Teach your Children to Pray (out loud)
Your child’s first time praying out loud shouldn’t be in front of a youth group, Bible study, or camp crowd – it needs to be in the safety of their family.
Prayer doesn’t come naturally – and praying in front of others is scary. At home, we have the perfect opportunity to teach and prepare them.
Not to “perform,” but to make praying with others feel a natural part of their Christian life.
🎧In this episode (#104) I give 8 different practical ideas to help teach your children – of any age – how to pray out loud.
Pray in the Spirit
Paul tells us in this verse that prayer isn’t reserved for church services or even for emergencies – it is meant to be a part of our life. All occassions, and all sorts of prayers.
Big and small, whispered and bold, private and corporate (with God’s family).
When we pray ‘in the Spirit’ it means we pray in ways that are consistent with God’s will for us, consistent with God’s ways and desires – not just our own wants and thoughts.
Paul also reminds us in this verse that prayer isn’t to be just for ourselves – but we are to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Prayer is both personal and communal. It strengthens our faith, and connects us with others in Christ.
Let us start this week not forgetting to pray at all times – in all sorts of ways – and in all situations!
We Pray Because of Who God Is
When it comes to teaching our kids about prayer – this is a comforting truth: prayer’s power doesn’t depend on our words but on who hears them.
Our kids need to know this – deep in their hearts as they learn to pray.
This is a good conversation topic to talk about with your kids as you teach them to pray – and especially when teaching them to pray out loud.
What other thoughts help you be natural with praying to your Father?
Reminder
Jesus warned His followers not to pray just to be seen by others (Matthew 6:5–6). Prayer was never meant to be a performance.
That’s the goal in our parenting too—raising kids who know prayer is simply a conversation with God. 💛
Not fancy words. Not trying to “look good.”
Just natural conversation with the God who loves them.
Echo Prayers
Sometimes the best way to teach our kids to pray is to let them borrow our words.
When we say, “Repeat after me: Dear Jesus…” we’re not just modeling prayer – we’re giving them the experience of talking to God without the pressure of finding words to say. 🙏🏼
Over time, those borrowed words grow into their own conversations with Him.
(TBH, it is probably only going to work with young kids – but we need to start teaching our kids how to pray, from a young age!)
👉 Try it tonight
Questions Parents ask about Praying Out Loud
Why is it important for children to learn to pray out loud?
Praying out loud is a part of worshipping God with other Christians (the church – the family of God.) So teaching our kids how to do this prepares them to functioning in the body – regardless of their age.
At what age should I start teaching my child to pray out loud?
Praying out loud actually starts as soon as your kids are verbal. When they mimic you, or parrot you – you are teaching them to pray. We called these Echo Prayers – you say a sentence – they say a sentence. Gradually encourage them to use their own words as they grow in understanding of who God is and how much He loves them and wants to talk with them.
How can I help my shy child feel comfortable praying out loud?
To start with there is no expectation that they will be praying out loud at a certain age. So it really doesn’t matter when they begin to pray with others. But when they are praying with others, teach them to listen to the words, and add their ‘Amen’ at the end. This is as much praying as if they were actually saying they words.
What if my child's prayers sound repetitive or 'rote'?
Repetition is normal while learning any new skill, and praying out loud is no different. But you can encourage variety by prompting them to pray about different topics—thankfulness, needs, people, or events from the day. You can use prompts, prayer journals, or prayer cards to inspire fresh conversation with God. But ultimately it doesn’t matter (unless they are doing it because they can’t be bothered and they don’t really have faith – if this happens I’d stop encouraging them to pray and get them to only pray when they really want to talk to God.
How do I make prayer more than just 'saying grace' at meals?
First off, don’t shut down or giggle at the long random prayers kids pray when they are saying grace, and secondly model praying about more than thankfulness yourself. Soon you will create a culture where meal time is a moment of connection with God.
Further Reading
I’m a Christian, but I feel Inadequate to Talk to my Kids about Jesus: When Christian parents feel inadequate in teaching their children about Jesus they need to remember it’s their relationship with God that is the key.
Do you talk about your Faith and Share your Testimonies with your kids: Your children learn so much about Jesus when you share your faith stories with them.
Three Skills that will Help your Child’s Devotional Time: When it comes to our daily time with God there are some specific skills that we use to have that devotional time, and we can encourage our children to learn these skills so when they read the Word of God they can make that time meaningful.
Conversation Starters about Praying (out loud)
Praying, along with many spiritual disciplines – is a part of growing as a Christian. As parents, we can teach our kids to pray, but if they have the wrong understanding of prayer they won’t grow in this area.
Parents talking with Kids:
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“What do you think prayer means?”
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“When do you think people should pray?”
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“Do you think God listens when you pray? What makes you say that?”
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“What do you like about praying? What’s hard about it?”
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“If a friend asked you how to pray, what would you tell them?”
Parents talking with Each Other:
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“Do you see our children praying – and when they pray do you think it comes from faith or just rote prayers?”
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“How often do we model prayer in everyday situations outside of mealtimes and bedtime?”
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“Do our kids see us pray together as a couple? How could we make that more visible?”
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“What gaps do we notice in our kids’ understanding of prayer? And how can we teach them?”
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“What kind of prayer culture do we want in our home, and are our daily rhythms reflecting that?”
Extra support is available
Whether you desire to change your own habits, your family culture or how your children are behaving, coaching will provide you with ideas, support and accountability. My approach is to focus on your values and to clarify the steps necessary so you can eventually see those values lived out in the life of your family. Working with a coach is an effective way to move forward in your family life.
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Hi there! I'm Belinda and I'm glad you are here!
I am a family life coach and help parents to raise their kids with faith, values and life skills in a way that is intentional, relational and heart-focused. Read more in my Introduction page
You can learn about heart-focused parenting through my podcast, blog and weekly email (Heart Boosters).
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