5 Short Morning Prayers for Kids to Inspire Faith and Trust in God
- Amanda Idleman Contributing Writer
- Updated Jun 18, 2024
As a mother, I have found that mornings can be hard. If the day with our kids begins with chaos, yelling, and a lot of stress, then the rest of the day can easily follow suit. Sometimes it can be hard to love our kids well if we begin the day feeling frustrated by their slow pace, refusal to eat the food you’ve made for them, or their unwillingness to follow your directions (just to name a few of the normal morning frustrations most parents face). Being intentional about how we start the day can make a big impact on the emotional climate of our homes. One specific way we do this in our home is with learning and reciting morning prayers for kids.
A morning prayer routine can help both your kids and you start the day off right! My advice is to start your day by praying first to ask God to give you the grace to love your family well and then jump into a routine that begins with family breakfast prayers together. This simple practice of pausing to invite God into the chaos of your life has the power to help set a better tone for your entire day.
You have the chance to model what it looks like to follow Jesus daily by initiating morning prayers with your kids. This is not about checking one more thing off your family's list but is about doing the important work of making God a priority that comes before everyone getting after it. Here are a few prayers for your kids to use to begin their day with.
Children's Morning Prayer
Good morning, God, this day is new,
The sun is bright, the sky is blue.
Thank you for this day ahead,
For family, friends, and daily bread.
Help me to be kind and true,
In everything I say and do.
Guide my steps and hold my hand,
As I follow your loving plan.
Bless my loved ones, near and far,
Keep them safe wherever they are.
With each moment, let me see
The love you have for all, including me.
Amen.
A Child's Morning Prayer to Thank God
God, I thank you that your mercies are unending and that you love me with a powerful never-ending kind of love. Would you faithfully come along with me as I go about my day? Help me to never feel alone. Help me to forgive those who frustrate me or hurt my feelings. In the harder moments that I may face, remind me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Jesus, I thank you for this day! Give me the ability to see your beauty and wonder throughout this day. Help me not to be so hurried that I forget to appreciate the good gifts that you have placed in my life such as my family, my friends, music, or even nature. I love you, Jesus. Please be with me and help me to live joyfully today. Amen.
Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Be With Me God, A Child's Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for this new day. Please keep me safe and help me make good choices. Be with me in everything I do and help me to be brave and kind. Thank you for your love.
Amen.
A Child's Morning Prayer for Kindness
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for waking me up this morning. Please help me to be kind and patient with everyone I meet today. Help me to use my words to spread love and joy. Teach me to be a good friend and to always show respect and understanding. May I reflect your love in everything I do.
Amen.
A Prayer for Kids to Ask God's Blessing for School
Jesus, come with me to school today. Give me strength that will help me when I face hard tasks or challenges with friends. Remind me that at no point in my school day am I alone. You are always with me!
Help me to be brave and filled with your wisdom. Let my life be a light to my friends and teachers. Give me the words I need to help share your love with everyone I come in contact with.
Bless my mind to be ready and able to learn. Help me to do my best with every task I am assigned and to be a good role model for my friends. Give me the patience to endure classes that I find to be difficult and inspire in me extra enthusiasm for the classes that I love. As I go out, let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight (Psalm 19:14). Amen.
Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Good Morning God
Dear God,
Good morning God! Thank you for this beautiful morning. Please help me to learn new things today and to grow in wisdom and kindness today. Help me to listen to my teachers and parents, and to always do my best. Thank you for all the fun and exciting things I get to do.
Amen.
Thank You, God
Thank you, God, Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you, God, for everything.
A Prayer for Parents to Pray for Their Children's Protection
God, as my children go out into this world, I ask that you would protect them. Keep them from evil. Guard their hearts, minds, eyes, and ears from the wicked things that are in this world. Protect them from sudden danger and set your angels in charge of them. Fill me with peace through the knowledge that you are always with them, even when I cannot be.
I ask that you would guide each and every one of their steps. Work out the details of their lives in a way that would bring them to better know and love you. Give them a hope and future that cannot be stolen by the evil one (Jeremiah 29:11).
I thank you that you have created them for such a time as this. Use their lives as a light in this dark world. Grow them up to be people that learn to love you with all their hearts, minds, and souls. Amen.
Psalm 121:7-8: “The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”
Why Do We Need to Teach Our Kids to Pray?
The quick passage of time is one of the hardest parts of being a parent. It seems like we blink and those babies we held close suddenly transform into running, talking, and wild people! With this in mind, it is painfully clear that the time that we are able to control all the details of our kids’ lives is very short. As parents, we have to start from the beginning thinking about the moment we are going to begin to launch them into the world. If we aren’t intentional, the time will pass and our window of opportunity will fade.
Prayer is one of the most powerful tools we can equip our children as they develop into independent people. Prayer is our direct line to God. God’s word advises us to not be anxious but to bring everything to him in prayer and supplication (Philippians 4:8). It is hard in today’s world not to be anxious. The overabundance of information we are given each day is more than most of us can handle and this trend is likely to only grow over time. Our kids need safe places to turn when life feels like more than they can handle and sadly you won’t always be right there with them helping them carry these burdens.
Prayer is that safe place! At any time, no matter what they face, they can turn to Jesus for peace, strength, wisdom, comfort, and hope. What comfort this is for us parents to know that no matter where our kids go, they are never alone!
Begin young with your kids and model to them how to pray. One way to do this is by making prayer a part of your daily routine. Two easy times to pray together are in the morning before you get going and at the end of the day at bedtime. When they are young keep your prayers simple and short so they can understand what you are doing. As they grow then begin to offer more things up to God in prayer together and invite them to pray aloud with you. If you are uncomfortable praying yourself, grab a devotional you can read together that has prayers written out in it. Let these words be your words, God doesn’t require original work.
Talk to them about what you are praying for during your own personal prayer time and share with them time God has answered your prayers so they can begin to understand what a mature prayer life should look like. Share with them in an age-appropriate way when you endure disappointment as well as answered prayer. These conversations will help them understand what faith over a lifetime may look like.
Your faith is the most relevant one to their life. Your life will be the template they return to as they grow. Create a routine of prayer so they will have this ingrained as a part of their own routine that they will treasure as they become adults. These morning prayers for kids are a great way to introduce a consistent prayer life for your children that they will carry with them and remember throughout the years!
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/ChristinLola
This article is part of our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer for Peace
Morning Prayers
Good Night Prayers
Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Protection
Prayer for Anxiety
Prayer for Strength
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