The Purpose of a Kids Prayer Ministry

Before starting a kids prayer ministry you need to have a good understanding of why it’s important.

If we were asked the question, “How many of you prayed for a child lately?” most of us would raise our hand. If we were asked, “How many of you have ever told a child to pray?” again, most of us would raise our hand. When asked “How many of you recently prayed with a child and trained that child to actively pray as well?” not as many would be able to raise our hand.

God told us, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Children typically do not train themselves in things they don’t know; they have to be taught, shown, and made to practice. Just as we show our children how to tie their shoes, ride a bike, or speak with manners and then make them practice it until they are proficient at it, we must also train our children to pray.

The word “train” is defined as: “to teach (a person or animal) a particular skill or type of behavior through practice and instruction over a period of time.”

The role of a teacher in kids prayer is to train a child to pray, not to just tell them to, show them, or teach the concept.  When we train, we are actively getting them to do the praying themselves. As leaders and parents we must believe wholehearted in what we are doing and become sold out to the idea for us to be successful, and we must pray ourselves. The Bible tells us

The role of a child of kids prayer is to learn to actively worship, and pray personal and kingdom prayers that are biblically based. Kids must learn to pray for more than just their boo-boos or their wants. We are told in God’s Word, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). We do this by training them to pray for nations, governments, orphans of the world, war situations, natural disasters, leaders, famines, and much more.  We do not neglect praying for their needs, however, we do not make that the only focus when training them to pray.

The most important thing in kids prayer however, isn’t even in praying kingdom prayers, building faith, or powerfully praying miracles into existence… the most important thing in teaching kids to pray is training them to develop a personal relationship with God. Prayer isn’t just about lists, and getting our wishes granted, or healings or miracles, it’s also about getting to know God in a deep way and experiencing for ourselves who He is in our lives. When faith fails our relationships can stand. When we don’t understand we can trust in God whom we know to be faithful. When hard times come we can make it through because we know God well enough to know that He will help us through. Children are affected by life just as much as adults and need to be able to have that relationship to lean on in both the good times as well as the bad. They need to know the God they serve and will spend eternity with. 

[Exerpt from the Kids & Youth Prayer Training Seminar]

Read more about starting a Kids or Youth Prayer Ministry in the book, “Therefore, I Train”

Colleen Clabaugh
Kids & Youth Prayer Coordinator
World Network of Prayer