Raising Kids Who Love Prayer: Simple Ways to Encounter God
Prayer. We know that it is crucial to our faith, and to the faith of our children. We have all had moments in prayer that are powerful, and those moments are so encouraging and uplifting. But prayer can also be challenging. Chances are, you (and your children) have experienced at least one discouraging prayer moment. Today, we will talk about simple ways to encounter God that can help you overcome those obstacles.
Family Prayer Can Be Messy
Take a moment here, and review what your prayer together as a family looks like. It is possible that you have no issues getting your children to settle in and pray. But maybe you gathered everyone together one evening to pray the Rosary, and someone started rolling on the floor halfway through the second decade. Maybe your child seemed disengaged or confused when you asked what they thought about a Scripture passage. Maybe family prayer feels beautiful, but it seems disconnected or chaotic in real life.
Many parents quietly carry the fear that they are somehow failing spiritually because prayer in their home does not look peaceful or deeply moving all the time. It doesn’t look like the photos you see on Instagram of parents who seem to have this mastered, and it’s hard to tell whether your kids are growing spiritually.
Prayer as a Relationship
So often, we miss the root of this issue. The problem is not that our children are unmotivated, distracted, or uninterested in God. Prayer can feel abstract to children—and honestly, sometimes to adults too.
We often introduce children to prayer primarily as something to say before they understand prayer as the living out of a relationship. They memorize words before they pause to ponder that they are speaking to a God who truly loves them. Learning this way is not a bad thing—it gives children the words to speak to God at a young age, and the words themselves are formative. As children grow, however, we have to teach them that prayer is a relationship encounter, not an obligation. And any relationship comes with ups and downs as far as our feelings go. When children do not “feel” something during prayer, they may quietly assume it is not working, or that they are doing something wrong.
The good news is that authentic prayer is formed much more organically than we expect. A love for prayer often begins in small moments: encountering Scripture through a discussion at the kitchen table and learning a profound tidbit. When they whisper honest prayers before bed, they can feel comforted as they fall asleep. These small moments can lead to bigger ones: teaching them to imagine themselves beside Jesus in the Gospel stories and learning about Him as a real person who wants a friendship with them. You might pray a single decade of the Rosary together in a similar, imaginative format to teach meditation and form relationship.
This summer series is not about creating a perfect family prayer routine because that is different for every family.
Growing in Prayer This Summer
Instead, we will dig into how to help children gradually discover that prayer is real, relational, and accessible—that God is not waiting for polished words or spiritual perfection, but inviting them into friendship right now.
We will explore simple, practical ways families can introduce children to different forms of Catholic prayer, including Scripture meditation, the Rosary, authentic conversation with God, and simple daily habits that help make prayer part of ordinary family life. We are going to look at these practices through the lens of one who is just learning how to pray and see how to adapt them for your unique family. Some children love structure and memorized prayers immediately. Other children connect to God more through Scripture stories, music, or art. You may have one child who is naturally reflective, and another who needs time and maturity before prayer begins to feel meaningful.
Our goal is to teach these methods of prayer in a way that helps our children grow confident that God is near, faith is real even when you struggle, and they are deeply loved by God. That kind of love for prayer is usually formed gently, patiently, and over time. I am so excited to begin this summer journey with you.
What are your thoughts on this topic? I invite you to join other homeschooling parents and me in the Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group.
