Many people have asked: How can prayer in school be done with creativity and strong discipleship? I believe the better question is not how we can get prayer back in schools, but how we can keep prayer in our children. One of the most creative ways I’ve seen this done is through prayer jar for kids. Not a swear jar, but a prayer jar.
When your children go to school, they are surrounded by kids who may not be raised in a Christian home. They face constant pressures to talk, act, and live in ways that go against God. Then they come home carrying all of that weight. A prayer jar helps redirect their hearts back toward the Lord. It asks them a simple question: “What can I pray for today?” They write it down, drop it into the jar, and release it into God’s hands.
How to Design Prayer Jars for Kids
Prayer jars for kids do not need to be complicated. A mason jar, an old coffee can, or even a decorated shoebox will do the job. The key is to let your children personalize it. Give them markers, stickers, or colorful paper so the jar feels like something they own. You can even write a verse on the side, such as “Cast all your cares on Him” (1 Peter 5:7) or “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). DON’T PUT THEM IN PLACES WHERE YOU WILL FORGET! You want this jar to be in a prominent place:
Where to Place the Prayer Jar
The location matters. Place the prayer jar in a central spot in your home so it naturally gets attention. The kitchen table, an entryway shelf, or the living room works best. When it is visible, it becomes a constant reminder that prayer belongs in everyday life.
How Parents Can Join In
Prayer jars for kids work best when parents participate too. Write down your own requests and place them in the jar alongside your children’s. In the morning, remind your kids to write down whatever they see or hear during their school day they feel needs prayer. When they come home, have them put those notes in the jar. At night, revisit the jar together, pulling out something at random to pray about, or pull out what they wrote that day. It’s up to you. Every week, you can pull out a few slips and reflect on how God has answered or how you are still waiting on Him. Over time, that jar will hold a beautiful testimony of God’s faithfulness.
Prayer jars for kids are not about forcing prayer into classrooms. They are about equipping children to carry prayer with them into every part of life. That little jar can become a powerful reminder that no matter the pressures they face, they have a God who listens and parents who point them back to Him.
A Simple Prayer to Begin Using the Prayer Jar
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the gift of prayer. Help our children learn to bring their worries, joys, and questions to You each day. May this prayer jar remind them that You care for every detail of their lives. Strengthen our family as we grow in faith together and let this jar be a testimony of Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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A Kid-Friendly Prayer for the Prayer Jar
“Dear Jesus, here’s my prayer for today. Please hear me and help me. I trust You. Amen.”
A Kid-Friendly Prayer Before Opening the Prayer Jar
“Jesus, thank You for listening to our prayers. As we open this jar, help us remember You always care and You always hear us. Amen.”
A Parent’s Closing Prayer Over the Prayer Jar
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of these children and the prayers they’ve placed in this jar. Cover their hearts with Your peace and remind them daily that You are near. Let this jar be more than paper and ink, but a witness of Your goodness and faithfulness. Guide us as parents to keep pointing them to You in every season of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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Pastor Rick Penn is an ordained pastor, writer, and the founder of Get-Prayer.com, a resource built to help believers develop a consistent, grounded prayer life.
With more than 20 years of preaching the Gospel, Pastor Rick brings deep theological training and lived pastoral experience to everything he writes. He holds a Master of Divinity from Virginia University of Lynchburg, an M.A. with a concentration in New Testament Studies from Baptist Bible Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Averett University.
His writing reflects a personal commitment to making prayer accessible to everyday Christians. Whether he is writing a prayer for someone in a hospital waiting room, walking through fear about the future, or sitting down with a blank prayer journal for the first time, Pastor Rick writes from a place of both theological grounding and pastoral care.
Pastor Rick hosts In The Moment, a Christian television program airing on Roku through AIM Christian Television. Viewers can watch the show at aimchristian.com/yourmoment and listen as a podcast on Spotify.
Before founding Get-Prayer.com, he served in the U.S. Navy, where he built his communication skills as a writer, editor, and public affairs professional. He now applies those disciplines directly to ministry and teaching.
Every article on this site reflects his core conviction: Prayer is not a performance of faith. It is the daily practice that holds everything else together.
Pastor Rick Penn is the author of all content on Get-Prayer.com.
Rick currently resides in Pennsylvania, where he continues to teach, write, and encourage believers to deepen their walk with God through prayer and the study of Scripture.
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