Kids prayer has come a long way in the past five years and is spreading like wildfire worldwide. Many churches have had kids prayer training weekends and at Summons to Sacrifice 2008 we had a record number of children attend. We have held three kids prayer leaders training seminars in which 176 people from 21 states, two Canadian provinces and two African nations have attended. Many came because we were offering a seminar about exactly what the Lord had been dealing with them about during some of their most recent planning sessions. There have been teacher training seminars and kids prayer crusades held in the countries of Bangladesh, Botswana, Estonia, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Holland, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe. Some teachers that were trained in these countries have relocated and are now teaching kids prayer in surrounding countries.

Why is kids prayer spreading? Adults have become aware of the reality of a recent Barna survey that states one out of four teenagers will leave the church once they are eighteen, as well observing an increasing interest in the supernatural and have found this unacceptable. This has raised awareness that there needs to be a shift in children’s ministry to include more spiritual development in areas such as prayer. Another reason adults have begun to implement prayer into their children’s ministries is by hearing the testimonies of those who already have a kids prayer ministry. I have received reports of healings and miracles. There are also reports of children receiving the Holy Spirit and being baptized as a direct result of teaching in their kids prayer group.

Why are kids interested in prayer? Many children that walk through the church doors come from dysfunctional families and neighborhoods where drugs and gangs are rampant. Kids are looking for control over their circumstances. Prayer gives them the control they are looking for. Kids are also looking for something outside of “normal” Sunday school. We are working with a generation that wants to “do”. They want to be involved in ministry – they don’t want to sit on the side lines and wait until they are in the youth group to begin to be involved in ministry. Prayer is an outlet for them to begin doing this.

On a personal level, I have observed many things at my local church. Youth who were in the first kids prayer group have taken on leadership rolls in the youth group. A youth group that desires more of God because of the experiences they had in kids prayer. Young people and children ministering next to the elders of the church. The realization that kids prayer leads to ministry. I have also seen youth that have gone through kids prayer that have walked away but are now coming back and rededicating themselves to God. I can’t help but think that part of the reason why is because of the relationship they built with God in kids prayer. Now the current group of kids are taking responsibility and teaching the younger kids how to pray. Preschoolers are just itching to be able to come to the older prayer class. By teaching kids to pray my local church has increased the number of spiritual warriors fighting the good fight.

If you have never heard of kids prayer before I pray this will encourage you to find out more. If you have a kids prayer group I pray this will encourage you to keep doing what you are doing. “But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Luke 18:16 (NIV). What is Jesus asking you to do this year?