Every children’s pastor wants their students to become prayer warriors. Sometimes we teach about prayer consistently and encourage prayer, but we still don’t see a prayer life in our students. That may be because most children’s pastors leave out one step.

Teaching children to pray is a great thing. Teaching children how to pray is even better. But if we don’t give children opportunities to pray in the church, they may not consider it that important or they might feel like that’s something adults do.

Here’s some ways to give your students opportunities to pray:

Let children pray at the altars. When your church has altar calls, are children allowed to pray for needs? There is some teaching that is involved in letting children pray for adult’s needs at the altar, and your pastor must be a part of that decision, but there is nothing greater than child prayer warriors praying for people’s needs at the altar. 

Let children pray for your needs. If you have a need, let your students know about it, and ask them to lay hands on you and pray. This is a humbling experience, but there’s nothing like a child’s prayer to touch the heart of God.

Prayer Team: Have a children’s prayer team where your students get together once a week to pray for needs.

Home Prayer: Give the children something to have in their hands to pray at home.

Armor Bearers: Have your students each chose a leader in the church. It is that student’s responsibility to go to that leader, let him know the student has decided to be his armor bearer, and ask what the leader would have him pray. Each week, the student is to touch base with the leader about that leader’s prayer needs. (You might want to clue your leaders in first so that nothing is said to discourage the children.)

Include Children in Prayer Meetings: Children in the Bible were included in prayer meetings. When your church holds church wide prayer meetings, find a way to make sure the children are part of it.