Praying for People
A Simple Practice for Families
Parent Introduction
As you are discipling your kids in how to pray, you have an opportunity to help them grow in something deeper than just saying words to Jesus. You can help them begin to notice people, care about what is happening in their lives, and learn to pray in a way that participates in what Jesus is already doing around them.
One of the simplest ways to begin is by introducing them to a practice we call Bless 5.
At the top of this guide, you’ll find a simple sheet. This is something your child can keep in their room, put in their Bible, or come back to throughout the week. It gives them a tangible way to remember who they are praying for and how to begin.
Before you explain everything, invite your kids into a conversation.
You might say:
“Hey, I want to show you a simple way we can pray for people in our lives. This is something we can do together, and it can actually make a difference for our friends.”
Keep the tone light and invitational. You are not introducing a rule or assignment. You are opening a door.
1. Starting with People
Helping Your Kids Notice Who God Has Placed Around Them
If it’s helpful, read through the following, or turn this into your own words.
Jesus consistently paid attention to people. He saw individuals, knew their stories, and responded to what was happening in their lives. As we learn to become the types of people who did the things Jesus did, we want to grow in that same awareness.
Sit down together and ask:
“Who are the people you see a lot during your week?”
“Who do you sit by at school?”
“Who do you play with, or wish you could play with?”
“Is there anyone who might be having a hard time right now?”
Give them time to think. You may need to gently prompt them, but try to let the names come from them. This is important. We want them to begin recognizing that God has already placed them in meaningful relationships.
Now, invite them to write down five names on the sheet and let them know we’re going to pray for five of those people that came to mind. These can be friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors, teammates, or even someone they don’t know well but feel drawn to.
This might be difficult to choose only five. If it’s helpful, let them know this isn’t a one-time event, something you can revisit and fill out again. This is not about choosing the “right” people. It is about helping your child begin to see their everyday world as a place where God is already at work. Give them time to consider which five they are drawn to in this moment.
Over time, this simple practice begins to shape how your kids see people, not as background characters in their lives, but as individuals who matter to God and who they can learn to love with intention.
2. Teaching Blessing Prayer
For Parents to Guide Their Kids
As you’re helping your kids learn how to pray, it’s important to help them understand what they are doing when they pray.
In your home, you are not simply teaching your kids to say words to God. You are forming them to notice people, to care about what is happening in their lives, and to participate with Jesus in bringing His love into those places.
One of the simplest ways to begin is through what we call Blessing Prayer.
Blessing prayer is slightly different from the way many of us learned to pray. Often, we pray to God about someone. We ask God to help them, heal them, or be with them. This is good and important.
Blessing prayer invites us into something more personal and participatory.
Instead of only talking to God about a person, we are also learning to speak life and blessing over that person in Jesus’s name. We are asking God to act, but we are also stepping into our identity as people who carry His love and can speak it into the lives of others.
For kids, this doesn’t need to feel complicated or theological. It should feel natural and relational.
You might explain it like this:
“When we bless someone, we are declaring the good things we know Jesus wants to give, and sometimes we even say those good things out loud for them to hear.”
From there, give your kids simple language they can grow into. They don’t need perfect words. They just need a place to begin.
You can model a few examples:
In Jesus’ name, I bless ___ with peace today
I bless ___ with strength and courage.
“I bless ___ with a deep sense that they are loved.”
Encourage your kids to use their own words. If their prayers are simple, that is exactly right. What matters is that they are learning to connect their awareness of people with their trust in Jesus.
As a parent, your role is not to perfect their theology or correct their phrasing. Your role is to model a posture:
noticing people
caring about their lives
and trusting that Jesus wants to meet them there
If you keep the tone simple, consistent, and relational, your kids will begin to understand that prayer is not just something we do in private. It is a way we join Jesus in loving the people right in front of us.
3. Five Ways to Pray
A Simple Rhythm Your Kids Can Grow Into
Once your kids have named their five people and begun to understand blessing prayer, you can introduce a simple rhythm to guide their prayers.
