While looking around for things to inspire me concerning praying with kids, i came across a book called Praying with Color.

It is described on the website ( prayingincolor.com ) as an Active, Visual, and Meditative way to pray - for all ages.

Hmm, sounds good.

I bought the book and took it to the i61 kids classroom to see what my kids would think of it. Well, it seemed to be a hit. Instead of praying out loud, with words - they prayed on paper with colourful pictures. It’s so simple.

You start with a circle or square or wiggly shape or.. you get the idea and you write the name of the one who you are praying to, so… you may write in there Jesus or God, Father God, Loving God, Comforter, Provider… up to you! Right, You’ve started praying! Who are you praying for?

you? your family? your friends?

draw another shape and write in there the name of the person you are praying for and then another shape and another person… you may not know exactly what to prayer for them, God knows what they need, maybe they need comfort maybe they have had something great happen and are really happy and you are thinking thankful thoughts for their good fortune! Keep these thoughts in your mind as you doodle your way around the page, more simple shapes, bright colours, you don’t have to be good at drawing to doodle in prayer.

The kids seemed to get it, each received his or her own prayer journal to draw in and some crayons and set to work. Some with deep private prayers that were for their eyes only, some with thankful prayers. One little girl prayed for her baby sister who is soon to be born.

What was wonderful was hearing some of the kids who didn’t know what to pray for ask their friends, “Do you have something you want prayer for?”My hope is that they will get into the habit of praying in their journal every day.

I have continued this through the week with my own daughter, she really enjoys it. Here is a prayer we did together as we prayed for a new church building:

And here is a thankful prayer that she did, in which she thanked God for plants, trees, flowers and butterflies! :

And one day, when stuck for something to pray for, she asked her brother “what can i pray for for you?”

and came up with this prayer: