Children and Prayer
Most acts of worship are linear. We all do the same thing at the same time, often after
instructions like, ‘Let us pray together’, or, ‘Now we will all sing’. The message is clear: we are a
community drawn together to worship God.
But this is not how most children operate today! They are used to doing individualistic tasks,
maybe several at a time, or working in small groups. Perhaps the only corporate activity they ever
experience is a football match. I don’t suggest that we stop saying prayers together or singing
hymns, but that we consider using other ways of praying as well, especially with holiday and
midweek groups. (taken from Diocese of Chelmsford website).
Corporate or individual?
Much of the prayer of the Church of England is corporate, that is to say we do it together and this
is reflected in much of what you will say when you recite Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer. Yet
there is another side to our prayer life, our own individual prayers, as we try to share in Christ’s
prayer to his Father, that his will be done, his kingdom come.
The advice we provide here was originally written for a children’s book. However, whether you
are a child, young person or an adult, prayer is easier than you might imagine! Millions of people
of every age pray every day. You don’t have to know any prayers if you want to pray – in fact,
words can often get in the way. Picture Jesus, and then say what is in your heart, what you feel.
(This article can be found: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/learnpray/)
Remember! God hears every prayer – but not all prayers are answered in the way we might
expect or desire: we don’t always pray for his will to be done!
‘Arrow’ Prayers can be offered to God anywhere, at any time.
But thankfully we don’t live all our lives in moments of extreme crisis. What about day-to-day
praying? We need to come closer to God, to experience His love for us and to try to make sense
of where we are in the world. Prayer is the way we do this.
How to start?
Use your hand.
Your fingers can be used to bring to mind different things to pray
for.
thumb
this is the strongest digit on your hand. Give thanks for all the
strong things in your life, like home and family, relationships that
support and sustain you.
index finger
this is the pointing finger. Pray for all those people and things in
your life who guide and help you. Friends, teachers, doctors,
nurses, emergency services and so on.
middle finger
this is the tallest finger. Pray for all the important people who have power in the world, like world
leaders and their governments, members of parliament and local councillors, the Royal Family,
other world leaders and their governments.
ring finger
this is the weakest finger on your hand. It can not do much by itself. Remember the poor, the
weak, the helpless, the hungry, the sick, the ill and the bereaved.
little finger
this is the smallest and the last finger on your hand. Pray for yourself.
When should I pray?
Traditionally, prayer times have been morning and evening, but you can choose a time which is
best for you. It helps to be somewhere quiet, where you can have some time for yourself.
Do I have to kneel?
Kneeling is the traditional posture for penitence and standing for praise, but you can pray
anywhere – walking, standing, sitting, whatever feels comfortable.
How do I pray?
Be creative – use music, a stone, a feather, a flower, or a candle to help you focus – if you are
very young, or elderly, be careful with candles!
Prayer activity is a discipline – it can be difficult at times, just like keeping fit, being on a diet, or
keeping weeds down in the garden! Little and often is best, but don’t give up! No prayer,
however inadequate you may feel it to be, is ever wasted or of no value.
What next?
Build up a collection of favourite prayers and sayings -anything that speaks to you. You can find
them in greeting cards, cuttings in the press or bookmarks and prayer cards. You could make a
scrapbook for them.
Visit your local church bookshop and have a browse. Most cathedrals have shops with good
resources.
Here are some books you might find helpful. The first two are designed for children, young
people and families, but they contain very powerful material which is ideal for adults who are
new to praying.
Pocket Prayers for Children – Christopher Herbert, pub NS/CHP 1993,
When You Pray – Gilling/Evans, pub Darton Longman & Todd (1995)
Praying through Life – Stephen Cottrell, pub NS/CHP 1998
Confirmation Prayer Book – Stephen Lake, pub SPCK 2002
Extract from Children and Holy Communion – Diana Murrie and Steve Pearce, pub NS/CHP 1997
is copyright © Diana Murrie and Steve Pearce and is reproduced by permission Church House
Publishing. This extract edited in 2003 by Rt Revd David Stancliffe.
There are many, many more designed to help people like you. Prayer is life-enhancing. Try it!
Advice for parents
Little children love to pray. They pray quite naturally, because God is very real for them and very
close for them. But if they are to stay praying as adults, prayer must be a part of their home life
from their earliest years and not just of school life.
Parents, the most essential part of teaching religion to your children is to teach them to pray. You
will teach them to pray not by telling them to pray, not by scolding them if they don’t say their
prayers. You will teach them to pray more by praying with them. Don’t just tell your children:
“Go off to bed now and don’t forget to say your prayers.” Instead say: “We will say our prayers
now.”
Pray with your young children. Pray with your older children. Be seen praying by your children. If
prayer is important to you it will be seen as important by your children. Parents who pray, homes
that pray, prepare a praying generation for the future.
