
A Christian child's prayer is
Christian prayer
Christian prayer is an important activity in Christianity, and there are several different forms used for this practice.
Christian prayers are diverse: they can be completely spontaneous, or read entirely from a text, such as from a breviary, wh ...
recited primarily by
child
A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...
ren that is typically short, rhyming, or has a memorable tune. It is usually said before bedtime, to give thanks for a meal, or as a nursery rhyme. Many of these prayers are either quotes from the
Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
, or set traditional texts.
While termed "Christian child's prayer", the examples here are almost exclusively used and promoted by
Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
.
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and
Orthodox Christians have their own set of children's prayers, often invoking
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
, angels, or the
saints
In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...
, and including a
remembrance of the dead
Remembrance of the Dead () is held annually on 4 May in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the beginning of the ...
. Some adult prayers are equally popular with children, such as the
Golden Rule
The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them. It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity, meaning that one should reciprocate to others how one would like them to treat the person (not neces ...
(,
Matthew 7:12), the
Doxology
A doxology (Ancient Greek: ''doxologia'', from , ''doxa'' 'glory' and -, -''logia'' 'saying') is a short hymn of praises to God in various forms of Christian worship, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. The tradition derives ...
, the
Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer is an prayer, invocation by the petitioner for wisdom to understand the difference between circumstances ("things") that can and cannot be changed, asking courage to take action in the case of the former, and serenity to accep ...
,
John 3:16, , , and for older children,
The Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer, also known by its incipit Our Father (, ), is a central Christian prayer attributed to Jesus. It contains petitions to God focused on God’s holiness, will, and kingdom, as well as human needs, with variations across manusc ...
and
Psalm 23
Psalm 23 is the 23rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The Lord is my shepherd". In Latin, it is known by the incipit, "". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and ...
.
Bedtime prayer
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Luther's Evening Prayer
''The New England Primer''
Evening Prayer from the 1777 ''
New England Primer
''The New England Primer'' was the first reading primer designed for the American colonies. It became the most successful educational textbook published in 17th-century colonial United States and it became the foundation of most schooling be ...
''
[
]
Sleep my Child and Peace Attend Thee
Lullabies in German
= Der Mond ist aufgegangen
=
= Weißt du, wie viel Sternlein stehen
=
= Brahms' Lullaby
=
Lullabies in Latin
= The Virgin's Cradle Hymn
=
Lullabies in Scots
= Baloo Baleerie
=
Lullabies in Welsh
= Suo Gân
=
Lullabies in Armenian
= Koon yeghir, pahlahs, atchkert khoop ahra
=
Lullabies in Swedish
= Vaggsång till Jesus
=
Morning Prayer
Luther's Morning Prayer
I thank Thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray Thee to keep me this day also from sin and all evil, that all my doings and life may please Thee. For into Thy hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with me, that the Wicked Foe may have no power over me. Amen.[1921 Triglott](_blank)
translation
White Paternoster
''The New England Primer''
Morning Prayer from the 1777 ''New England Primer'':[New England Primer]
page 16, Google Books, 1777
Almighty God the Maker of every thing in Heaven and Earth; the Darkness goes away, and the Day light comes at thy Command. Thou art good and doest good continually. I thank thee that thou has taken such Care of me this Night, and that I am alive and well this Morning. Save me, O God, from Evil, all this Day long, and let me love and serve thee forever, for the Sake of Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen.
Morning Songs
Morning Has Broken
Morning Songs in Swedish
= Din klara sol går åter opp
=
Giving thanks
Come Lord Jesus
The Lord is Good to Me
All Good Gifts
The chorus to ''We Plough the Fields and Scatter
"We Plough the Fields and Scatter" is a hymn of German origin commonly associated with harvest festival. Written by poet Matthias Claudius, " Wir pflügen und wir streuen" was published in 1782 and set to music in 1800 attributed to Johann A. P. S ...
'' may be used as a table grace:
For this Food
For this food and joy renewed, we praise your name, O Lord!
Organized prayer
Philmont grace
Spirituals
He's got the Whole World in his hands
Michael Row The Boat Ashore
Kumbaya
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
Go Down Moses
We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder
Children, Go Where I Send Thee
Every Time I Feel the Spirit
I Shall Not Be Moved
I'm So Glad, Jesus Lifted Me
Dem Bones
Ezekiel Saw the Wheel
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
When the Saints Go Marching In
We Shall Overcome
Other songs
*Oil in My Lamp
"Oil in My Lamp", also known as "Give Me Oil in My Lamp" and "Sing Hosanna", is a Christian hymn based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The song has been recorded many times and was a hit in Jamaica in 1964 for Eric "Monty" Morris, as well as a ...
*Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus (sometimes spelled Zaccheus; , '; , "pure, innocent") was a chief tax-collector at Jericho in the Bible. He is known primarily for his faith in climbing a sycamore tree to see Jesus and also his generosity in giving away half of all ...
*This Little Light of Mine
"This Little Light of Mine" is a Gospel music, gospel song that originated in the 1920s, when it was first sung in Christian churches and penitentiaries. The hymn is often attributed to evangelist Harry Dixon Loes who is said to have written it ...
*I've Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy
"Joy in My Heart", sometimes titled "I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy" or "Joy, Joy Down in My Heart", is a popular Christian song often sung around the campfire and during scouting events. It is often included in Gospel music and a cappella concer ...
* Children of the Heavenly Father - original in Swedish, .
* My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)
*Seek Ye First Seek Ye First or Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God is a Christian song based on Matthew 6:33. It was written in 1971 by Karen Lafferty after a Bible study on the verse at Calvary Chapel, and has become one of the most familiar praise songs, inclu ...
*Jesus Bids Us Shine
"Jesus Bids Us Shine" is a Christian child's prayer, children's hymn with words by Susan Warner, Susan Bogert Warner (1819-1885) and music by Edwin Othello Excell (1851-1921). It was first published in the children's magazine ''The Little Corpora ...
*Vi sätter oss i ringen
"Vi sätter oss i ringen" is a well-known Swedish Christian children's hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a dei ...
- Swedish song.
Historical songbooks
*'''' by Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include " When I Survey th ...
, 1715
*''Hymns for the Amusement of Children
''Hymns for the Amusement of Children'' (1771) was the final work completed by English poet Christopher Smart. It was completed while Smart was imprisoned for outstanding debt at the King's Bench Prison, and the work is his final exploration of ...
'' by Christopher Smart
Christopher Smart (11 April 1722 – 20 May 1771) was an English poet. He was a major contributor to two popular magazines, ''The Midwife'' and ''The Student'', and a friend to influential cultural icons like Samuel Johnson and Henry Fiel ...
, 1771
*'' Hymns in Prose for Children'' by Anna Laetitia Barbauld
Anna Laetitia Barbauld (, by herself possibly , as in French, Aikin; 20 June 1743 – 9 March 1825) was a prominent English poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, and author of children's literature. A prominent member of the Blue Stockings ...
, 1781
* ''Hymns for Little Children'' by Cecil Frances Alexander
Cecil Frances Alexander (April 1818 – 12 October 1895) was an Anglo-Irish hymnwriter and poet. Amongst other works, she wrote "All Things Bright and Beautiful", " There is a green hill far away" and the Christmas carol "Once in Royal David's Ci ...
, 1848Hymns for Little Children
(Google Books) by Cecil Frances Alexander
Cecil Frances Alexander (April 1818 – 12 October 1895) was an Anglo-Irish hymnwriter and poet. Amongst other works, she wrote "All Things Bright and Beautiful", " There is a green hill far away" and the Christmas carol "Once in Royal David's Ci ...
, London: Joseph Masters, 5th edition, 1852
Print Sources
*Bobb, Barry ''All God's People Sing.'' St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1992, 316 pp.
*English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri and other States.
Sunday-School Hymnal'' Pittsburgh: American Lutheran Publication Board, 1901, 464 pp.
*O'Neal, Debbie Trafton ''Thank you for This Food: Action Prayers, Songs, and Blessings for Mealtime.'' Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1994, 32 pp.
*Johnson, David A. ''My First Hymnal.'' St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2011, 128 pp.
*Kirkpatrick, William J.
Joy and praise: a Sunday-school song book' Cincinnati, Ohio: Fillmore Music House, 1908, 266 pp.
*Wesleyan Methodist Church
The Methodist Sunday-school hymn-book compiled by direction of the Wesleyan-methodist conference'' London: Wesleyan-Methodist Sunday-School Union, 1879, 488 pp.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Child's Prayer
Nursery rhymes
Christian prayer
Religious works for children
Christianity and children