Prayer journal for kids: pages to copy by age, 40 prompts, and how to start
A prayer journal for kids is a notebook where a child writes or draws what they want to say to God: thank-yous, sorries, worries and requests, with room to mark the prayers God answers. You don't need to buy one. Any notebook works with the simple page layouts below, which are sorted by age (from drawing-only for preschoolers to a full page for 10- to 12-year-olds), plus 40 prompts, a two-week plan to get started, and how to keep it going without turning it into homework.
What is a prayer journal for kids (and how is it different from a diary)?
A diary is written to yourself: what happened today and how you felt. A prayer journal is written to God. The same day can go in both, but the prayer journal turns it into a conversation: "Today Max was mean to me at recess. God, help me forgive him, and help him have a better day."
For a child, writing or drawing a prayer does three things talking alone often doesn't:
- It keeps their mind on it. Holding a pencil helps a wandering mind stay put long enough to finish a thought.
- It lets them look back. A month later, they can see the prayer for a sick grandparent and check off the day she came home. That builds faith in a way a parent saying "God answers prayer" can't.
- It's private. Some kids will write what they'd never say aloud: that they're scared, that someone at school hurts them, that they feel left out. (More on reading it below.)
God told his people to write things down so they'd remember: "Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets" (Habakkuk 2:2, WEB), and the psalmist says, "I will remember Yah's deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old" (Psalm 77:11, WEB). A child's journal is a small version of the same thing. Our guide to prayer journal benefits goes into the reasons, and their limits, for grown-ups.
What age can kids start a prayer journal?
Any age, if the page fits the child. A three-year-old can draw a picture of who they're praying for while you write the name. A seven-year-old can fill in blanks. An eleven-year-old can write a page alone. What changes is how much they write and how much you help.
| Age | What they can do | Your part | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 | Draw a picture; say the prayer aloud | Write their words under the drawing; pray together | 3 to 5 minutes |
| 5 to 7 | Fill in one or two blanks; copy a short verse; draw | Read the prompt; help with spelling; pray their words with them | 5 minutes |
| 8 to 10 | Write a few sentences to a simple page shape | Set it up; sit nearby; ask (don't demand) to see it | 5 to 10 minutes |
| 11 to 13 | Write freely; use a verse and a question | Give them privacy; journal yourself where they can see | 10 minutes |
Prayer journal pages to copy, by age
Draw these into any notebook. A plain composition notebook, a sketchbook for little ones, or a lined notebook for older kids all work.
Ages 3 to 5: the picture page
Date: ____________ [ a big box to draw in ] Today I'm talking to God about: ________________ (a grown-up writes this) Thank you, God! ☐ I prayed
Ask "Who do you want to pray for?" or "What made you happy today?" They draw; you write their exact words. Then hold the page and pray those words together.
Ages 5 to 7: the fill-in page
Date: ____________ Dear God, Thank you for ________________________ I'm sorry for ________________________ Please help __________________________ Love, ____________ Draw it here: [ small box ]
Three blanks is plenty. If writing is hard, let them say it and you write it, or let them write one word per line.
Ages 8 to 10: the four-part page
Date: ____________ Verse: ____________ WOW: Something amazing about God _____________________________________ SORRY: Something I did wrong _____________________________________ THANKS: 3 good things today 1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________ PLEASE: Help for me and for someone else _____________________________________ Answered? ☐ When: ________
This is the ACTS shape (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) in kid words. Our prayer journal template guide has the grown-up versions of this page and six more layouts, if an older child wants something different.
Ages 11 to 13: the verse and question page
Date: ____________ Today's verse: ____________________ (copy it out) What it says about God: _____________________________________ What it means for me today: _____________________________________ My prayer: _____________________________________ _____________________________________ Answered prayers this week: _____________________________________
Give them a list of short passages to work through (Psalm 23, Psalm 139, a few verses of Mark each day), or let them use the verse from church or youth group.
The back pages: a prayer list and an answers page
At any age, keep the last few pages of the notebook for two lists: "People I pray for" (names, with a drawing for little ones) and "Prayers God answered" (the date, the prayer, what happened). The answers page is the one kids flip back to. Our prayer list template has an answered-prayer log you can copy in.
40 prayer journal prompts for kids
When a child stares at the page, give them one prompt. Pick by age; the first ones are easiest.
Thank you
- What made you smile today?
- Who is someone you're glad God made? Why?
- What food are you thankful for?
- What's something in nature God made that you love?
- What's one thing your body can do that you're thankful for?
- What was the best part of this week?
- Who helped you today?
- What's something you have that some kids don't?
Sorry
- Was there a time today you weren't kind? Tell God about it.
- Is there someone you need to say sorry to?
- What's something you did that you wish you hadn't?
- Was there a time you didn't tell the truth?
- Write: "God, thank you that you forgive me when…"
Help
- What are you worried about? Tell God.
- What's something hard you have to do this week?
- Who do you know who is sick or sad?
- What do you want to get better at?
- Is there a friend who needs help?
- What scares you? Ask God to be with you.
- What's a problem in the world you want God to fix?
- Who is someone you find hard to love? Pray for them.
About God
- What's something you know about God?
- If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
- What do you think God is like? Draw it.
- What's your favorite Bible story? What does it show about God?
- Read Psalm 23. Which line do you like best?
- Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me." What would you say to Jesus if you sat with him?