In fact, you parents will learn about praying yourselves by praying with your children. Little
children are very close to God. Didn’t Our Lord say: ”The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to little
children.”
Your children will bring you also closer to God. Children often understand God better than grownups do. Their ways of praying can teach us all a lot about how to pray. (Taken from Derry
Diocese, Ireland.)
I stumbled across this site, designed by a United Methodist Church minister. Called First Steps to
spirituality, it has a some useful and unusual prayer resources. The PrayGround section is
designed to offer a range of interactive prayer tools, and then under the Resource section are
further age-related prayer ideas.
http://www.1ststeps.net/Prayground/tabid/617/Default.aspx
PRAYING HANDS
This prayer idea could be used by families, children’s groups or in all-age worship. It has been
adapted from an original idea by Kurt Focht from Valley View Community Church, Philadelphia
USA posted on theEngageWorship website.
You will need:

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Coloured markers or crayons
A5 sheets of paper
Scissors
Blutack or sticky tape
What to do
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Invite people to trace round their hand on an A5 size sheet of paper and write their name
in the middle of the hand.
Suggest that they might like to add one word or picture that describes what they would
like prayer for.
Roughly cut out the hand (optional).
How to use the praying hands at home
Fix the hands close to the front door. Encourage people to touch the hands as they pass by and
pray for the person concerned.
How to use the praying hands in children’s groups
Attach the hands to the walls in the room where you meet. Encourage the children to move
around and place their hand against one of the paper hands. As they do so, suggest that they
pray quietly for that person. Leaders should take part in this and not just be on-lookers.
How to use the praying hands in worship
Create the praying hands either as people arrive for worship (have the paper and pens ready on a
table) or as part of the Intercessions. Fix them to the walls of your worship area. Invite people to
move around the church and either stand in front of a hand, or place their hand on one of the
outlines and pray for the person named on it.
Almost 100 Prayer Ideas
Thanks to the following contributors: Rev Dr Sandra Millar/Catherine Kennedy/Joke Vos/Alun
Gifford/Wynne Stearns/Lynne Morris/Luci Turner/Eileen Pickering/Martin Abel/The Welsh KK
Team/Andrew & Eleanor Carter/Richie Gardner
1.Rope Maps
Using a rope/string or length of wool make a map of your nation (or another nation!) or city.
Pray in different ways but keep it quick, short bursts of prayer to keep the concentration of the
young people e.g. 30-60 seconds!
2.Stand Outside!
You could stand or kneel around the edge of the rope and face inwards asking God to bring a
wave of His love to the nation, or bring in workers for the harvest field.
3.Stand Inside!
You could all stand inside the map and pray for cities, villages, schools or whatever you want! All
pray out loud together!
4.Face Outwards!
You could all be inside the shape and face outwards asking God to raise up people from your
nation to go into missions abroad!!
5.Tea Lights (small candles)
Use candles to highlight areas inside the rope map such as cities or make a cross shape or similar
symbol to help focus your prayers.
6.Tug Of War
With the rope have a tug of war competition between two teams! After you play pray for a
situation in the world where countries are being torn apart because of civil war or drugs
problems!
7.Braid Wool, String or Thread
Pray for unity in the churches, pastors and church leaders.
8.Stand on chairs or benches
Pray for Christians in your city or nation to be bold in witness and love for the Lord Jesus. Why
not think of a nation in the world where it is really tough to be a believer and ask God to give
them special boldness!!
9.Someone Sit
Put a child or whomever you want to pray for on a chair and with some strong volunteers “lift
them up before God” (literally!!). Pray fast or as long as you can keep them lifted up!
10. Doors, Windows and Walls:
Ask the children to go and stand in 2’s or 3’s in open doorways in your house or building and for 2
minutes pray for God to open up doors and windows of opportunities for the gospel to spread.
Again focus into which nation you are asking God to do this!
Stand by Walls and pray against barriers to the gospel or pray for strength to be given to believers
in difficult places.
11. Cardboard:
Build as big a ‘cardboard city’ as possible (think BIG!). Make it out of boxes or whatever you can
find and pray for homeless people. Get the children or youth to crawl inside and live there for a
while and draw prayers and write poems etc. Stick them everywhere! If you don’t have
cardboard then use blankets or sheet.
12.. Intercession Drama – Standing in the Gap:
Act out what prayer and intercession is!
Stand God on a chair and have 3 people represent a city, person or nation. Ask people to
represent Christians who stand in between God and the place! But have one place not
represented at all! Have someone play Satan who tries to put the believers off from their
praying! The Christians use their authority to make Satan flee. He then notices that no one is
standing in the gap for that city or person over there. He turns his attentions on it and no one is
there to intervene! Help people see their responsibility to be people who stand in the gap!
13. A Famous Prayer with Movement:
This is an old Irish prayer from the 6th Century, based on a prayer traditionally attributed to St.
