Praying with children
Praying with children can be a very exciting thing to undertake within the church. This can be especially so when done in a creative and fun way. It can also appeal to people of all ages, drawing the church together.
Here are some simple examples:
Sit the children in a circle and start by praying for something beginning with the letter 'A', then ask each child, in turn, to pray for something beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. This can be used for prayers of thanks or prayers for others.
Pray a short prayer or line of a prayer out loud. Pause and ask the children to repeat that prayer or phrase. The children can work as a group to write these prayers before they are used.
Prepare large sheets of paper and coloured paints. Each person places a hand print on the paper, then encourage the group to pray for individuals and their concerns as you move around the sheet.
If you wait for the prints to dry, you could have the children place another hand print over the dry prints as you pray for one another.
The letters of SPOON can be used as a framework for prayer:
S - saying sorry
P - praise
O - others
O - ourselves
N - needs
Children can be encouraged to use the Spoon Prayer for their prayers at home too.
Adapted from a Pray Without Ceasing Resource Booklet prepared by the Oxford and Leicester District.