When my kids were younger, I took the three of them to a mall to explore a dinamation exhibit. The low-tech robotic dinosaurs mimicked the sounds and movement of these extinct creatures. Halfway through the mall, I stopped in a Hallmark store to buy a card, but I saw only two of my children when I checked out. Frantically, I searched the tiny card store and then quickly looked up and down the mall for my four-year-old. Grabbing the hands of the other two, I prayed and ran: “Lord, keep Hannah safe. ” My oldest repeated the prayer with me.
Preschoolers model so much of what we say and do, even prayer. During COVID, parents fill a larger gap regarding teaching the Bible (kudos to you if you were teaching spiritual practices before COVID). Now is an opportune time to teach foundational truths to your preschoolers while chronic distractions are minimal.
Check with your local church to see what online resources are offered for biblical instruction. Concerning prayer, use these summer days to introduce your preschooler to prayer. Watch for times to guide your child in prayer when:
fighting occurs
someone is hurting or ill
it’s a beautiful day
it’s an everything-went-wrong day
your child is struggling
your child rebels
someone is lost
God is evident
God does not seem present
When you stumble on one of these moments, pray! Say a one-sentence prayer, then prompt your child to repeat the sentence (prayer) by filling in the blank with his own words.
God, you are __________.
Thank you, God, for ____________.
I am sorry I _______________.
Help me _______________.
Help _____________ get better.
Help me to obey ______________.
Encourage your child to be specific. Instead of a generic “help me” prayer, challenge your child to verbalize exactly what he needs. Don’t just have them say, “Sorry,” but rather, “I am sorry I took the truck from you.”
As you become aware of times to pray, you teach your child that God is present everywhere and anytime. Be patient, though. Some kids will resist or act silly. Just go with it. Pray for your pet Garfield or Fido this time. It takes time. We took time to grow in our faith, didn’t we?
Allow each child to mature in his own spiritual time and space. One might not seem interested or even listening at the moment. Another will want to pray on and on every time. Your job is to keep praying aloud so your kids can hear you pray. Remind them that it is an honor to pray to God. Compliment them after they pray.
In case you were wondering, we did locate my youngest child with the help of mall security. Security found her at the other end of the mall, looking at the dinosaurs we missed. The episode reminded my children and me that God hears our prayers. He cares about us. He sees us. He even delights in answering our prayers.