Each week as I wrap up my message, I do my best to close with some kind of worship or prayer response. We must never lose sight of the power of prayer, and as children’s pastors we must be diligent in providing our kids opportunities to pray.
Here are some simple prayer stations that use prayer to disciple your kids:
Nowadays most children know at least one person in need of healing. Have kids write the name of the person on the band-aid. Then have them say a prayer over the band-aid as they stick it onto a large wooden cross.
Remind kids that God cares about the entire world. Have kids spend time looking over a large map and ask God to place a country on their heart. Once they have a country, they can stick a colored dot sticker on the country and say a prayer over it.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us and leads us, a little like a traffic light. He can show us what we need to STOP doing, He can WARN us of who and what to be cautious of, and He often tells us to GO and do things. Have kids pray about these 3 different things and write what God puts on their heart on the different traffic light colors.
Teach kids that when we pray for forgiveness, God doesn’t just forgive us but He forgets about our past. Have kids write down or draw some of the things they know they have done wrong, then get them to pray for forgiveness. Finally have kids place their sheets in the shredder.
Our bad mistakes can make our lives a mess, but when Jesus forgives us, He cleans up the mess. Have kids get their hands messy in a bowl of dirt to remind them of their sin. Then have them clean them to remember what Jesus did for them.
We all have friends who need to know Jesus. Just as Jesus is the Light of the World, He has called us to be a light to our friends. Assist kids to carefully light a candle as they say a prayer for their lost friends.
The rainbow reminds us of God’s promises and that we have a lot to thank God for. Have kids write down their thank you to God on post-it notes. Then they can stick them onto a large sheet with a rainbow outline.
It’s important that we teach kids from an early age that life is bittersweet. Bad things happen. Have kids taste a lemon to remind them how those things feel to us and to God. Then have kids taste chocolate to remember that God is good and he wants good things for our lives.
Have kids write down the names of God and different words to describe Him on a large sheet. Have Bibles and Scripture verses that kids can search if they are struggling.
God is always willing to help us. No matter what we need, we can ask for it. Love, forgiveness, hope, patience, peace, and more. Provide different strips of paper with these written along with correlating Scripture verse. Allow kids to pick one and say a prayer that God would give that attribute to them.