Patrick. Some movements were put to it by Rev. Philip Noble fromScotland who was studying
North American Indian sign language.
“May the Road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine bright on your face and the rains fall softly on your fields. And until we meet
again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of his hand.
Amen!”
Actions available from address at front.
14. Circle Praying:
The Celtic Christians based inIrelandandScotlandliked to pray in circles. Circles speak of equality
and unbroken friendships and love.
15.Amen!
All in the circle put their hands in and start low and soft and rise to a crescendo:
AaaaaammmmmmeeeeennnnNNNNNN!!!!!
16.Take Out! Put in!
Think of negatives we are asking God to take out from our lives, churches, communities etc. You
could say something like:
“Lord we ask you to take Fear from our lives!” (and as you say it reach in to the circle with your
hand and act it out).
Then someone else replies:
“Lord we ask you to put in a new love and courage into our lives!” (act it out again this time
taking your hand from outside the circle and putting this new quality into the circle!)
After each prayer you could do the Amen! prayer as above.
17.Lap Sitting
All stand in a circle facing the same direction. Count to three and all sit down on the lap of the
person behind you. Keep your hands free! This is possible with very big groups of people but the
secret is sitting slowly and gently together! Don’t panic! It is also important that at the start you
are in a perfect circle with no jagged corners.
This is all great fun and will certainly get people laughing.
Go round the circle fast speaking out one person we want to thank God for who had been a great
support to you in encouragement, prayer, etc
18.. Group Shapes:
Divide into groups of 6/7. Leader calls out a shape that the group then needs to from using their
bodies e.g. ‘Church’. The Leader then asks the group to pray for the church. Leader may suggest
what to pray for more specifically (pastors, leaders, unity,).
19.An Umbrella
For God to send the rain of the Spirit to us, the city etc
20.A Throne
Make Jesus Lord of your life again!
21.A Family
Pray for protection on the family, marriages etc
22.A Machine
Pray for people to have jobs and be able to earn money
For justice in the workplace; for Christians in business to be blessed and protected.
23.A Fruit
Ask God to grow the fruit of the Spirit in our lives
24.A Net
Pray for the unreached and lost in your city, nation, school
Pray for friends by name!
25.A Heart
Pray for the love of God to be experienced or for Gods people to have clean hearts.
10/40 Window – this is a missions term denoting an area of the world least evangelised and
reached. It’s rectangular shape 10 degrees and 40 degrees latitude above the equator and
stretching from West Africa to east of Japan.
26.Human Pyramid
3 levels (three on bottom, two in middle and one on top!) Use this to pray for unity in body of
Christ and supporting each other.
27. Sardines:
The name for this activity comes from the small fish that get packed tightly together in tins! An
oldUKfavourite where a few people are sent off to hide anywhere they want to. The rest then
have to go find them and when they do join them in their secret hideaway. It gets more and
more crowded as more people discover them! Idea is to remain as undercover as possible. This
is good game in which to pray for the persecuted church in many nations or the underground
church in China!
The initial people who go off to hide take a nation or situation to pray for and the rest need to
find the one that matches their paper. If all the pieces of paper arrive then that team gets a
special reward! Think of it as smuggling bibles in etc!
28. Pass the Parcel:
Divide your group into smaller groups of 10 or so. Wrap a nice gift like some candy (Swiss
chocolate if praying forSwitzerland!) in several layers of paper. On each layer write a prayer
request or something to do as individuals, in twos, all together as a group. Play music and pass
the parcel! When the music stops the person holding the parcel gets to unwrap one layer and
read out the prayer activity!
29.Modelling balloons
Make long shapes that the young people write on their prayers. Then link (squeeze and twist!)
them altogether into a huge chain! Chains can be positive or negative and you can make your
prayer focus accordingly!
30.Balloon Cage/Prison
Twist long inflated balloons into a cage shape (you’ll need at least 16 balloons for this so give
yourself time to prepare…) You could pray for those in prison for their faith like the persecuted
church or you get the prisons to represent those things that hold people in bondages of one kind
or another. Put people into the balloon cage to stand in the gap for whomever you are praying
for.
31.Ordinary balloons
Write prayers on small pieces of paper, fold them and put them down the neck of the uninflated
balloon. Inflate and tie them. Put on some music and everyone throws their balloon onto the
air! Have a party and throw your prayers up to the Lord! When the music stops each person
takes a balloon and bursts it! Warn people it will be noisy! Then expect complete quiet with
everyone praying what is on their paper!
32.Helium Balloons
Either put a small piece of paper with a prayer written on it into a pre-inflated balloon or you
could attach a written paper “tail” or write onto the balloon itself. Then fill with helium and let
go praying as you watch it disappear.
33.Fishing relay race
Make some paper fish and put them in bin bags full of other junk stuff (not too messy however!).
On the fish write names of the children’s friends or you could pray for unreached peoples!
