People were bringing their children to Jesus so he could touch them and bless them, and the disciples, thinking they were protecting him from a distraction, tried to send the kids away. Jesus was indignant about it. He told them to let the little children come to him, not to hinder them, and said the kingdom of God belongs to people just like them.
These thirty verses are simple enough to hand to a child directly, whether you’re building a bedtime routine, a classroom moment, or a car-ride habit of praying together. If bedtime specifically is what you’re building toward, our post on bedtime prayer for kids picks up right where this leaves off.
Try reading one verse together, then let your child put it into their own words as a prayer instead of just repeating yours.
Prayer Activities for Kids
1. Mark 10:14 (NIV)
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Prayer: Thank you for wanting kids close to you, not far away.
Help me come to you the way you invited children to, without pretending.
Let me believe the kingdom really does belong to people like me.
2. Psalm 100:2 (NIV)
“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”
Prayer: Help me worship you with gladness, not just because I’m told to.
Let my songs to you be joyful, not just quiet and quick.
Show me it’s okay to be loud and happy when I pray.
3. Psalm 8:2 (NIV)
“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies.”
Prayer: Thank you for using kids’ praise, not just grown-up prayers.
Let my small voice actually matter to you.
Help me not think I’m too little to pray big prayers.
4. Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
“unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Prayer: Help me stay trusting, the way little kids trust their parents.
Let me not lose my simple faith as I get older.
Show grown-ups around me how to trust you like a child does.
5. Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Prayer: Let me really see how good you are today.
Help me run to you when I’m scared, instead of somewhere else.
Thank you for being a safe place to hide.
6. Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Prayer: Help me trust you even when I don’t understand what’s happening.
Let me not just trust with a little bit of my heart, but all of it.
Show me it’s okay not to have all the answers myself.
7. Psalm 139:14 (NIV)
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Prayer: Thank you for making me exactly the way I am.
Help me believe I’m wonderful even on days I feel ordinary.
Let me be kind to myself the way you’re kind to me.
8. Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Prayer: Give me strength for the hard thing I’m scared to try today.
Help me remember you’re with me even during a test or a tryout.
Thank you for not leaving me to do everything alone.
9. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
“We love because he first loved us.”
Prayer: Thank you for loving me first, before I even knew you.
Help me love my friends and family the way you love me.
Let me not run out of love, since yours never runs out.
10. Psalm 118:24 (NIV)
“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Prayer: Thank you for today, even if it’s a school day I wasn’t excited about.
Help me be glad instead of grumpy this morning.
Show me one good thing that’s going to happen today.
11. Matthew 6:9-11 (NIV)
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name… Give us today our daily bread.”
Prayer: Thank you for being my Father, not just far-off in heaven.
Give me what I need today, like food and friends and safety.
Help your name feel special to me, not just a word I say fast.
12. Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Prayer: Help me be brave when I’m scared of something new.
Remind me you’re with me at school, at home, and everywhere in between.
Thank you for not letting me go anywhere alone.
13. Psalm 23:1 (NIV)
“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
Prayer: Thank you for taking care of me like a shepherd takes care of sheep.
Help me not worry about not having enough.
Show me you’re watching over me even when I can’t see you.
14. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”
Prayer: Help me not be scared of the dark or of being alone.
Remind me you’re my God, close by, not just somewhere far away.
Thank you for staying with me through scary moments.
15. Psalm 56:3 (NIV)
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Prayer: Help me trust you instead of just staying scared.
Show me what to do with my fear instead of hiding it.
Thank you for being someone I can bring my fear to.
16. Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other.”
Prayer: Help me be kind to my friends, even the ones who annoy me.
Show me how to forgive someone who hurt my feelings today.
Thank you for forgiving me first, so I know how to do it.
17. Colossians 3:20 (NIV)
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
Prayer: Help me obey my parents even when I don’t want to.
Show me this pleases you, not just them.
Thank you for parents who are trying to help me grow.
18. Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Prayer: Give me a cheerful heart even on a grumpy day.
Help me not stay sad for too long about small things.
Thank you for laughter, because it feels like medicine.
19. Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Prayer: Be my refuge when something goes wrong today.
Help me remember you’re always near, not just sometimes.
Thank you for being my strength when I feel weak.
20. James 1:19 (NIV)
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
Prayer: Help me listen better to my teacher, my parents, and my friends.
Slow me down before I say something mean.
Show me how to be less angry when things don’t go my way.
21. Luke 2:52 (NIV)
“Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Prayer: Help me grow like Jesus did, smart and kind at the same time.
Let me be someone people and you both enjoy being around.
Thank you for letting me still be growing and learning.
22. Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Prayer: Help your word feel like a flashlight when I don’t know what to do.
Show me the next right step, not the whole big future.
Thank you for lighting up just enough for today.
23. 1 Samuel 3:9-10 (NIV)
“Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening… Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.'”
Prayer: Help me listen for you the way young Samuel did.
Let me hear you even in quiet, ordinary moments like bedtime.
Thank you for talking to kids, not just grown-ups.
24. Psalm 4:8 (NIV)
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
Prayer: Help me feel safe enough to fall asleep easily tonight.
Take away any worry that tries to keep me awake.
Thank you for watching over me while I sleep.
25. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)
“Be strong and courageous… for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Prayer: Help me be brave about something I’m nervous about tomorrow.
Remind me you go with me, even to a new class or a new place.
Thank you for promising to never leave me.
26. Psalm 121:3-4 (NIV)
“he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
Prayer: Thank you for staying awake even when I’m asleep.
Help me trust that nothing sneaks past you while I’m resting.
Let this help me fall asleep peacefully tonight.
27. Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
“Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'”
Prayer: Thank you for wanting me close, just as I am right now.
Help me not feel too small or too young to talk to you.
Let me come to you easily, the way kids ran to Jesus.
28. Psalm 33:20-21 (NIV)
“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice.”
Prayer: Help me wait patiently for things I’m hoping for.
Be my shield when someone at school is being unkind.
Thank you for giving my heart reasons to be happy.
29. Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest.”
Prayer: Help me keep trying to be good even when it’s hard.
Show me that being kind now matters, even if no one notices yet.
Thank you for promising a harvest, a good result, later on.
30. Revelation 21:4 (NIV)
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.”
Prayer: Thank you for a promise that one day all sad things will end.
Help me remember this when something makes me cry today.
Give me hope for a future with no more tears at all.
Conclusion
Jesus didn’t just tolerate the children brought to him that day. He was upset with the disciples for turning them away, and he made a point of blessing them himself, in front of everyone.
Turn one of these into a call-and-response prayer tonight, where you say a line and your child repeats it back in their own words. If bedtime is where this habit lives in your house, bedtime prayer for kids and Our Father prayer for kids both build naturally on what’s here.
For a shorter option on busier days, or a version built specifically for very young children, simple prayer for kids and prayer points for children are both good next stops.