Two Keys To Unlocking A Child's Prayer Life

As children's ministry leaders, we play a crucial role in helping children cultivate a thriving relationship with God. Two foundational blocks of a vibrant spiritual life—and more specifically a deep prayer life—are a proper view of God and a healthy view of themselves.

How children perceive God and how they see themselves directly impacts their ability to connect with Him in prayer. By guiding them to understand who God truly is and to see themselves as loved and valued by Him, we can help them approach prayer with confidence, trust, and joy.

How a child views God affects their prayer life

A key to a flourishing prayer life is having a proper view of God. The way children perceive God will profoundly shape how they interact with Him in prayer. If a child sees God as distant, angry, or overly strict, they may approach prayer with fear, guilt, or reluctance. Their prayers might feel like obligations or moments of insecurity rather than a life-giving connection.

On the other hand, if a child sees God as loving, compassionate, and approachable, their prayers will flow from a place of trust, peace, and joy.

Take a moment to think about the children in your ministry. How do you think they see God? Not just what they know about God, but how do they imagine Him in their hearts?

The way they see God will shape how they pray, and in turn, how they pray reflects how they see God.

For example, I used to see God as a strict, rule-enforcing policeman during my early years of faith. As a result, my prayer life was rigid, filled with guilt, and lacking joy. It wasn’t until I experienced God as a loving Father that my prayers transformed into moments of trust, peace, and connection.

You can play a key role in shaping this for the children you serve. Want to see them grow in their prayer life? Help them develop a better image of God.

Practical ways to shape a child's view of God

Our perception of God is often shaped by the significant adults in our lives. As ministry leaders, the way we teach, speak, and live in front of the children we lead influences their view of God. It’s vital to take a step back and reflect: Am I helping to form an image of God that will encourage or hinder a child’s prayer life?

Try this today: Take a few moments to reflect on your childhood and how your earliest relationships impacted the way you see and approach God.

Then, consider how your view of God affects the way you lead children. Are your attitudes, actions, and words helping children see God as loving, patient, and gracious?

Let's go deeper!

I created a set of worksheets that will help you rate your students’ view of God in just five minutes.

These interactive worksheets are free and you can download them >>> HERE.

You might want to go through these worksheets with your own children first, and then you can train your team to do this eye-opening activity with their class or even better, encourage the parents in your church to do this with their kids at home.

I am so excited for all the heartfelt conversations that will come out of this exercise and for the distorted images of God that will be exposed.

I hope that through this honest exploration, the children will gain a greater capacity to experience God’s unconditional love and engage Him in heartfelt conversations.

Helping children see themselves through God's eyes

Equally important to a child’s prayer life is how they see themselves. Children with a poor self-image may struggle to draw close to God in prayer. If they feel unlovable, they may assume that God feels the same way. However, if they begin to see themselves as God sees them—precious, beloved, and valuable—they will be more likely to approach God with confidence.

Hebrews 4:16 invites us to 'approach the throne of grace with boldness.' But to do this, children need to first believe they are worthy of being there.

Our self-image is shaped by the words we believe about ourselves. God’s loving Word will form our self-image while the destructive words of others will deform our self-image.

The best way to help our children embrace their innate goodness and beauty is to connect them to the Word of God so it can transform and shape the way they see themselves.

That’s why I created the ROAR! exercise — to make it easier for children to welcome God’s life-giving words into the core of their being, and as a result, find their Roar! — their fearless prayer voice.

It’s free and easy to use. DOWNLOAD >>> HERE.

Please start with the black-and-white worksheet that invites children to describe themselves.

Then move on to the yellow worksheet that invites children to look into God’s eyes (by looking into His Word), so they can see their true reflection.

There is no need to rush through this activity. What’s important is that your students give themselves enough time to dwell on God’s words and let God’s truth take deep roots in their hearts.

Encourage children to take their completed posters home and hang them on their bedroom door or bathroom mirror. This will give them a good opportunity to welcome the words of God and agree with them out loud.

Yes, Jesus, I believe that I am precious to You.

Thank You, Jesus, for adopting me into Your family… and so on.

There is great power in repeating these words over and over again. Repeating these truths aloud will train children to reject lies and stand firm in the truth of who they are in Christ.

As leaders, we have the privilege of guiding children to see God more clearly and to see themselves as He sees them. This will not only enrich their prayer life but also set them on a path of growing faith and confidence in their relationship with the Lord.

Let’s commit to helping the children in our ministry approach God with the love, confidence, and boldness that flows from a healthy view of God and a healthy view of themselves.

Dema Kohen is the founder and chief creator at WeAreKidMin. Pulling from his years of experience in children’s ministry, counseling, international missions, church planting, camp directing, and leadership positions at a national level, as well as his experience as a dad to two boys, he is passionately focused on helping children and families flourish in their life with God.

Let Us Pray! Challenge

Want to help the families in your church experience prayer in a fresh and fun way? Check out the Let Us Pray! Challenge that invites parents and children to come into God’s presence together.