Toddler prayer

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cmejia

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Hello!
I’d like to begin bed time prayers with my 4 year old. Do any of you have a favorite that you’d like to share? Thanks!

Cindy
 
One of mine once prayed, “God, please make the bad devils leave me alone tonight.”
 
I used to say this one when I was little…

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep and if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.
 
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StratusRose:
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep and if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.
Click to expand...
My children (7 & 4)say this one, but we pray “guide and guard me through the night, and wake me with the morning’s light.” I have a 7 year old who is a worrier, and the “if I die before I wake” was a little tough for her.

We also pray…

Now before I end my day,
I must bow my head and pray
To God who helps me do what’s right,
and always keeps me in His sight.
Help me, Lord, remember you
In all I ever say and do.
Thank you for my family.
God bless them,
and God bless me.
Amen.
 
Angel of God my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Hail Mary and Glory Be should be taught to toddlers, preferably with a picture book so they get the real words and ideas, not just parroting words. They should know the Our Father and its meaning by kindergarten. Get one of the colorful kiddie rosaries with the large wooden beads, and emphasize it is not a toy.
 
My kids (6,4,2) say the Angel of God before bed. On ocassion, we try to say the Hail Mary, Our Father and/or Glory Be. However, the two younger ones have such a short attention span, they won’t sit still for the longer prayers which upsets and frustrates me. It can make for an unhappy prayertime so usually we stick to just the Angel of God unless they seem particularly focused.
 
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StratusRose:
I used to say this one when I was little…

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep and if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.
Click to expand...
We say this one with my 2 and 1 year olds and add at the end “If I should live another day, I pray the Lord to guide my way”.
 
Of the series of prayers the older brothers and sisters say, the first one that the little one picks up is simply, “Jesus, I love you!”

The two-year-old waits for that part, and belts it out with the other kids, with gusto.

I also like, "Holy Spirit, sweet guest of my soul, remain with me and see that I ever remain with thee."
Peace.
John
 
My dad taught me one and its been the first prayer for my kids.
Night dear Jesus .
I love You.
Thank You for everything.
 
There is a marvelous book called “Give me Grace” by Cynthia Rylant that gives a short prayer for each day of the week with a lovely sentiment and simple rhyme. I used it nightly when my kids were younger and loved it. Here is a sample:

Wednesday make me full of light
Guide my heart both day and night
Give me gladness, give me grace
Shine your love upon my face.
 
Every night we pray with our 4 year old:

Dear God, I thank you for this day,
for all your gifts, for work and play.
Forgive the things that I did wrong
and make my heart grow pure and strong.
Show all the world your love and light
and let us rest in peace this night. Amen.

Hail, Mary,…

God bless Daddy, Mommy, etc.
 
This is what our small children say at meals:

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Thank you for this food
and thank you for this day.
We love you dear Jesus,
in your name we pray.

Amen.
 
This is what I was taught when I was young and I used it for my kids:

“Dear God, Bless Mommy and Daddy, my sister and brothers, my relatives and friends and please, God, make me a good Girl tomorrow.”

When they were even too young for that one, the short version is “God, thank you for my day. Help me be good tomorrow.” We said this after recalling the best part of the day that was ending.
 
One small little “thank You” I taught my children and they still say today is…“Thank you Lord for giving me this Day, may I make the most of it in everything I do and say” This is said as you wake up for the day…It helps us remember the gift of Life.:love:
 
Each of my kids have a different night prayer…The fisrt two were standards: “Heavenly Father hear my prayer…Keep me in they loving care”…etc…and “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep”…but then I got creative and wrote my own for the next three using the same meter.

My favorite one is this:

Lord of all, to you I pray,
To offer thanks this blessed day.
I ask you, Lord, to make me whole,
Heal my wounds, heart, mind, and soul.
Lead me, Lord, to love like you,
And keep your ways in all I do.
And wake me with tomorrow’s morn,
Refreshed, renewed, in You, reborn.
God bless…

I even use that one sometimes!
 
We always use the following formula:
1x Our Father…
1x Hail Mary…
1x Glory be to the Father…

then

***God our Father we come to say,
Thank you for your love today
Thank you for my family
and all the friends you give to me
Guard me in the dark of night,
and in the morning send your light.
Amen

followed by

Thank you God for the world so sweet,
Thank you God for the food we eat
Thank you God for the birds that sing
Thank you God for everything.
Amen.

***We then went through a list of ***God bless Mammy, God bless Daddy ***etc etc…
When my son Michael was 5 I taught him the prayer to St Michael. I was so amazed to see that he picked it up so quickly.

We are now adding the rosary prayer "Oh my Jesus forgive us our sins save us fro the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy."
 
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Fergal:
Thank you God for the world so sweet,
Thank you God for the food we eat
Thank you God for the birds that sing
Thank you God for everything.
Amen.
Click to expand...
My brother and I used to say this prayer at dinner time. My mom thought it was so cute. She made me say it at Mother’s Day dinner this past year. :rolleyes:
 
My kids (ages 7-3 and one coming) say

Heavenly Father,
Hear my prayer.
Keep me in thy
Loving care.
Be my guide
in all I do.
Bless all those
who love me too.
Amen.

Then they say their individual prayers and to hear the soulful words of what is on their little minds is humbling.
 
To help them better participate at mass, they can learn the Our Father. Also the Hail Mary and Glory Be.

After those, mine also do the angel of God prayer followed by a loud proclamation, “Guardian Angel, do your stuff!”

It makes me smile every time I hear them say that.
😃
 
My toddler likes to say her prayers by herself, without help (she’s 3!) She’s teaching her younger sister (18mos) the following recitation:

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die, before I wake
I pray the Lord, my soul to take.

Angel of God, my guardian dear.
To whom God’s love commits me here.
Ever this (day/night) be at my side
To light and to guard, to rule and to guide.

God bless. . .Mommy, Daddy, etc. . .

Then she says prayers for certain people. . . a Hail Mary for the “new baby in Mommy’s tummy” a Hail Mary for “other Mommy’s who are going to have babies” on and on and on. . .

Lastly she says this prayer: (one of my favorites)

Protect us Lord while we are awake,
Watch over us as we sleep.
That awake we may keep watch with Christ,
And asleep rest in his peace.

(This prayer is found in the liturgy of the hours, I believe the evening or night prayers.)

Sometimes this takes a while, but we let her do it. She’s willing and I’m not going to get in the way of her conversations with our Lord.

God Bless!
Jenny
 
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