National Month of Prayer for Toddler Groups

light blue house with national month of prayer text

The National Month of Prayer (NMOP) is an ecumenical initiative of the ‘1277 Make Them Count’ group and happens throughout June each year. It encourages churches, individuals, and toddler communities to pray three ways – in groups, for groups and across groups in the UK. 1277 refers to the average number of days from birth to a child starting nursery.

Salvation Army toddler groups offer an amazing space for babies, toddlers and their parents and carers to experience a warm welcome, play, learn and develop a supportive community. They come in all shapes and sizes and are a place where the love of God can be experienced in so many ways but especially through the warm welcome that is offered to all who attend.

The theme for 2024’s National Month of Prayer is based on the Matthew 13:31-32, 'From a little seed'. For more details and other resources check out: https://1277.org.uk/national-month-of-prayer

Additional prayers coming soon!

Idea one - handprint prayer tree

Take a large sheet of paper and create the bare trunk of a tree and branches. You can do this by using either brown paint or by using brown paper.
Get the children to make two handprints using various shades of green paint and write their name on each.
When dry, cut one handprint out and add to make the leaves of the tree and the other can be taken home.
Ask the adults to do a handprint too or to put their name on the handprint with their child’s.

Explain to the group that you will be using the tree in the church service on Sunday and asking the congregation to take a leaf home and to pray for the people whose names are on it.

Idea two - leaf prayers

Using cut out leaf outlines, write each child’s first name on the back and then get the children to decorate the front using paint, crayons or collage materials. Add a piece of string and hang on to an artificial twig tree or some large, natural twigs in a vase. As above, explain to the group that you will be using this in the church service on Sunday and asking the congregation to take a leaf and to pray for the person who has their name on it.

Idea three - Mustard Seed prayers

Create mustard seed cards, either by simply using a glue dot to fix the seed, or by recycling old paper to make a mulch and add some seeds https://www.pinterest.co.uk/FamilyMinistriesUKIT/the-mustard-seed-national-month-of-prayer-2024/. You could also create little packs of seeds in small envelopes and decorate them.

However you decide to share the seeds, write on the card/envelope either the first name of a child or just the family name, and ask church members to take a card/envelope, plant the seeds, and to pray for the child/family as they watch it grow.

You can also give cards to the members of your parent-and-toddler group that say ‘We are praying for you’, and encourage them to plant the seeds at home, or plant them as an activity in your session.

Key Dates

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Interview your toddler group leader/ team member about your toddler group and pray for them and the team.
Spend some time in prayer using the congregational prayer suggestions in the document below.
Interview someone who has come to faith through the toddler group.
Use the prayer card attached below for a time of reflection and promise to actively pray for your groups.
Create mustard seed cards, either by simply using a glue dot to fix the seed, or by recycling old paper to make a mulch and add some seeds https://www.pinterest.co.uk/FamilyMinistriesUKIT/the-mustard-seed-national-month-of-prayer-2024/. You could also create little packs of seeds in small envelopes and decorate them. However you decide to share the seeds, write on the card/envelope either the first name of a child or just the family name, and ask church members to take a card/envelope, plant the seeds, and to pray for the child/family as they watch it grow. You can also give cards to the members of your parent-and-toddler group that say ‘We are praying for you’, and encourage them to plant the seeds at home, or plant them as an activity in your session.