34.Flap A Fish relay race
Use a newspaper to flap a paper fish. As each person completes their flap the team huddles
together to pray for a minute and then the next team member has their turn.
35.Jig-Saw Puzzles
Make jig-saws from maps or photos/pictures of what you are going to pray about. Each person
runs and gets a piece and then the team have to complete the picture and then pray for 2/3
minutes!
36.Eating
Each team is in a circle praying for a nation or people and each person in turn has to run and get
something to eat and then return to the team and the next person runs. First team to finish the
food wins!
37.Charades:
Act out a prayer needs and then the team have to pray for 60 seconds. Then the next person
runs to the prayer leader to get the next prayer clue and then act it out silently for the group!
38. World-Views/God Concept:
This is a good educational/thinking activity that leads nicely into prayer. You can compare Biblical
Christian worldview with Buddhism or Islam or Secular Humanism! You need to do some
research for this activity and write your own statements.
On two cards write the two worldviews you are comparing and then put a piece of string or rope
down the middle. Each group is given an envelope with prepared written statements e.g. ‘God is
All Knowing’ or ‘If it feels good, do it!’ The group have to decide which column the statement
should go in. Some statements may apply to both world-views and can be placed on the string!
Then each group gets in a circle and each person can choose one of the statements and turn it
into a prayer for people or a city or nation!
37. Prayer and Phoning/Faxing/Emailing/Text Messaging and Intraneting:
Find out the numbers and addresses of a missionary family or individual you know or that your
church support. Ask God how to pray for them. Ask God for scriptures, impressions, encouraging
words for them. Then draw and write these and send them!!!
You could also partner with another church youth group in your own city, nation or overseas and
send each other what God shows you for each other!
38. Chat Room Prayer:
King’s Kids England has some chat rooms where scheduled online cell meetings or prayer
meetings happen. You need to get a password first to access it. See web site for details.
39. A Game of two Halves:
Divide the group in two. Choose a good song of praise or worship and while one half of the group
sings the other prays out altogether ‘Korean style’. Then swap over and the other group now
sings!
40. Prayer and Fasting:
Ask the children or young people to not eat their breakfast before Sunday morning or just before
you normally meet! Tell them that we are going to pray for poor and starving peoples
somewhere! You could even ask that the money normally spent on that meal they missed be
collected in and sent to those in need!
It may be appropriate to end the prayer time with a feast!
41. Newspaper Wars:
Newspapers are often full of bad news and reports of fighting in the world. Ask the children or
young people where they know such conflict is taking place. Collect lots of newspaper! Divide
the group into two teams facing each other. Give each team some paper and when the whistle
blows or the music starts each team has to throw the paper over to the other side. To win you
have to have the least amount of paper left on your side when the time is up! At the end of the
time get into groups and pray for a war-torn part of the world where ethnic conflicts are
happening.
42. Prayer and Feasting:
Again here the possibilities are endless and only limited by your imagination! Add in fancy dress
if you want and have a real party time!
Choose a nation you are going to pray for and use some of the prayer ideas on this sheet. But
also prepare Indian food or American, Thai or Mongolian, French or Mexican. Learn some
language too!
43.Paper Aeroplanes
Each person is given a piece of paper and are asked to write/draw on it a personal prayer request
to Father God! Then fold it into an aeroplane and when each person is ready the whole group
enjoy throwing them up into the air asking God to hear and answer!
48.Chinese Lanterns
Each person makes Chinese lanterns out of paper! Everyone shouts out loud together three
times “Jesus is the light of the World!” You could then ask people to shout out their prayers like:
“Jesus shine your light on____________!” You may be praying for friends or family members or
nations like China!
49.Crosses
Learn how to fold and tear paper so that when you unfold it again it is in the shape of a cross!
Write prayers of thanksgiving or repentance on them.
50. Wide Game Praying:
Praying for the Persecuted or Underground church – This one is best done on a camp or retreat
where you can be outside. Playing in the dark makes it even more fun! It could even last 45
minutes to an hour!
Two teams with secret headquarters well spaced out on the field, park etc. Idea is to capture the
other teams ‘treasure’ (scriptures written on pieces of paper and put into toilet paper holders!)
and take it back to your own centre. Each centre is a 2 metres square area that only the opposite
team can get into and remain safely in until they try to escape with one piece of treasure. Each
team wears a differently coloured wool arm-band easily seen on the upper arm. If this gets
pulled off or broken during the game then the player has to go to get a replacement in the
“hospital”!
Meanwhile a group of leaders/adults act as secret police. They are the only ones with torches if
you play in the dark and they operate in a middle zone of the playing area. They can catch from
both teams and send people off to the “prison” where they have to pray for 2 minutes before
being released or back to the hospital if they need a new arm-band! In the prison they are given
a prayer sheet. It’s good fun if they have to say things out loud like “Jesus is Lord!” (´3).