- Copy out Psalm 139:14: "I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (WEB). What do you think "wonderfully made" means?
- Where did you see God today?
Me and my family
- Pray for each person in your family by name.
- What do you want God to help your family with?
- Write a prayer for your teacher.
- Write a prayer for your best friend.
- What's something you're looking forward to?
- What do you want to be when you grow up? Ask God to help you.
- What's something you're proud of? Thank God for it.
Looking back
- Read an old page. Did God answer that prayer? How?
- What's something you prayed for that hasn't happened yet? Keep praying.
- What did you learn about God this month?
- Write a thank-you letter to God for this whole year.
For teens who outgrow these, our 40 prayer journal prompts for grown-ups work from about 13 up.
How to start a prayer journal with your child (a two-week plan)
Most children's journals die in the first week because they started too big. Start small and let it grow.
| Days | What you do |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Let your child pick or decorate the notebook. Write their name and "My prayers to God" on the front. Do the first page together. |
| Days 2 to 4 | Same time each day (after dinner or at bedtime). One prompt, one page, five minutes. You do yours next to them. |
| Day 5 | Set up the back pages: a prayer list and an answers page. |
| Days 6 to 7 | Let them choose the prompt. Some kids like a jar of prompts on slips of paper to draw from. |
| Days 8 to 13 | Keep the routine. Skip a day if needed; never make it a punishment. |
| Day 14 | Look back together. Read old pages. Check any answers. Thank God for them. |
After two weeks, ask your child how often they'd like to keep doing it. Some kids love every day; for others, three times a week is the sweet spot.
How to keep it going (without nagging)
- Tie it to something that already happens. Bedtime, the car ride home, Sunday afternoon. The journal lives in the same place every day.
- Journal yourself. Kids copy what they see. Five minutes at the table with your own notebook is the best encouragement there is.
- Make answers visible. A sticker, a star or a colored check next to every answered prayer. Kids love to count them.
- Let it be messy. Spelling, neatness and length don't matter. A crooked drawing of a dog is a real prayer.
- Read it only if invited. From about eight up, ask "Would you like to show me?" rather than reading it. (If you're ever worried about your child's safety, that comes first; talk to them.)
- Don't grade it. Never correct a prayer. "God, I hate my brother" is honest, and honest is where prayer starts. You can talk about it later.
- Restart without guilt. If it stops for a month, open a fresh page with today's date and carry on.
What to tell kids about unanswered prayers
A journal shows the prayers that come true, and also the ones that don't. Sooner or later a child will point to a page and say, "God didn't answer this one." Some honest things to say:
- "God always hears us. Sometimes he says yes, sometimes 'wait', and sometimes 'no, I have something better'."
- "Grown-ups don't understand all of God's answers either. We keep trusting him because he loves us."
- "Jesus prayed something God said no to, too, in the garden before the cross (Matthew 26:39). And God still used it for good."
Don't promise a child God will give them what they ask for. If the prayer was for a sick pet or a grandparent who died, sit with the sadness first. You can pray together: "God, we're sad. We don't understand. Please hold us."
Buy a kids' prayer journal or make one?
| Bought journal | Homemade notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Printables from a few dollars; printed books often $10 to $20 | A notebook you have |
| Prompts | Written for you, often a fixed number of weeks | Use the 40 above, or your own |
| Fits your child | Fixed age range and layout | Change the page as they grow |
| Theology | Check it matches your church | You choose every word |
| Best for | Kids who love a "real" book and colorful pages | Kids who like to draw, or several kids at different ages |
Either is fine. The journal matters less than the routine and the parent sitting next to it.
A prayer to write on the first page
Dear God, this is my prayer journal. I'm going to write to you here, and draw for you, and tell you what's in my heart. Thank you that you always listen. Help me to talk to you every day. Love, ______. Amen.
And one for the parent to pray, before you hand it over: "Lord, meet my child in these pages. Let them know you as their own. Amen." If you'd like a daily prayer time of your own to sit alongside your child's journal, answer a few questions to build your prayer plan; ten guided minutes a day, read to you.
Common questions
What do you write in a kids' prayer journal?
Thank-yous, sorries, worries and requests, written or drawn as a letter to God, with a place to mark answered prayers. The fill-in and four-part pages above give a child a shape to follow.
What age is a prayer journal good for?
From about three (drawing, with a parent writing their words) to teenagers. The page and the time change with age; the habit doesn't.
How often should a child write in a prayer journal?
Daily is ideal for younger kids if it's short (five minutes). Older kids often do better three or four times a week. Pick what you can keep.
Should I read my child's prayer journal?
With young children, you're writing it together. From about eight up, ask before reading. Privacy helps kids write honestly, though their safety always comes first.
Are kids' prayer journals Christian or for any faith?
This page is written for Christian families; the prompts and verses come from the Bible.
What's a good first prompt?
"What made you smile today?" It's easy, it's happy, and it turns into a thank-you prayer without effort.
Tonight, find a notebook, draw the page for your child's age, and do the first one together. For your own daily prayer time to go with it, start your prayer plan here, and see more in our prayer guides, including how to pray for your children.
Sources
Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. Pages read for this guide: Ministry-to-Children, "How-To Guide to Prayer Journaling for Kids"; Zonderkidz, "The Weekly Prayer Project for Kids" (store page); Payhip, "Prayer Journal for Kids" (printable listing).