Morning Prayers For Elementary School

The Bible teaches us that even at a young age, we should teach children about who God is and what He is like. Even though they are young, we should teach them to obey God and worship Him; one of the ways that we do that is by praying to Him. As in (Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6), we ought to train a child in the way we want them to walk down the path of God. One way we do that is by teaching them to pray.

Heavenly Father, give us the grace we need as teachers or adults to teach the next generation how to pray to You. Help us partner with their parents to raise these young children into godly men and women. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What is a good prayer in the morning?

In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, God commands us to teach children about His commandments and show them who He is. Though the verse is primarily for parents, teachers and other workers in elementary schools can also play a part. For example, one of the commandments of God is for us to worship Him and pray to Him. In Matthew 6:5-14, Jesus was teaching the disciples how to pray. He said, “when we pray . . .” coupled with his teachings about prayer, not “if we pray.” It is a command, not an option.

Also, in Philippians 4:6-7, the Bible teaches us not to keep our concerns or prayer requests to ourselves but rather to present them to Him, who will then give us peace.

There are three good prayers in the morning that you can teach children at an elementary school. The first is a prayer of dependence upon God. That is where children ask God for something and tell God their concerns. For example, if their dad is serving in the military abroad, you can teach them to pray to God to protect their dad, or if their family is going through financial difficulties, you can teach them to pray and ask God for provision. The prayer is all about depending on God. However, be careful, as prayer may seem to children like asking Santa Claus for the gifts on their wishlist. Remember that we depend on God, but He is not a genie.

The second is a prayer of thanksgiving. Aside from teaching kids always to say prayers of thanksgiving to God, it is also essential to consider what God has done for them and have a grateful heart. In (In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18), it is written that we are to thank God in all circumstances.

The third prayer specifically thanks God for what Christ has done. Though this is still a prayer of thanksgiving, the goal of this prayer is to be reminded of the Gospel. It is a prayer where kids thank God for sending His Son Jesus to die for their sins. (Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 2 Timothy 2:8) tells us to always remember Christ.

These are simple prayers—a prayer depending on God, thanking God, and being reminded of what Christ has done and thanking God for it. These prayers ought to be simple. Given that these are children, the prayers ought to be concise and straightforward.

How do you say a short morning prayer?

You can pray a short morning prayer, given the three kinds of prayer, by helping or guiding the children to think and determine what they want to pray. For example, for a prayer where they depend on God, you can tell the kids to think about their concerns. Once the kids have done that, slowly guide them in prayer and teach them that what you are about to do or say is all about depending on God. Imagine that a child’s concern is the safety of his dad serving in the army abroad. You can take that particular concern and teach the child by saying a sample prayer like the one below:

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will protect my dad who is serving in the army. I pray that he will be able to come home safely. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The above approach is specific for a particular child since they all have different concerns and situations. If you’re leading a group of kids in prayer, then you can pray and teach them from a more general prayer point, such as praying for the safety of their loved ones.

The same principles apply to the second kind of prayer, which is about thanking God. You can still ask children to think about the things they can be thankful for and lead them to prayer or teach them. That’s an opportunity to teach children to always recognize things they should be grateful for and thank God for them. Let’s say that what they want to thank God for is the food they have. In such a case, you can guide and lead them using a sample prayer like this:

Father God, thank you for the food you have given me today. Thank you for ensuring that I have food to eat every time I’m hungry. I pray that You will also give food to those who don’t have it. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Again, the approach above is specific if you are teaching or guiding one student. If you’re leading a group of kids into a thanksgiving prayer, you can also make a general point that everyone will most likely be grateful for, such as having food or being alive.

Lastly, the third prayer assumes that the children have been taught the Gospel. Thanking God and being reminded of the Gospel can go something like this:

Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins on the cross. Instead of me being punished for my sins, You were the One who was punished. Thank You, as I will have eternal life if I believe in You and obey You. Amen.

The third kind of prayer, as you can see, must be accompanied by the preaching and teaching of the Gospel. Here, you can take a more general approach, such as asking the kids to repeat after you as you say the prayer. 

Ideally, as you teach the children these prayers and the reasoning behind them—depending on God, thanking God, and being reminded of the Gospel and thanking God for it—the children will be able to do it on their own with gradually less guidance needed. As mentioned above, you can guide them by asking them what their concerns are that they want to tell God about or need to ask Him, as well as what they can be thankful for. Teaching them about the Gospel is also essential to thank God for. They cannot thank God for what they don’t understand.