This is a book I’ve been eagerly anticipating for several months!
Raising Prayerful Kids: Fun and Easy Activities for Building Lifelong Habits of Prayer is written by Stephanie Thurling and Sarah Holmstrom—and it is loaded with fun!
I received a complimentary copy for review. All opinions are my own.
About the Book
- It is 213 pages, with 24 chapters broken into 3 parts.
- Part 1 is packed with prayer games and activities.
- Part 2 centers around focused prayers.
- Part 3 includes contemplative prayers.
What I Loved
This book! It is everything I could have asked for—and more! I will definitely be recommending it for years to come.
I love how practical and meaningful it is. The authors share with authenticity and provide simple strategies to infuse prayer into every aspect of our lives.
Many of the suggestions were things our family already incorporates into our days, yet there were plenty of fun new ideas to add to our repertoire as well.
It’s a quick read that you’re going to absolutely love!
It’s clear that the authors’ hearts are for helping their kids cultivate deep relationships with Jesus. This book will take the pressure out of prayer and make it second nature, for you and your kids!
Learn more and grab your copy today (affiliate)!
About the Authors
Steph Thurling
Steph Thurling lives in Excelsior with her husband and three kids.
She co-runs a ministry with her friend, Sarah Holmstrom, called Raising Prayerful Kids. She has her Master’s in Youth Family and Culture from Fuller Theological Seminary and worked in youth ministry for several years deciding to stay home with her kids.
Steph has a passion for helping parents teach their kids how to pray and loves sharing easy, life-giving, and fun ways to help kids experience God through prayer.
Steph loves pilates, almond milk lattes, deep friendships, and beagles.
Sarah Holstrom
Sarah Holmstrom is the co-founder of Raising Prayerful Kids, a ministry that equips parents to pray with their kids in fun, engaging, and meaningful ways.
She earned her Masters in Education from Azusa Pacific University and has worked as an elementary and high school teacher.
Additionally, Sarah has worked in kids ministry in multiple local churches for most of her adult life.
Currently she homeschools her four kids and serves as the elementary creative director at Purpose Church. She is passionate about telling God’s story to kids and grown-ups.
For more information, please visit www.raisingprayerfulkids.com.
More Resources for Your Family
Dishing up Devotions: 36 Faith-Building Activities for Homeschooling Families
Nourish your soul and grow your family's faith with this fun, interactive devotional!
- Encouragement for homeschool moms
- Biblical family activities even preschoolers can understand
- Delicious baking recipes & conversation-starters related to the weekly theme
I have never been very good at praying as I was taught as a child (many years ago) to never ask for anything. So, I can say thanks but, when I am in need, that is tough for me. So, it is hard to teach someone else.
Thank you for sharing Linda. It can be so challenging to break free from those things. I will pray with you for breakthrough and freedom.
Here are a couple verses for you to stand on as you seek to understand the depths of God’s love for you:
*Matthew 7:7-11 NLT-” “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
*Romans 8:32 NIV-“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
I tell my children how sad I would be if they didn’t talk to me. It’s the same with God. He’s our Father and He wants our fellowship. My children do pray. I do have to remind them sometimes.
This looks like a great read – I would love to win a copy! We are told to pray continually; over time, I feel that it has become second nature to me to pray throughout the day, and I would love to have some ideas and resources to encourage prayer in the lives of my kids as well.
Bedtime works well because they always want to prolong going to sleep.
Thank you for this much needed and timely book! Prayer is the most powerful thing we can do and it’s often neglected and forgotten. I’m excited to dive deeper with my kids.
I just love Steph and I’m so excited for the new book! A book that’s so timely given the state of the world right now.
Getting my kids to pray on their own is a struggle for us. I know how to pray FOR my kids and I know how to pray WITH my kids (i.e. I pray and they listen). But teaching them to pray on their own, out loud, has been a struggle.
Wow thank you so much for this review sweet friend! I love the resources you share
Really excited to read this!
We pray together every night, but I often forget to pray spontaneously with them during the day.
My grandson goes to church on Tuesday nights and Saturday nights. My daughter makes sure he has God in his life. Would love to win this book for them.
They need reminders all the time.
Sounds like a good read! I homeschool my two boys as well. Growing in my prayer life grew my relationship and walk with the Lord tremendously. So I would love to check out this book for helping my kids grow in it too!
I pray with my children daily and we discuss the things of God on the way to school and home.
We work in the More than Words workbook but I struggle with being consistent.
My grandson is 5 and we always say our night time prayers together. He is also saying the blessing before meals by himself. I always tell him how proud I am of him for his precious prayers.
We pray before meals and before bed but we also pray throughout our day- praise and prayers. I struggle with prayer being our first step.
Thank you for sharing this. It is so important. Prayer is so important.
Would love to win a copy!
After reading and discussing our scripture for the day, we discuss the people and situations that need prayer. Then we go around the table with everyone taking a turn praying. I dictate word-for-word prayers to the littlest ones, but slowly encourage them to begin praying on their own as they get older (for example, “you start by giving thanks for ___, and then I will help you finish praying for them”).
I encourage them to pray for others vs always praying for themself.
I struggle with using all the opportunities I have to incorporate prayer with my kids. We once had a pretty solid daily prayer system going but a change in routine ended that. I would love to be more deliberate about it.
We have prayer time right before we go to sleep almost every night.
I hope to teach my grandchildren to pray and reverence the Lord.
I want them to delight in talking with their Lord. I need fresh ideas for my kids!
I struggle with how to introduce the concept to him, I wasn’t brought up to do it, so I’m unsure of how to explain it to a child.
My husband and I pray with our kids, but getting them to feel comfortable praying out loud can be a challenge.