Start and finish the game with a whistle or other loud noise and the winners are the team with
most points! ‘Treasures’ are worth each 50 points (make as many or as few as you’d like for the
game). Every new arm-band is 5 points off and capture by the police is plus 100 points. But only
tell them this at the end as a surprise!!
51.. Prayer Chopsticks:
Use Jelly Babies or another small candy! Divide the group into teams and give each team a pair of
chopsticks and small bowl, which they place in the centre of the group. Place a large bowl of Jelly
Babies in the centre of the room. When the time starts one person from each team runs to the
Jelly Babies and picks up one and brings it back to the bowl in their group.
As they put it in the bowl they shout:
“Another worker/missionary for_____________!” You could name nations of the earth or cities
in a nation or people groups you know about. The chopsticks are then passed onto the next
person. Allow about 2 or 3 minutes. At the end count up the total number of Jelly Babies each
team got and announce the winner. Then get the whole group to stand in a circle and together
pray for the total number of missionaries to be released into the nation etc.
52. Paper Shapes:
Writing prayer responses onto shaped paper that responds to your teaching themes can be very
helpful! These prayer shapes could be taken home, placed in a bible or diary or put up on a wall
or part of your scenery, For example, in the King’s Kids 8-11’s programme at Spring Harvest 2001
the children put up their prayers on aPrayerMountainas the theme was “King of the Hill”.
53.Hearts
When teaching on Gods love or relationships
54.Crosses
When teaching on Jesus’ death, forgiveness
55.Human Body
When teaching on the lost or evangelism or praying for others
56.Fish
The lost, evangelism
57.Clouds/Rain
God’s provision or blessings
58.Tear Drop
Things that bring sadness to the heart of God or bring compassion into our own hearts.
59.Key
Pray for the persecuted church or where we want to see breakthroughs.
60.Shape of Country or City
Pray for that nation.
61. Mustard Seeds:
Give every person a small mustard seed or equivalent seed. Put somewhere safe and use as a
reminder to pray this coming week. Go outside and throw it into the wind or plant somewhere.
Plant some sunflower seeds in small pots and water regularly. Each time you do so, pray!
62. Video ideas:
Use short video clips to inform and educate before praying. There are many Christian videos
available e.g. on Street Children, Transformations or you could record current news clips from the
TV. If you are really creative, and with older young people, why not use a clip from a popular TV
programme where there might be an issue of peer pressure, abortion, handicapped babies. First
discuss and then pray!
63. Knock the Cans Down!:
Discuss what strongholds are operating in your nation or city. Write these on paper and stick
onto empty coke Cans and take it in turns to throw beanbags at the Cans. When one Can
(representing a stronghold!) falls then the group prays for that issue! Keep repeating as long as
there are Cans left!
64. Prayer & Disappearing Tricks:
The following resources can be purchased through ‘Tricks For Truth’, contact Paul Morley on:
01706 649 921.
65.Flashpaper
This is special paper available from magic suppliers. Ask the group to write prayers of saying
sorry to God or being thankful for the work Jesus did for us on the Cross. Put all the papers in a
metal pan and burn! This will make quite a visual statement!
66.Burn it away I
f you don’t have flashpaper you can still use normal paper to write prayers of forgiveness towards
others, repentance or thanking God for his Son.
67.Change Bag
This is a special magic prop you must buy. You can put prayers in the bag and see them disappear
and change into answers.
68.Dissolving Paper
Same as above but instead of burning you place this special paper in a bowl of water and see it
disappear!
69. Prophetic Symbolism:
It is helpful to respond to the pictures and impressions received by the group in prayer and act
them out in prayer.
For example if someone got an impression of God saying He wants us to be like arrows, then get
the group to make themselves into that shape (a variation of 7. above).
70. Chain tag:
This is a running around game and requires space to play. The leader calls out a part of the body
which is to be tagged, together with a prayer theme. The people who are to chase first do so and
when they touch someone the new person joins up by holding hands and continue the chase!
Example: Praying forEngland……
68.Arms
Pray for the govt. to change from spending money on arms (weapons) and change to building
better houses for everyone!
69.Forehead
Pray for colleges and universities; that God will send His presence powerfully to them.
Other body parts could be Finger Tips, Knees, Feet and Ankles, Noses etc!
When the leader shouts ‘Stop!’ then the chains of people all huddle together to pray as directed!
70: Multiple Choices:
You will need three different coloured buckets labelled A, B or C. Place the buckets in different
places in the room. Read out each question with three different possible answers. Run to A, B or
C as you think! Then announce the right answer. Give a point to the winners or a piece of paper
as a token! Do as many questions as you think right for your situation. This requires a lot of
research! Questions about nations are good and great education! E.g.
From which country wasMexicoa colony?
A. Portugal
B.Holland
C. Spain
When didMexicobecome independent?
