Prayer Crafts for Kids

Daily prayer is a habit that comes with practice. Sometimes, however, it's difficult to get children to develop the habit of praying. Prayer-based crafts are a helpful way to introduce prayer concepts at home or in Sunday school or at other children's events.

When learning to pray, younger children can find it difficult to word prayers. Use prayer-based crafts to help direct a child's prayer time and help them remember prayer requests. Help children brainstorm for prayer requests by asking them what they or another person need. Write down their answers and use these as the prayers in each craft.

This simple craft, a tasty way for kids to remember to pray for certain people, is appropriate for children ages 3 and up. Children may need help writing down prayers. Note that the craft involves chocolate, so beware of possible food allergies.

Materials needed:

• Permanent marker
• Chocolate coins (still in the golden wrappers)

Instructions:

• Pick the names of people to pray for in the next few days.
• Using the permanent marker, write the name of each person on the wrapper of a chocolate coin.
• Before eating each coin, pray for the person named on the wrapper.

Prayer chains are a visual reminder for kids to pray. This craft is appropriate for most children over age 5. However, the kids may need assistance writing or using the stapler.

Materials needed:

• Construction paper
• Stapler with staples
• Markers
• Crayons
• Scissors

Instructions:

• Using the scissors, cut the construction paper into lengthwise strips. The strips should be at least 1 inch wide.
• Write out a different prayer request on each strip with a marker or crayon.
• To begin assembling the strip, form one strip into a circle and staple its two ends together. Loop another strip through the circle and form this second strip into a circle. Staple the ends of this strip together. Loop the next strip through the second circle. Repeat until all the strips are part of the chain.
• During prayer time, tear off one entire loop of the chain and pray for the request listed.

Appropriate for children age 8 or older, this craft uses ribbons to help kids learn the Lord's Prayer, which is found in Matthew 6:9 -13.

Materials:

• 4-inch long ribbon pieces in: blue, white, purple, green, yellow, red, orange, gold and blue.

Instructions:

Each ribbon represents a phrase of the prayer. Tie the ribbons together in the following order:

• Blue -- (Fathers) "Our Father who art in heaven"
• White -- (Purity/Holiness) "Hallowed be thy name"
• Purple -- (Majesty) "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done"
• Green -- (Earth) "On earth as it is in heaven"
• Yellow -- (Wheat) "Give us this day our daily bread"
• Red -- (Blood) "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors"
• Orange -- (Evil/Temptation) "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil"
• Gold -- (God's heavenly kingdom) "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen"

Prayer sticks are another way to remember prayer requests. Most children over age 5 should be able to complete this craft. A child learning to write, however, might need assistance.

Materials:

• Popsicle sticks
• Markers
• Small, empty container
• Construction paper
• Stickers
• Glitter
• Paint

Instructions:

Write a different prayer on each popsicle stick using the markers. Decorate each popsicle stick with paint, stickers, glitter or construction paper. *Store the finished sticks in the container. At bedtime, pick one stick and use it as a guide for prayer time.