God, you are our Promise Keeper and Savior from our sins (praise and adoration). Please forgive me for not being kind to friends and family this week (confession). Thank you for forgiving me and for the chance to pray for my classmate (thanksgiving). Please help John not to be afraid to talk in class (supplication). In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer is a vital practice that nurtures our connection with God and deepens our love for others. By teaching our children to pray, we equip them with a lifelong habit that fosters compassion, faith, and spiritual growth. As we guide them in praying for others, we help shape their hearts to reflect Christ’s love in all they do.
Want to do a deep dive? Check out Family Fire's article The Power of Praying for One Another.
Natasha Menifee
Natasha Menifee is an educator, writer and most importantly a child of God. She has taught in public schools for 12 years and holds two master's degrees from Georgetown College in Learning & Behavior Disorders and Teacher Leadership. Natasha also serves as the Christian Education Director at her church. She is the proud mother of two daughters. For more information about her, visit www.natashamenifee.com.