A. 1871
B. 1821
C. 1921
What is the capital ofMexico?
A. Monterrey
B. Leon
C. Mexico City
By which natural disaster wasMexicohit badly?
A. Earthquake
B. Tidal Wave
C. Hurricane
Then announce three prayer points and run to one of the buckets again to pray for a minute.
They must choose fast!
Prayer points could be about street children inMexico City:
A. shelter
B. safety
C. Food
71. Cracking Codes:
Purpose is to pray for Bibles to be available in different languages. You will need to invent a code
and then put some simple messages into the code. An example of a code is making a=z, b=y or
a=1, b=2. Or use Morse Code or another language like Russian, Arabic or Braille!
Put the prayer requests into code too! Wycliffe could give information about Bible translation
work. Get into 2s and 3s to pray that the Bible will be available in many languages.
72. Human Knots:
Divide group into 8 – 10 participants. Each person closes there eyes and puts both hands into
middle of circle. Ask them to join hands with 2 other people making sure they aren’t the ones on
either side of them. The team now will be in a knot. Ask them to pray together, for God to bring
his freedom into the situation you are praying into. After praying for a minute ask the team to
undo the knot without letting go of their hands. The result will be a circle shape (occasionally it
will be a figure of eight). At the end one person thanks God for hearing their prayers.
73. Pass the Squeeze:
All hold hands in a circle and pray for the Gospel to spread fast, that Christians would have
courage to share their faith. Now leader starts a squeeze that is passed from one person to the
next. Aim is to do this in the least possible time. Have a few tries.
74. Gunge Tank:
Fill garden paddling pool with gunge (write to the BBC for the powder) and throw in plastic sealed
containers with prayer requests inside ask for volunteers to dive into the mess and bring out one
container at a time. Pray for Countries or situations that are in a mess! Great for outside, holiday
club or camp.
75. Architecture:
This is basically putting the architecture of your building to good effect! Here are 2 possible
ideas.
76.Pillars
Use pillars in your church building to hang prayers on. Or wrap paper prayer chains around
them. Possible themes for prayer are foundations, strength, unity in the church, God’s word and
his promises.
77.Balconies
Fill buckets of written prayers (perhaps raindrop shapes) and have children pour out the prayers
as you sing a song asking for God’s blessing to fall. You could also write prayers onto paper
aeroplanes and throw them all around the congregation.
78.Clap - Noise Making:Think of the different thankful ways you could applause God with.
Why not try different clapping rhythms. Leader starts and rest follow/copy!
79.Rain Clap
Start with one finger tapping the palm of your other hand. Build slowly to two fingers and then
more until there is a crescendo of thunder claps and a deluge of rain.
80.Shout
Scripture is full of people, even children shouting their praise to God!
81.Stamp Your Feet
This can be very affective on a wooden floor
82. Musical Arches:
You can use well-known songs with some people scattered around the room in pairs making
arches with their arms. As the music plays everyone else dances in and through these pairs.
When the music stops the pairs have to catch people who then have to say what they are
thankful to God for. An obvious song for this would be the old favourite “I will enter His Gates
with thanksgiving in my heart!”
83. Make a new Spectacle of yourself:
Have everyone make simple glasses with card frames and various coloured films. Everyone wears
their glasses and prays that whoever or whatever you are praying about will receive fresh vision
from the Lord for their ministry.
North, South, East and West:
84.Compass
Work out the four main compass points where you are. Have people face in the four directions.
You could sing the song “Shout to the North and the South!” and then proclaim Jesus as Saviour
to all. Thank God for His heart to save all peoples everywhere in your city or town and region!!
85.Confession Shout
Psalm 103:12 talks about God removing sin far from us. Having worked out the direction of East
and West you could
86. Freedom Tag:
One person chases others around the room and when he or she catches them they have to stand
still with their legs apart. While they wait to be freed by somebody crawling between their legs
they must pray for whatever nation or topic you are looking at.
87. Lighting Candles:
Christian believers to symbolise God’s presence, His purity and holiness have long used light.
Speak prayers and light candles and place in trays or buckets of sand or soil. Another alternative
is using floating candles in large basins full of water.
88. Prayer on Location:
Prayer comes alive for children and young people when they can go and pray on location. Pray
outside your local school, police station, factory, and mosque. Use the heart prep prayer at the
beginning to prepare yourselves in the car or minibus as you drive along. We have even taken
groups into the police station or local restaurant to ask what they would like us to pray for!
The Lord’s Prayer is an excellent tool for on location praying! You can either divide this prayer
between the group or each individual works through the whole prayer line by line.
89. Wear a Plaster or Bandage all day:
This is a great way to focus on people who are suffering or in distress and can really help us
appreciate the health we do enjoy. As well as spending a day praying themselves young people
could even get their friends to write prayers onto the bandage.
