The five finger prayer method is a simple and great way to help children remember to pray for others as well as for their own needs. This method has kids use the fingers of their hand to represent people that they should remember to pray for.

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When I was a child, I would recite a memorized prayer at bedtime. What is great about the five finger prayer method is that it is a guide to help young children (and adults) to remember to pray for different people and things, rather than getting stuck in a rut of praying for the same thing over and over again. This helpful approach can easily be taught to different groups of people across many ages and abilities.

Originally created by Pope Francis, this great tool can be used by kids and adults alike!

At the end of this post I have included a five-finger prayer worksheet (color PDF) as a reminder that can be printed out and one that can be used as a worksheet for a Sunday school classroom lesson.

Why Is Prayer Important?

Prayer is important because it makes us more like Jesus.
God’s Word calls us to be faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12), and promises He will be near when we call (Psalm 145:18).
Prayer reveals the wisdom of God.
Prayer helps calm us by bringing things into the proper perspective.
Prayer brings about change.

This five finger method is a simple way for teaching kids how to enjoy their prayer time. It also makes an easy Sunday school lesson, offering a fun way to help children offer God their prayers.

Five Finger Prayer Method

First, you can open your prayer by saying, “Dear God.” You can also start your prayer in any other way that you are comfortable with.

Thumb

The first finger that we use is the thumb, because it is the closest finger. For this reason, it is a reminder to pray for those people closest to you – your family and close friends.

Examples: Mom, Dad, brother, sister, Grandmother, best friend

Pointer Finger

Next is the pointer finger that we use to point to things. This helps us to remember to pray for people who “point” us in the right direction.

Examples: Teachers, coaches and other leaders

Middle Finger

This is the tallest finger and this reminds us to pray for our leaders, or those over us.

Examples: Pastors, bosses/supervisors, government leaders such as the president

Ring Finger

The fourth finger is the ring finger and it is the weakest finger. This reminds us to pray for those who are weak or in need.

Example: People who are lonely, sick or poor

Pinky Finger

The last finger and the smallest finger is the pinky. This finger reminds us to pray for ourselves and our own needs last.

Example: Prayers that you will feel better, for friendships, for help preparing for a test

You can conclude the payer by saying, “Amen,” or “In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

You did it! You just prayed your first prayer using Pope Francis’ Five Finger Prayer Method!

CLICK HERE to Download the Printable PDF (color)

CLICK HERE to Download the Printable PDF Worksheet (black & white)

If you are interested in prayer ideas geared more towards adults, check out this post:

CHAT- A Prayer Template for When You Don’t Know What to Pray

I think we can agree that we could all use God’s guidance. Our children gather so much from what they see us do, so we should pray with them and in front of them regularly. This prayer method is a tool to help children gain confidence when praying as they grow older and have more concerns about their own lives, the needs of others and the world around them.

The next time you pray with your child, see if they can remember what each finger stands for. Challenge them to use this great prayer method to teach a group of people how to pray for others and for themselves. It is an easy way to guide our prayers, because we always have our fingers with us!

I hope you have enjoyed learning about the five finger prayer method. It is a great tool for helping young ones put their prayers into their own words.

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