RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: kids praying

Showing posts with label kids praying. Show all posts

The God Can

9:46 AM Dale Hudson

This past weekend, I was speaking at a conference in the Atlanta area. I was sharing about how important it is to pray for the children in our ministries. I was also brainstorming with them about how we can encourage kids to share their prayer requests with us.

One of the ladies in the group shared a wonderful strategy that she uses to pray for the children in her ministry.

She calls it the "God Can." Here's how it works.

Take a large, empty can and write the words "The God Can" on it.

Each week, kids have the opportunity to write down a prayer request on a piece of paper. Then they can put their prayer request in the "God Can." The teacher takes the prayer requests the kids placed in the "God Can" and prays for the kids' requests that week.

As God answers the children's prayer request, the teacher can rejoice with them.

I found this prayer request idea to be very effective.

We have a God who can do anything. He can answer every prayer request we have.

At times, our faith may dip and we begin to wonder if God really can answer us. We begin to question prayer and begin to ask in doubt "Can God?" When your faith is drained and internally you are not sure if God is even hearing your request, simply reverse the "Can God?" doubts and stand on the promise that "God Can!"

Proclaim that "God can" and stand on promises like this - “Truly, Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you." -John 16:23

As you experience the joy of God answering your prayers, it will give you the confidence to let kids know that God can answer each and every prayer they place in the "God Can."

Your turn. What are some other ideas for collecting prayer requests from children? How do you pray for the requests of the kids and families in your ministry? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Share with us in the comment section below.

How to Have an Impactful Prayer Time for Kids at Church

10:14 AM Dale Hudson

Prayer should be a weekly part of your children''s ministry.
Let's look at how you can have an impactful prayer time for the kids in your ministry.

Establish a sense of reverence and awe. Kids should have a blast at church with lots of high-energy, loud games and activities. But when it comes time for prayer, bring the level down to prepare their hearts for prayer.

Start by explaining what prayer is. It is simply talking and listening to God.

Share a promise from God's Word about prayer. Here are a few examples.

"Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
Jeremiah 33:3

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
I John 5:14

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16

So, what does this look like in each age group. Here are some ways to incorporate prayer into these age groups.

Babies
Hold each baby and pray over them. Pray a prayer promise over each child. One great way to do this is to put some prayer promises up on the wall. This reminds team members to prayer specific prayer promises over the child.
Even though babies can't verbalize a prayer, you can plant memories of early prayer experiences that you led them through.   Take their hands and hold them together like they are praying and say a prayer for them.

Preschoolers

Gather the kids into groups of 6 to 8 kids.
Have them sit in a circle.
Go around and give each child the opportunity to share a prayer request.
Go around and give each child the opportunity to pray for one of the requests.
If any of the children are too shy to pray in a group, you can help them.

Another great prayer tool for preschoolers is finger prayers.

Thumb - pray for parent(s)
Pointer - pray for friends who need to be "pointed" to Jesus
Middle - pray for those who are sick
Ring - pray for teachers
Little finger - pray for yourself

Elementary

Gather the kids into groups of 6 to 8 kids.
Explain that prayer is talking to God.
Play soft, meditative music throughout this time.
Take prayer requests.
Have kids pair up and pray for each other's prayer requests.
Explain that prayer is also listening to God.
Have the kids bow their heads. No one talking.
Have the kids sit in silence for 1 minute. Tell them to listen to anything God may speak to them about in the quietness of the minute.
After the minute is over, have kids share what God spoke to them about. You will be amazed at what they share.

We know that nothing of eternal value happens without prayer. If we are going to impact kids' lives, we must teach them how to pray.

Today's kids live in a very noisy world. There is always something coming their way. Text messages dinging on their phone. Notifications from dozens of apps vying for their attention. The action of mobile games beckoning them.

But if we can help kids learn the discipline of spending quiet, meditative time with Jesus, they can develop a close relationship with Him.

In Matthew 2:13, Jesus reminds us about the importance of prayer in church. He said, "the Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer.' "

Your turn. What are some prayer activities or ideas you have used to teach children about prayer? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

5 Keys to Teaching Kids to Pray

8:09 AM Dale Hudson

"Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God." -Billy Graham

If we're going to see kids not just know about God, but actually know God, then we must teach them how to talk with God.

Prayer is one of the keys to kids having a growing relationship with God. Let's look at 5 keys to teaching kids to pray.

Key #1 - Teach kids what prayer is. Show them that prayer is talking with God. Share key verses about prayer from God's Word like 1 John 5:14, Ephesians 6:18, James 5:13, Mark 11:24, Psalm 17:6, Romans 12:12 and Luke 11:2-4.

Teach them prayer is the way you spend time with God and grow closer to Him. The more time you spend with Him in prayer, the better you will know Him.

Teach kids that prayer is not only talking to God, but it is also listening to God. In the stillness, He speaks to us in the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. He also speaks to us as we read His Word and pause to listen to His voice echoing through it.

Key #2 - Teach kids that prayer is a way to express gratitude to God. Help kids cultivate an attitude of gratitude by having them thank God for who He is and for what He has done. This can be done by having them make a list of things they are thankful for and praying through it. Praying before meals is another way to use prayer to help kids be thankful.

Key #3 - Make time for prayer in your services. Each week in our services we take time for kids to pray and be prayed for. We lead them through guided and personal prayers and then they share prayer requests and are prayed for by their leader. We also give them time to sit quietly and listen to God. Each time we do this, God comes and meets with the kids. If you truly want to see kids' faith grow deeper, make prayer a vital part of your services.

Key #4 - Provide kids and parents with tools for praying at home. We know that if kids are going to grow in their faith, they must learn to spend time with God during the week. So each week, we provide them with a take home paper and that includes prayer tools. Encourage parents to pray with their children at home as well. The primary way kids should learn to pray is by watching their parents.

Key #5 - Celebrate answered prayer. When kids see God answer their prayers, it deepens their faith. Keep track of the kids' prayers and when they are answered take time to celebrate with them.

Here are some pictures of some of the kids in our ministry praying. There is nothing more important than teaching kids to pray. Let's make it a top priority in our ministries.

The Power of Silence in a Kid's Class

8:42 AM Dale Hudson

Kids' classes at church should have lots of noise...
talking...singing...laughing...giggling...and all the other sounds that make up an active class.

But...don't forget about the power of silence. Silence can be very loud! There should be times when you hear nothing in the class. Here are 3 ways to use silence to make a powerful impact.

Use the power of silence when you are teaching. Kids don't expect silence when you're teaching. Stop and say nothing for a few seconds at times during your lesson. A well-placed pause will strengthen every thing else you are saying.

Use the power of silence when kids are praying. Show kids that prayer is not only talking to God, but listening to God as well. Build in a minute or so of complete silence during the kids' prayer time. It's in the silence that God will speak to kids.

Use the power of silence when reading Scripture. Have times for the kids to read Scripture to themselves in silence and think about what it is saying. When you do this, God will speak to the kids through His Word.

Your turn. The floor is yours. What are some other ways you use silence to help kids connect with God? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.