90. Paper Chain:
Same as for modelling balloon chain (No 11). You can either cut up your own paper or buy pre
gummed paper from a stationary shop.
91. Glass Painting Prayers:
Collect empty jam jars. Your local art store can advise you on proper glass painting materials.
Great finishing touch is to put candles inside to shine out your prayer. These make great
Christmas gifts.
92. Leather and Beads:
Again these can be bought at your local art and crafts shop. Thread the beads onto the leather
making a chain or bracelet and as you wear it for the rest of that day or month every time you
look at it, it’s a reminder to pray for whatever the beads represent.
93. Smoke machine:
Get the kids to lie on the floor and then switch on a smoke machine for a while. The cloud that
you create is to symbolise God’s presence. The kids then pray for God’s presence to come in a
situation either in their lives or some particular need you are aware of as a group.
94. Word Association:
Get the kids to sit in a circle and choose a volunteer to start. Give the first person the first word of
the prayer, ie. Dear, then going round in a clockwise direction the next person says the next word
in the sentence, building up the prayer as you go round the circle one word at a time. You finish
when the last person says Amen. And then you can start again if you want, and perhaps give a
new topic.
More prayer ideas
The following are from Methodist site http://www.praywithoutceasing.org.uk/ideas.htm
Dice Prayer
‘Dice Prayer’ is like playing the dice game but people with a certain number get to pray for things
that are already on the list. For example, a person shakes the dice, throws it and if it shows
1 then that person prays for everyone in the group.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Prayer for everyone in the group.
Prayer for something special.
Prayer of thanks.
Prayer for our friends/church.
Prayer for the world
Prayer for peace
Graces
Say a short prayer of thanksgiving before meals. Each person in the household can take turns in
saying a prayer.
Some examples are:
For what we are about to receive may God help us to be truly thankful. Amen.
Creator God, we give thanks for the food we will share, always mindful of those who will not eat
their fill today. Help us to work hard to make the world a fairer place. Amen
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise him all creatures here below,
Praise him above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen
For this food for our journey,
we thank you, loving God.
For this time of friendship,
we thank you, loving God.
For all the blessings of this life,
We thank you, loving God.
Amen
Prayer Map
Put up a huge map of the world and surround it with pictures of people from parts of the world
appearing in the news. Pin or stick prayers onto the countries that are in your prayers.
‘From Our Correspondent’
People take it in turns to report on a particular situation in the world. Within worship or at your
meeting, the ‘Correspondent’ talks about the story and then invites people to pray for the
situation and those involved.
Learning Curve
Ask people in your fellowship group or church to each research the way that people pray in
different parts of the world and in different denominations and faiths. Make a display of the
things you find out and invite local schools to come and have a look – the teachers are likely to be
thrilled to be involved!
Active Prayers
Organise a prayer walk or pilgrimage. Identify points along the way where particular prayers can
be said. This could be in an urban or rural setting. Encourage people to talk along the way, but
have a silent section – perhaps the last leg of the walk – to allow quiet contemplation and create
space to listen to God’s prompting as well as talk.
Variations on this theme could include a narrow boat journey, a horse ride, a bike ride, or for
those less energetic, a walk around a local park.
Alphabet Prayers
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.
Echo Prayer
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.
Hand Prints
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.
Spoons
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.
Praying through our senses From Joyce Cundall, Ormskirk
Hear Taize chants or worship songs as you meditate.
Hold stones or glass beads to symbolise a hard problem; place it near a cross.
Repeat hymns as prayers (without music), spoken or silent.
Scented tea lights placed in front of a newspaper (to pray for those in the news), an empty photo
frame (to pray for individual people) and a photo of your church (to pray for concerns).
Drink fruit juices which have been re-labelled joy, peace, love or patience, and as you drink ask
God for that gift of the Spirit.
Prayer Plaits
Cut three equal lengths of wool (approx 9 inches or 22 centimetres) in the colours of your choice.
One colour represents yourself, one represents God and one represents other people. Knot them
together at one end.
As you reflect on your relationship with God and with others plait the wool. Knot the end when
you finish and, as you do so, say a prayer commending yourself and those you have thought
about, to God’s love.
CD Prayer Wall
On a wall or piece of wood, stick a number of empty CD cases or wallets. Provide pieces of paper
that fit these cases and encourage people to write prayers and put them on the wall. Make this a
regular part of your activity and you will soon get into the habit of using it.
Healing Heart
You need a large red card heart and clear medical plasters. Ask each person to think about
someone they know who needs God’s healing touch, then they write the name on the plaster
before sticking it onto the heart. Once all the plasters are in place, pray a general prayer, lifting
them all to God.
Musical Prayers
Have lots of directions written on card and placed on the floor around a room. Play some youth
friendly worship music and when the music stops, each person goes to a card and does what is
written on it. For example: thank God for our family; ask God to be with the person closest to you
now; be still; thank God for the best thing that has happened this week; ask God to be with
anyone you know who is ill.
