Nurturing Faith

I remember being taught that there are many different ways to pray other than the prayer of petition. Will you explain to me the other prayer forms and give me some ideas on how I can teach them to my children??

You raise a very important point in regard to the many ways we pray. When you think of it, in most instances our prayer is not limited to one of petition but rather within that prayer we offer praise and thanks to God.

The Forms of Prayer
The basic prayer forms found in Scripture and taught to us by the Church are called prayers of blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. There are many creative ways we can pray each of these prayer forms with children.

Any catechist who desires to pray with children must begin by welcoming them, not only with words but also with actions. In this way, the environment itself welcomes the children to prayer.

Creating an environment for prayer begins by making prayer time holy time. We invite children into prayer in many ways; for example, by having soft music playing to awaken in the children their "wonder-source." A child's natural attitude is that of wonder, and a child's capacity to enter into a world of wonder and mystery knows no bounds. Providing children with the time and space to be still and quiet awakens in them an awareness of God's presence. Soon the conversation begins, prayer begins—the stories they long to tell God come alive.

A prayer corner set aside in the room becomes an unspoken message of invitation to children. It may be as simple as a small table covered with a pretty cloth and on it, the Bible carefully displayed along with plants, unlit candles, or seasonal liturgical symbols. Keeping this prayer space simple and neat and decorated with objects that are meaningful to the children will cause them to want to enter into quiet time with God.

It is important to understand how children pray. Children pray from the vantage point of a very real relationship with God. They have an innate sense of the sacred. God is always present to them. Even children who have not been nurtured in a prayerful environment will respond to your invitation to pray. It is as natural for children to pray as it is for them to play. They love to pray, and their natural spontaneity becomes evident in prayer. You have only to provide children with time and space for prayer and a warm and welcoming environment in which spontaneous expressions of love and intimacy with God are joyfully and reverently acknowledged.

Children know whether or not what adults say and do is real. It is therefore important that you take the time to pray and reflect on the prayer you have planned for the children. Once children recognize that you love to pray and want to make prayer time special for them, they will be filled with creative ideas for spending time with God in prayer.

Prayer of Blessing
We often hear people say, "Thank you and God bless you" or "Good-bye and God bless you." We should make a point of blessing the children in this way. The more they hear others offering prayers of blessing, the sooner it will become a familiar and natural way for them to pray as well. One way to help children become comfortable with this kind of prayer is to have individual children begin prayer time by offering blessings to you and the class. Invite volunteers to come to the front of the group and very simply say the words "God bless you." Then have the group respond together, "Thank you and God bless you." Ideally, this will foster in the children a wonderful habit.

Prayer of Petition
This is probably the most familiar prayer form the children know. We are often taught to ask God for the things we need, but asking and praying for them are not necessarily the same. When we pray our petitions, we are asking God, who loves us very much, for something that we believe is good—for ourselves or for others. By teaching children to pray in this way, we are helping them to become mindful of the needs of others as well as of their own needs. At the same time we are making them aware that God wants us to bring our problems and worries to prayer knowing that he will always hear and answer those prayers. Point out to the children that God's answer might not be exactly what we wish, but that God will always give us what we need.

By teaching children to pray about the things that cause pain and suffering in our world, including environmental destruction, we are teaching them that we should pray about all the things that violate God's Law of Love. Such prayers of petition serve to remind us that God expects us to care for one another and for God's wonderful earth. We also teach children to pray about the ordinary experiences of life—to pray for people who are sick, for someone who needs a job, for help in our school work, for a safe trip. We pray for peace in our families and in our world.

Prayer of Intercession
This form of prayer is prayer on behalf of others. This is a way to help children know that their prayer can be a source of blessing upon others, the Church, and our world. Because we know that Our Lady and the saints intercede for us before God, the Church encourages us to pray to them for their intercession. Such prayer can bring us great strength and courage.

Prayer of Thanksgiving
In teaching our children to be grateful for God's many blessings, spiritual and temporal, we are helping them to recognize and appreciate all the good things God gives to us. Providing prayer time to praise and thank God for his gifts—the gift of life; the gift of our families and friends; the gift of food, clothing, and shelter; and the many other gifts we often take for granted—helps students to form a true spirit of gratitude.

When we pause to say thank you to children we help enlighten them to the true meaning of the words. They learn by our example to acknowledge the good others do for us. The prayer of thanksgiving will become for them an important way to pray.

Prayer of Praise
In this prayer we express praise and honor to God. We praise God for giving us life, for the wonder and beauty of our world, and for all the many blessings we enjoy. When we teach children to pray in this way we are opening them up to praising God for all the wonders of creation. Praying "Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit" invites children to experience the joy of praising God. This form of prayer encourages bodily expression, such as standing with arms raised or dancing. Encouraging the children to express their praise in motion nurtures their desire to praise and honor God.

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