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| A Gift for Your Child: A Prayer Journal |  |
| Location: Blogs Leanne's Blog |
 | | Posted by: Leanne | 3/3/2008 4:07 AM | I am now, in addition to being President and Founder of First Steps, the Associate Minister of Children and Families at First United Methodist Church, Colorado Springs. In our children's area we have a little chapel for children. Each week, I am adding a new prayer tool for the kids to use.
So far we have a fountain where they can bless themselves using water, a powerful reminder of their baptism and of Jesus, the living water. We have pillows they can lay on and look at beautiful pictures of Jesus interacting with children that hang on the walls. Soon we will have a little tree with red, white and blue ribbons they can tie on in honor of parents or friends serving overseas in the war. And we will have a little chime to ring for joy or sadness. A grandfather is making us a beautiful child size prayer kneeler.
One thing, which seems to be a favorite among the children, is a notebook with a cover that reads, "The Children's Book of Prayers." Inside are empty pages and sitting next to it are pens and crayons. I invited the children to write or draw their prayers in that book and told them that I would go into the chapel and read their prayers and pray for them each week.
I am amazed at the beauty and sincerity of their prayers! One child asked God to help her stop being so mean to her sister. Another child asked God to heal his hurt arm. Another prayed for all the parents who travel a lot and asked God to keep them safe--especially his father! One child prayed that her puppy would do better at training class. And some of the younger children simply draw pictures to God.
Most of the children write their names on the page, even though we did not ask them to. Not only are they praying, but they are, by writing their names on the pages, letting me know exactly who it is that needs my prayers.
This book is working so well for us. I think it would be a wonderful gift for your child (maybe as part of their Easter Basket) to give them a prayer journal to use at home and a new box of crayons or pens in different colored ink. When children write and draw they quiet themselves in ways spoken prayer does not often do, they think, reflect and share their deepest prayers. When you read their prayers you will have insights into their spiritual life you never knew of before.
A prayer journal doesn't need to cost much at all. Ours is simply a three ring binder with hole punched paper inside--it is not the journal that is sacred--it is the prayers your child will write and draw inside-- those will make it special and holy!
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