This rhythm follows the word BLESS. Each letter represents a different way to speak blessing over someone’s life.
You might explain it like this:
“Each day, we’re going to bless our friends in a different way.”
This gives your kids a simple structure while helping them practice speaking life and blessing in Jesus’s name.
You can walk through one idea each day, keeping it short and consistent.
B — Body (Health and Safety)
Help your kids speak blessing over what is happening physically in someone’s life.
“In Jesus’ name, I bless ___ with health and strength.”
“I bless ___ with safety and protection today.”
This helps kids begin to care about real, everyday needs in people’s lives.
L — Labor (School and Activities)
For kids, this mostly means school, sports, and daily responsibilities.
“I bless ___ with focus and peace at school.”
“I bless ___ with confidence in what they’re doing today.”
This connects prayer to the places where kids spend most of their time.
E — Emotional (Feelings)
Help your kids learn to notice and speak into what someone might be feeling.
“I bless ___ with joy today.”
“I bless ___ with peace instead of worry.”
“I bless ___ with courage when things feel hard.”
This is where empathy begins to grow.
S — Social (Friends and Family)
Guide your kids to think about relationships in that person’s life.
“I bless ___ with good friends.”
“I bless ___ with strong and loving relationships.”
“I bless ___ with kindness toward others.”
This expands their awareness beyond just the individual.
S — Spiritual (Knowing Jesus)
Gently introduce spiritual awareness.
“I bless ___ with knowing Jesus.”
“I bless ___ with experiencing God’s love.”
“I bless ___ with faith and trust in God.”
Keep this simple and pressure-free. This is about planting seeds, not forcing outcomes.
This rhythm is not meant to be rigid. Some days will be short. Some days, your child may only say one sentence. That is more than enough.
What matters most is that they are learning to speak blessing over real people in their everyday lives and beginning to see that Jesus cares about every part of those lives.
4. From Prayer to Action
Helping Kids Participate in What They Pray
As your kids begin praying for people, a natural next step is to help them notice how they might respond.
Prayer is not separate from everyday life. It often opens our eyes to small ways we can love and serve the people we are praying for.
You can introduce this with a simple weekly question:
“Is there one way you could bless someone you’ve been praying for this week?”
Let your kids think and respond. Keep it simple and realistic.
Some examples might be:
Sitting with someone who is alone
Inviting a friend to play
Writing a note or sending a message
Helping someone with schoolwork
Saying something encouraging
The goal is not to create pressure. The goal is to help your kids see the connection between prayer and action.
Over time, they will begin to recognize that when they pray for someone, they are also becoming more aware of how they can love that person in real, tangible ways.
This is where missional imagination begins to take shape in everyday life.
5. Guiding Your Kids
A Few Encouragements for Parents
As you lead your kids in this, remember that you are not trying to create a perfect practice. You are cultivating a way of life.
Keep these simple principles in mind:
Let it be simple: Two to five minutes is enough. Short, consistent rhythms are more formative than long, occasional ones.
Let your kids lead: Allow them to choose their five people and use their own words. Ownership matters more than precision.
Don’t correct—affirm: Even if their prayers are simple or incomplete, celebrate that they are praying. Encouragement builds confidence.
Stay consistent, not perfect: You will miss days. That’s okay. Just begin again. Formation happens over time.
Model what you hope to see: Let your kids hear you pray for people in your own life. Your example will shape them more than your instruction.
At its core, this is not about teaching your kids a tool.
You are helping them learn to see people the way Jesus does, to care about what is happening in their lives, and to trust that they can participate with Him in bringing love, peace, and restoration into the world around them.
Over time, that kind of formation changes not only how they pray, but how they live.
Want to grow in this together? At KC Underground, we believe discipleship happens in the home — and we want to resource you for it. If you're looking for a community of families learning to follow Jesus in real, everyday ways, we'd love for you to find your place with us. 👉
