Updated on April 28, 2020
Finding God in Quiet Places
A meditation for children by Gail Hatch
Gather the family:
Find a comfortable cozy place to snuggle together for family time. Children may enjoy holding a favorite stuffed animal, blanket or doll.
Start this session by asking each family member to close their eyes while you pray: “Thank you God for bringing us together to quiet our minds and hearts.” Amen.
Choose a family member to read The Quiet Book by Tomi de Paola found on the link below. Close the link when the book ends to maintain the sense of quiet.
Then read aloud:
Tomi de Paola’s book helps us quiet our minds and hearts so we can spend time in quiet prayer.
Jesus had a praying heart. Each day he found a quiet place to talk with his Father in Heaven. Praying is talking and listening to God.
This is our quiet place so let’s each take a turn saying the following prayer:
“Thank you, God, that you hear my praying heart!”
Now listen with an open praying heart while I read prayers written by others:
Dear God,
Help me find a quiet place where I can be still
And think of you.
Where is your quiet place?
It might be in your room…
or in your garden or on a favorite park bench.
Maybe you can find inner quiet as you ride your bike
Or go high on a swing?
Where is God?
God is where you are.
Be still then and know that God is here.
Here I am, God this is me.
Lift my spirit set me free.
Take my dreams, my hopes and plans,
Hold my future in your hands.
Come to us Lord God as we come to you in prayer,
Be with us now, we pray, and guide the words we say. Amen.
– from Prayers for Children by Rebecca Winter, pages 12-14
Now in our quiet place you can talk quietly to God. You may close your eyes or look at something in the room that helps you focus on talking to Jesus. You can find another place to sit in the room or stay right here. But please be sure to let others pray quietly during this time. Lord Jesus, hear our quiet prayers:
Allow quiet moments for your family to pray. Afterwards if some would like to share their prayers with the family invite everyone to listen. When you sense the time has come to a close, take each other’s hands and together say “AMEN”.
Amen.
Encouraging your children to pray at home:
Find a quiet space to set up a prayer table. Display a picture of Jesus, shepherds, lambs, or a beautiful photo. You may want to add flowers from the garden or a simple cross. Supply paper, pencils and pens to write, draw or color prayers. Create a prayer box from a recycled box and have the children decorate it. Write on it: “Prayers to Keep” along with your children’s names. If you have a book of prayers for children consider keeping it on the prayer table for them to look through. For more books on prayer see the book list below. And remember: when children pray the house is blessed in a special way.
Recommended books for children on Prayer:
Prayers With Children by Rebecca Winter
Thank You, World by Alice B. McGinty
Granddad’s Prayers of the Earth by Douglas Wood
A First Book of Prayers compiled by Glenda Trist
A Child’s Book of Prayer compiled by Linda Yeatman
Prayers and Graces compiled by Gail Harvey
A Child’s Book of Prayers Illustrated by Michael Hague
A Child’s Book of Prayer in Art by Sister Wendy Beckett
Baby Prayers by Sarah Toulmin
A Prayer a Day by Caroline Jane Church and Stuart Trotter
Creation Song by Anna Scott –Brown