How Jesus Taught Us to Pray
Bible Verse
He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them. (CEV) Hebrews 7:25
Working in kids’ ministry, I pray with kids. A lot. And each time I pray with them, I feel intimidated and excited. I feel intimidated because teaching kids to pray can be daunting. After all, they are learning to talk to their Father in heaven! Plus, it can be challenging to focus when preschoolers fidget, sneeze, or giggle in the background.
But the excitement always wins because I know that in my imperfections, I am teaching kids more about God’s goodness. I demonstrate that prayers don’t have to be eloquently worded or perfectly timed when I pray. What matters is that we speak to God from our hearts.
Check out the Bible passages below for guidance and encouragement as you navigate prayer with your children.
Jesus prayed by himself (Luke 5:16) As a parent, I doubt you have much alone time. However, it’s important that you find time to spend alone with God and fill up so you’re ready to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Luke 5 says that even though crowds of people were coming to hear Jesus and be healed, he “would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray.” He needed his Father to restore him and ready him for his ministry. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, carve time out of your day to pray in solitude and be with your Father. This will restore you, and it will also set an example for your kids.
Jesus prayed with others (Matthew 6:9-13) Jesus taught his disciples to pray with the Lord’s Prayer. Read the Lord’s Prayer this week, and break it down with your kids. Talk about each line and what it means. Perhaps you want to work on memorizing it as a family.
Jesus prayed for others (John 17) Jesus’ last prayer with his disciples was so powerful. Not only did he pray for himself and them, but he also prayed for all future believers. Remember that Jesus still intercedes for us at the right hand of God the Father (Romans 8:34).
It is so valuable to teach our kids the rhythms of prayer by praying with them. By praying in the morning, we put our biggest worries and fears about the day before God. Praying before meals teaches us to thank God morning, noon, and night. By praying before bed, we often reflect and share with God what’s on our minds. Rhythms of prayer teach our kids that we can talk to God about anything and share everything with him. But the good thing is, we don’t have to teach them alone. Jesus is still teaching us daily how to pray; he is everyone’s ultimate teacher on prayer.
Here are more Kids Corner resources that will help your family pray together.
Faith Practices for Families: Prayer
Sharing the Lord’s Prayer with Our Kids (Week One)
Learning the Lord’s Prayer (Week Two)
Want to do a deep dive? Check out Family Fire's article The Gift of Sacrifice.
Areo Keller-Donahue
As soon as Areo could pick up a popsicle stick, she was making puppets and putting on plays that shared her faith with her neighbors. Areo grew up with a strong interest in musical theatre and earned her BFA at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Areo was led to use artistic gifts to share the gospel with young ones, and she became involved in ministry. She has worked in children's ministry at Redeemer Upper West Side and North Way Christian Community and is currently developing a musical live-action series that celebrates faith and fun. Areo and her husband live in Pittsburgh, where they enjoy spending time with their families and adorable cat, Daisy.
