Youth Prayer Ideas
Thetus Tenney

Prayer Crowd Breaker – Divide your group into teams. Give each team a piece of paper and a pen. In five minutes have each team write down as many prayer requests that they can think of. (Ex. lost family members, healings, church growth, pastor, etc.) At the end of five minutes count the requests and award a prize to the winning team. Then copy the prayer list and distribute them to the team members and have them pray over the list for the week.

Prayer Cards – Take three index cards and write down one person’s name on each card. Next, go to each of the people that you listed on a card and let them know that you will be praying for them. Ask them to tell you the desires of their heart and any immediate prayer concerns. Then, write it down on their card so you can partner with them in prayer. Pray for those three people each day according to the information they provided on the index cards. Pray consistently for a specified time or until prayers are answered.

Bonfire Prayer – Each person selects a twig or small piece of wood or a piece of paper with your request written on it that is tossed into the fire with a silent or spoken prayer symbolizing our prayers are given in trust up to God.

Paper Towel Prayer -The prayer leader begins by unrolling a roll of paper towels on the floor. Each person is asked to write a person’s name or prayer concern on each sheet. Re-roll. Each day or youth service tear off one sheet and lift up prayers for that particular concern or person.

Nail Prayer- Build a wooden cross (size depending on size of group). Give each person is given one or more post-it-notes or pieces of paper to write a prayer concern on. Invite each person to nail that concern on the cross.

Fastest Prayer – Divide your group into teams. Give each team a piece of paper and a pen. In five minutes have each team write down as many prayer requests that they can think of. (Ex. lost family members, healings, church growth, pastor, etc.) At the end of five minutes count the requests and award a prize to the winning team. Then copy the prayer list and distribute them to the team members and have them pray over the list for the week.

Echo Prayer – Pray a short prayer phrase out loud. Pause for the family or group to repeat out loud your word of thanks, or confession, or praise, or petition. This continues to reinforce that people can pray out loud.

Complete the Sentence Prayer – Ask a member of your family or of the group to volunteer to think about one of the five aspects of prayer. Start the prayer and the volunteer for each type of prayer will finishes the sentence. For example: “Lord, you are… (praise and worship); “Lord, forgive me for…(confession of sin); “Lord, thank you for…(thanking God); “Lord, please help…(praying for others needs); “Lord, I need…(pray for your needs).

Circle Prayer – There is definite power in being connected via holding hands in a circle. This prayer can begin and end with the same person. After opening in prayer, the leader lightly squeezes the hand of the person next to them indicating that he/she is finished praying. That person can choose to pray or else lightly squeeze the hand their neighbor. This continues until everyone has had an opportunity to pray, at which time the leader will end the prayer time.

Popcorn Prayer – This metaphor for prayer is that of the random popping of popcorn. Anyone is encouraged to jump in with a brief prayer of thanksgiving or request. Again, a leader can open this time of prayer and after a healthy silence, close the prayer time. A word or phrase is all that is encouraged to keep this prayer style moving. It is a good introduction to group prayer. A theme of what people are thankful for could be used throughout this prayer.

Wall of Prayer – To encourage prayer requests make a “Wall of Prayer.” Hang up a piece of newspaper (end rolls from local papers may be free) or you can use butcher block paper. Allow the children to write their prayer requests on the paper after they have shared their requests with the class. It is a faith building visual reminder of the prayers and allows for great follow-up on prayers when they get answered.

This article “Youth Prayer Ideas” written by Thetus Tenney, was excerpted from www.wnop.org web site, World Network of Prayer. June 2009. It may be used for study & research purposes only.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”