Do you remember the first time you encountered Jesus? When you truly invited Him into your heart and accepted Him as your Savior and Lord or Sovereign over every aspect of your life?
That moment allowed you to have a direct line of communication with God through His Son Jesus. And we can speak to Him directly through prayer. Now prayer is not merely a tool for comfort or a way to get what we need. Prayer is an act of worship, a pathway to communion with God and a practice that shapes our hearts to desire His will over our own.
It’s true for us, and it’s true for our children, too. And especially if your child has experienced trauma.
In the book Overcoming, written by renowned psychologists Nicole Gilbertson Wilke, Ph.D. and Amanda Hiles Howard, Ph.D., and published by CAFO, our strategic partner, the authors conclude that there’s a relationship between a person’s ability to overcome hardship and their prayer life.
In Part 5 of our Resilience Series, you’ll discover how to help your child to connect with Jesus by praying. Not to magically erase their pain, but to find peace, hope, and direction through Him. Here are some tips to help.
Overcoming Adversity Through Prayer
As believers, especially amid challenges, we turn to prayer not only to seek relief but to ground ourselves in God’s presence and to align our hearts with His purposes.
In fact, research highlights the power of prayer in fostering emotional resilience. Prayer is shown to calm the nervous system, deactivate the fight, flight, or freeze response, and reduce overall stress. Additionally, prayer can reduce feelings of bitterness and anger while increasing hope, helping your child reframe painful experiences.
Prayer is not a magic wand; it is a lifeline that draws us closer to the One who brings peace, wisdom, healing, and transformation.
Teaching Your Children to Pray
Prayer comes through faith in God. Children often struggle with how to pray and the words to say. They may believe that prayer has to be done in a specific or special way. Encourage your child that prayer is simply talking to God as they would a friend. Prayer comes through faith in God.
Here are 3 ways to help your child cultivate a prayer life rooted in truth and infuse their faith into their healing journeys:
1. Address Their Belief System
Before you can encourage your son or daughter to turn to Jesus in prayer, you must first find out if they truly have faith in Him. Asking gentle, curious questions can help uncover what they truly believe about God. This gives you a starting point to shepherd their hearts, correct misunderstandings, and encourage a deeper relationship with Jesus.
- Does your child believe in God?
- Do they believe God hears them and loves them?
As believers ourselves, we know God is all-powerful and can do exceedingly more than we can imagine. But does your child believe that?
In these conversations, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your child’s heart to you so you can walk alongside them wherever they are on their faith journey.
2. Explain Salvation
Often, children misunderstand the route to salvation. Ensure they’re truly saved by reminding them it’s as simple as believing and declaring Jesus to be Lord over their lives.
If your child struggles to understand the gift of salvation, consider reading portions of the New Testament with them where salvation is explicitly mentioned and explained. (John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10)
Helping them understand salvation gives them a foundation for prayer rooted not in fear or performance, but in identity as children of God.
3. Model Prayer
Children learn best by what we do, not by what we say. Show your children the power of prayer by modeling it in your own home.
Show them how to weave prayer into their everyday moments: mealtimes, car rides, moments of stress, at school, bedtime. Then, give them plenty of opportunities to practice praying out loud within the safety of your family.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Guiding children to pray through their pain, and showing them what faithful, everyday prayer looks like helps them replace fear-driven responses with Christ-centered hope and resilience.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
- How can I use my faith to help guide my child into a life of faith and prayer?
- How can I help my child build and develop their own beliefs and faith?
ACTIVITY
Help your child find God’s light, even in the darkest situations by playing Light in the Darkness. This game highlights how we can seek and find God, no matter the situation. Find this game and more in the Everyday Moments™ collection.
KEY VERSE
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…”
PRAYER
Jesus, help me to fill my child with hope, that however they began their journey, you have been and will remain in their stories. Heal their pain and help them turn to you in prayer.