Adapted from a Pray Without Ceasing Resource Booklet produced by the Oxford and Leicester
District
These ideas are taken from Margaret Withers on Chelmsford Diocese
Balloon prayers
Write or draw a prayer on a small piece of paper and attach it with a string to a balloon. It is more
effective to use a helium pump to blow up the balloons. Take them into your churchyard or any
open space and release them into the air. Knowing that the people who find them may be urged
to share in the prayer or will be aware that there are children who are praying for the needs of
the world is a strong witness to our faith.
Catalyst Prayers
Create several displays or activities that will help you to pray with questions or statements beside
them, for example:
A clock, stopwatch, timer etc. How much time do you give to God? How do you use the time that
God has given you?
Stones and a cross or crucifix. Are there things that trouble you or make you sad? Take a stone to
represent them and then place it at the foot of the cross.
Newspaper and magazine cuttings. Pray for one place or situation that is in the news at present.
A bowl of water. We need water to live. It makes things grow, cleans and refreshes us. How do
you use water?
Do the activity or think about the question. Then write or draw a prayer on a ‘post-it’ to stick on
to a prayer board. These can be offered at the final worship of the event.
God’s story; my story
Each one of us is unique, made individually by God. Each one of us has a story. Cut sheets of A4
paper lengthwise into four strips. Invite the children to write or draw about themselves on a strip.
Fasten the strips to make a paper chain. Place it in church.
Notice boards and boxes
Have a board and some felt-tipped pens so that the children can write or draw prayers. This can
be just a drawing or a name. God will know what is in the person’s heart. Some churches have a
prayer board or box where people can post intercessions. Show it to the children or make your
own.
Post-it Prayers
Write or draw prayers on post-its and place them on the altar table or in front of the cross. Write
‘Love Prayers’, on hearts and put them in front of the Christmas crib or a picture of Jesus.
Whatever the children offer, it is important to remember that these are their personal
communications with God and not to be commented on or assessed.
Strings of Beads
Beads have been used as an aid to prayer for centuries and in several religions. Take a length of
thick thread and some beads of different colours. Tie the beads on to the thread to represent
your life: your family, friends, school, hobbies and so on. Use the different colours to mark the
different people or events. Use the beads to thank God for his blessings and to tell him about the
difficult things in your life.
Walking with God
Take a small group out for a walk, to the park or the shops or just down the road. Invite the
children to look for signs of God while you are on the journey. They will see him in a variety of
ways: flowers, clouds, people, behaviour, the wind, even cracks in paving stones can be signs of
God and lead us to a sense of his presence.
Still need more? Check out www.prayerrequests.co.uk/CreativePrayer.html
Lord’s Prayer Ideas
Works well standing in a circle holding hands.
Our Father hands joined
In heaven hands joined and raised high
Hallowed be your name heads bowed
Your kingdom come release hands and make a gesture of invitation
Your will be done a salute
On earth as it is in heaven all stamp feet for ‘earth’ and then clap high above heads for ‘heaven’
Give us this day our daily bread hands out ready to receive
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us hands clasped together in front of the
body and then released; turn and shake hands with the people either side
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil hands together in front of the face, shielding
away temptation and then one hand up as a stop sign
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory one hand pointing up high; the other hand
raised in a clenched fist; finally both hands raised above the head high, with fingers spread
Forever and ever draw a large circle in front of yourself with one hand several times
Amen use the popular ‘wind-up’ Amen... with a long drawn-out 'A', accompanied by the
imaginary cranking of a handle, and followed by the word 'men' being shouted
Click here or Lord’s Prayer worksheet for children.
The Lords Prayer Dan Jones, Bristol Diocese
Click here to download
A modern Lord’s prayer, Dan Jones, Bristol Diocese.
Click here to download
The Diocese of Eds & Ips has produced a CD of the Lord’s Prayer in song, sign language, collective
worship, reflective storytelling. It sounds as though it would be a great addition to your
resources! The disk contains 13 songs, including 10 sung versions of the Lord’s Prayer30
assemblies / acts of collective worship a primary RE theme day on the Lord’s Prayersign language,
interactive stations and a reflective story spoken recordings of the Lord’s Prayer in 18 different
language £15 Click here to see flyer
Types of prayer- Katherine Lyddon
Psalm Consequences
Creative Prayer with Children
Katherine Lyddon, Diocesan Children’s Work Adviser is happy to run training for a group of 8 or
more, on praying with children . If you don’t have 8 interested people in your church, why not
get together with the church down the road or plan it as a Deanery training.Please contact her to
discuss your specific needs 01392 294937 or katherine.lyddon@exeter.anglican.org
Everything on page two of guidelines:
http://www.exeterccyp.org/category/children/guidelinesgood-practice/page/2/