Creative Ideas to Enhance Your Prayertime
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the children’s team would encourage GA, RA, and CA leaders to focus on encouraging children to pray for workers, their community, and their families. Consider using some of these prayer ideas to share with children and families as you reach out them during this time.
Enhance your prayertimes by using one or more of these ideas:
- Capture a Cloud—Invite your children to write some of their prayer requests on cloud cutouts. (Cloud-shaped notepads are available, or you can cut the shapes from white paper in advance.) Remind children to include prayer requests of the missionaries. Encourage them to also write the names of friends and family members with whom they can share God’s message. Invite children to attach these prayer clouds to a “prayer wall.” Provide time for silent or audible prayers throughout the month.
- Can You See It?—Add some silly “eyeglasses” (sunglasses, binoculars, empty frames) to your “prayer wall.” Invite children to “focus” on one or two requests for prayer.
- Prayer Pail—Place a container of craft sticks and permanent markers near an area set aside for prayer. Guide children to write requests from the missionaries and place into a pail. When it’s time for prayer, pass around the prayer pail for each child to choose a request for which to pray during the meeting and to take home.
- Bucket of Balls—Write prayer requests on table-tennis balls or golf practice balls. Place these in a bucket in a corner. Provide a second bucket as a target into which children can toss these “prayer balls” after reading and saying each prayer.
- Pick a Prayer—Provide two quart-size jars. Write prayer requests on small pieces of paper. Fold these and place in one jar labeled “Pick a Prayer.” Use to enhance requests made by missionaries, or add prayers particular to group members. Keep paper and pencils by the second jar, labeled “Answered Prayers.” Add to this jar as children share their responses.
- Name-Puzzle Prayers—Purchase a preschool puzzle with large pieces (such as a 24-piece puzzle). On the back of each piece allow each child to write his or her name or the name of a friend or missionary. Assist children in putting the puzzle together on a shallow tray or piece of cardboard. Flip the puzzle and place the “name puzzle” for all to see. Say sentence prayers for each person listed. Pieces may be given to each child to take home for prayer.
- Chalk It—Provide sidewalk chalk for children to write prayers on the sidewalk of a nearby home or business. Encourage them to write notes such as I pray God will . . . bless you, comfort you, keep you safe, be with you, feed you, and so forth. (Make sure to ask permission from the business or homeowner.)
by Judith K. Moore
