3 Christmas Prayers for Your Children’s Ministry

Here are three Christmas prayers to incorporate into your lessons with children this season. Throughout this season, help your kids discover the power of talking to God.

1. Christmas Tree Prayer

Say: Let’s ask God to show us some needs to pray for. They might be our needs or the needs of others—needs for a relationship with Jesus and forgiveness, hope, or help in following him. I’m going to pray first, and then you repeat after me. Remember, God listens when we talk to him!

Pray: God, we come to you right now. Pause while children repeat.

We are listening for you. Pause.

Speak to each of us in our hearts. Pause.

Show us needs that we can pray for. Pause.

Thank you, God. Pause.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have children form small groups and set out a small Christmas tree. Give each group squares of Christmas wrapping paper, scissors, and pencils or markers.

Say: To make a Christmas ornament, cut the piece of wrapping paper in any shape you want. On the back of your ornament, write the needs that came to your mind when we prayed a few minutes ago. When you’re finished writing, come to get an ornament hook and hang your ornament on the tree. Our Christmas tree is a way of offering our prayers to God.

Play some soft worship music as children work. Allow children to make more than one ornament if time permits. When everyone has hung an ornament, gather around the tree.

Say: God has seen the things you’ve written on your ornaments. He hears our prayers and meets our needs. That gives us hope! Let’s pray.

Pray: Lord, we put these needs on our Christmas tree for you to see. Thank you for knowing and understanding each of them. You understand even the things that aren’t written down. Thank you, God, for loving us and meeting every need we have. In Jesus’ name, amen.

2. Celebration Prayers

Help kids see the real gifts of Christmas — Jesus and his love — with this prayer. Have children sit in chairs or on the floor.

Say: Jesus’ birth is something to celebrate. Let’s celebrate right now with prayer. I’m going to pray “Thank you, God, for the gift of…” then you finish the prayer by standing up quickly, saying one word that completes the prayer, and sitting back down again. It’s okay to pray more than once, and it’s okay if more than one of you pops up at a time. We call that popcorn-style praying, because you pop up randomly, just like popcorn! Let’s get our celebration prayers popping!

Say the prayer, and allow enough time for every child to respond.

Pray: God, we thank you for sending Jesus to us! Thank you for giving us something as great and wonderful as your Son to celebrate! We love you and praise you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

3. Christmas Card Prayer

This prayer idea is one that kids can take home and share with others! Help kids make Christmas cards with this prayer inside:

Gentle Jesus born this day
In a manger filled with hay.
We your Christmas children be-
Help us now your love to see.
Gentle Jesus, come today
Be our shepherd, Lord we pray.
Gentle Jesus, come this hour
Fill us with your love and power.
You fell asleep in Mary’s arm
God kept you safe from all alarm.
Gentle Jesus, come today
Be our Shepherd now we pray.

Douglas Raymond Rose
Grand Prairie, Texas

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