The Power of Teaching Children to Pray

“Lord teach us to pray.” This is the disciples’ simple request that opens Luke 11.

Since its first publication in 2014, God has used The Prayer Covenant for Children to share the gospel message and disciple the hearts of children while teaching them to pray. As children experience the power of answered prayer, they are excited, their faith is strengthened, and they want to pray more.

Prayer is foundational to establishing a child in their walk with Jesus. It is a mandate to teach children to pray: “Things we have heard and known, things our fathers have taught us, we will not hide them from our children but will tell the coming generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord and His power.” (Psalm 78:3-4)

Children need to know the power they possess through prayer, and they need to know their voice counts in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Prayer is one of the most important spiritual disciplines we can teach our children because it nurtures their relationship with Jesus and produces faith that will last a lifetime. The more time they spend with Jesus, the more they become like Jesus—full of his grace, love, compassion, and forgiveness.

In becoming more like Jesus, they begin to see the world through His eyes and are burdened for those around them.

What Is The Prayer Covenant?

So, what is The Prayer Covenant and why has God unleashed this simple prayer strategy in 86 nations around the world?

Because it is Scripture based. Every line of the prayer is grounded in the Word of God.

Because it is Christ-centered. Every line of the prayer is inviting Jesus to do a work of transformation within them and through them.

Because it nurtures a child’s relationship with the Living God.

When we teach children to pray, we are equipping them to stand against the devil’s schemes. Just like David who fought Goliath as a boy, children who possess an unshakeable faith in an unshakeable God can face any giant and be victorious. Is it any wonder Jesus said, “…Unless you become like one of these…”?

Millions of children around the world are asking God to impart His grace, love, compassion, forgiveness, commitment, dependence in their hearts and minds, and He is responding. Heaven draws near when children pray because they come with a faith that says, “My Abba can do anything!” And because they are asking Him for everything He desires to give: His grace, His love, His compassion for the world, He is responding quickly, and their faith is being strengthened.

When children pray, “Fill me with your Holy Spirit,” they do not receive a Junior Holy Spirit. When they pray, “Jesus, make me a messenger of your grace, truth, and justice. Use me for your glory and to invite others to follow you,” they are praying the Great Commission - in obedience to Christ’s commands. And Jesus himself said, “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do…”

A Generation Called for Such a Time as This

Children, like adults, need vision, they need purpose, they need to understand their identity as children of the Most High God. They need to know they have been called for such a time as this. There is a great untapped harvest force Jesus is raising up in these last days all over the world.

God is using The Prayer Covenant to facilitate a movement of prayer and evangelism among children and youth worldwide. As children embark on this prayer journey, they are experiencing God in powerful ways. They are learning how to obey him and respond to the promptings of His Holy Spirit.

In Psalm 8:2 we read, “Out of the mouths of children and infants, God has ordained praise to silence the enemy!” In Psalm 2:8 we read, “Ask of Me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance.” God is using the prayers and testimonies of the children to win the nations for the Lamb.

Why Children Make Effective Evangelists

Why do children make effective evangelists?

They’re relational! They’re courageous! They’re joy-filled, grace-filled messengers.

Our heart’s desire is to see every denomination inviting the children and youth to be part of the harvest force for Jesus. If we are to rely only on the adults it will take many lifetimes - the sad reality is that only a few percent of adults in the church pews are actively sharing their faith or feel compelled to make disciples.

When we equip and empower kids to be part of the evangelistic outreaches many things happen:

• they understand their purpose and identity as Christ followers,

• the joy that comes from serving Jesus captures their hearts,

• they fall more and more in love with Jesus,

• and the result is sticky faith: a lifetime of following Jesus.

A Global Movement of Prayer and Discipleship

The mission of The Prayer Covenant is to make disciples among the children and youth of the nations. As we are equipping children with this tool, God is miraculously working in and through them in powerful ways. We have reached over ten million children in 86 countries worldwide— ten million children following Jesus together. Ten million children learning to hear and obey his voice!

The Prayer Covenant is not just about establishing a lifestyle of prayer but about raising life-long disciples of Jesus Christ. It is not just a prayer to pray for the sake of praying, it is an active prayer, seeking results in our lives.

For decades we have seen children simply as objects of mission, but God has called them for a greater purpose. God is birthing movements in some of the most populated nations in the world and partly because “out of the mouths of children God himself has ordained praise to silence the enemy.”

So, let’s join hands with the children! God is calling generations, denominations, and movements to come and work together in unity with one goal - that everyone on earth hears the Gospel within the next decade, and every believer – young and old – can be a witness for Jesus Christ.

Candy Marballi serves as President & CEO of The Prayer Covenant whose mission is making disciples among the children and youth of the nations. She focuses on relationship building, networking, and influencing global ministry leaders to raise awareness and resources for equipping and empowering children to be on mission with God through prayer and evangelism. She has served in children’s ministries for over 35 years in the United States, Japan and the Philippines.