Praying for Kids and Families

 The following is a guest post written by Mona McDonald, Family Ministries Coordinator at First Southern Baptist Church Scottsdale, Arizona.

 You can make a difference in the lives of children and their families by praying for them and by teaching them how to pray.

The prayers of a child are special to God because the child is special to Him.  One of the greatest gifts teachers can give to a child is to teach them to pray.  Prayer can be fun and simple to teach. Try these ideas with children and encourage their families to try them, too.

• Prayer walk, thanking God for the beauty of creation.
• Prayer walk your church and school campus, stopping at doors to pray for the person who works or teaches in that room.
• Adopt a missionary kid your class can pray for; obtain a picture of the child so they can see for whom they are praying.
• Take children to the altar one at a time and pray with  her about something she suggests.
• Make a Prayer Notebook using a three ring binder and sheet protectors. Include letters and pictures of missionaries, government leaders or church leaders in the notebook as prayer reminders.
• Make it a “special gift” to be prayed for on their birthday; Numbers 6:24-26 is a great scripture to pray for each child.

Pray these scriptures for children and families:

Deuteronomy 6:5:  May this child love the Lord our God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength.

Joshua 24:15:  But as for these households, may they serve the Lord.