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Pray with Me: Help Your Children Engage in Authentic and Powerful Prayer
This grace-filled, practical book on praying with your kids empowers you to teach children how they can develop a personal relationship with God through prayer.
As parents, our deep longing is for our children to not just know about Jesus but to love Him. In Pray with Me , parent and ministry leader Erica Renaud shows us how inviting kids into the joy of intentional prayer—on their level—nurtures authentic relationship with God that can last a lifetime.
Through relatable stories, biblical insight, and practical tips for involving the whole family in prayer, Erica equips us
As our children grow spiritually, we can too—and together, love Jesus more every day.
As parents, our deep longing is for our children to not just know about Jesus but to love Him. In Pray with Me , parent and ministry leader Erica Renaud shows us how inviting kids into the joy of intentional prayer—on their level—nurtures authentic relationship with God that can last a lifetime.
Through relatable stories, biblical insight, and practical tips for involving the whole family in prayer, Erica equips us
As our children grow spiritually, we can too—and together, love Jesus more every day.
240 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2023
21 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Erica Renaud
1 book4 followersAs a speaker, author, wife, and mom of five, Erica Renaud brings a Christian perspective to matters of the heart and home, as well as of the world and culture around us. She speaks at conferences and events and has hosted a weekly radio show, At Home and Abroad. Erica and her husband are active in their multicampus congregation, where they lead prayer and worship gatherings.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 8, 2023
I really loved this book! I love the examples given throughout and the simplicity of coming back to the foundation of prayer.
I am 100% going to buy this physical and recommend it to all my friends. I think it’s a very helpful tool when teaching your kiddos pray.
She’s a new to me author & was very sound in her theology & thoughts!
“Let's do the work of bringing our children to Jesus in prayer. Let's make prayer a beautiful and foundational part of our home. Let's be creative with prayer so our children experience many different ways to engage with God. Let's sit on the edge of their beds and pray with them even when there's a hundred other things we could be doing, because we know the lasting impact of the Lord's work.
Let's do the work.”
I am 100% going to buy this physical and recommend it to all my friends. I think it’s a very helpful tool when teaching your kiddos pray.
She’s a new to me author & was very sound in her theology & thoughts!
“Let's do the work of bringing our children to Jesus in prayer. Let's make prayer a beautiful and foundational part of our home. Let's be creative with prayer so our children experience many different ways to engage with God. Let's sit on the edge of their beds and pray with them even when there's a hundred other things we could be doing, because we know the lasting impact of the Lord's work.
Let's do the work.”
July 27, 2023
I listened to this book! I loved the tips the author shares on praying with your children. One thing I’m going to implement is having my kids draw a picture during prayer time. I loved the idea to make prayer a more visual experience for them. I also love the idea to have a prayer journal for your kids. The author stresses the importance of teaching your kids that God answers prayers and has perfectly laid out their lives according to His plan. I am considering buying the physical copy of this book to reference and share with friends! It was really encouraging to me!
Favorite quotes:
"When we teach our children to talk with God and listen for His voice, they will see for themselves that God is who He says He is. This is far more powerful than simply taking our word for it. "
“We practice humility when we remember that everything we have is from God and we can’t do anything without God.”
“Ohh yeah they have cereal for dinner whenever it’s really busy. Any pride that I felt in discovering my friend didn’t do everything perfectly was quickly plowed over by freedom.”
“Do you know what Gods grace means for us in hard times. It means that cereal is acceptable for dinner.”
“We may need to let go of our agendas and expectations and just be with God in the simplest of ways. If you’re in the middle of a trying season what might cereal for dinner look like for you. We don’t need to make things look a certain way we only need to look in a certain direction- to God.”
“Just as a tree is growing a new ring each year our children’s experiences with God overtime will serve to strengthen and grow them.”
“What has God done in your life? What prayers has he answered? What storms has he calmed? In what ways has he provided for you?”
“Let’s do the work of bringing our children to Jesus in prayer. Let’s make prayer a beautiful and foundational part of our home. Let’s be creative with prayer so our children experience many different ways to engage with God. Let’s sit on the edge of their beds and pray with them even when there’s 100 other things we could be doing because we know the lasting impact of the Lord’s work. Let’s do the work.”
“Our work in Christ is the only work we will be able to look back on and say yes that was with it.”
Favorite quotes:
"When we teach our children to talk with God and listen for His voice, they will see for themselves that God is who He says He is. This is far more powerful than simply taking our word for it. "
“We practice humility when we remember that everything we have is from God and we can’t do anything without God.”
“Ohh yeah they have cereal for dinner whenever it’s really busy. Any pride that I felt in discovering my friend didn’t do everything perfectly was quickly plowed over by freedom.”
“Do you know what Gods grace means for us in hard times. It means that cereal is acceptable for dinner.”
“We may need to let go of our agendas and expectations and just be with God in the simplest of ways. If you’re in the middle of a trying season what might cereal for dinner look like for you. We don’t need to make things look a certain way we only need to look in a certain direction- to God.”
“Just as a tree is growing a new ring each year our children’s experiences with God overtime will serve to strengthen and grow them.”
“What has God done in your life? What prayers has he answered? What storms has he calmed? In what ways has he provided for you?”
“Let’s do the work of bringing our children to Jesus in prayer. Let’s make prayer a beautiful and foundational part of our home. Let’s be creative with prayer so our children experience many different ways to engage with God. Let’s sit on the edge of their beds and pray with them even when there’s 100 other things we could be doing because we know the lasting impact of the Lord’s work. Let’s do the work.”
“Our work in Christ is the only work we will be able to look back on and say yes that was with it.”
April 8, 2023
I listened to the audiobook and it felt like sitting down with Erica over coffee to ask questions and gain her God-given wisdom about parenting and prayer. I loved that she included many stories from her own experience, and loads of practical examples for how to engage our children of all ages in prayer. As a mom and teacher of young children, I also appreciated how Erica used simple language for explaining deep theological truths to little ones. I am eager to implement many of her suggestions with my family and to share this book with other Christian parents!
October 3, 2023
AMAZING! I loved this book so much. It was really practical and well-written, giving parents stories from her own life and offering tips to incorporate various aspects of prayer into other families. Erica does a great job with tangible comparisons and helping us see prayer through the eyes of our children. I would highly recommend this one to all Christian parents.
January 9, 2024
Enjoyed this so much. The Theology of Prayer chapter was 👌🏻 Will definitely be rereading this in the future.
June 14, 2024
Very good. Has a lot of practical tips on teaching children to pray.
November 13, 2023
💭 My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and how on every page Erica’s heart for prayer shone bright. Rich in biblical wisdom, personal stories, and practical examples, Pray with Me is a must-read for the parent who wants to make prayer a foundational part in their home and in the life of their child.
❤️ What I Loved: Erica’s voice and tone throughout the book. When reading this book, I was engaged, encouraged, and felt as if I was having coffee with a fellow mama whose heart for prayer mirrored my own. There were many sections that I gleaned from, but I particularly appreciated her thoughts and wisdom on: the theology of prayer, written prayers, ministering to children, and physical healing.
Thank you, Erica Renaud, for my copy of Pray with Me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
📖 Some of my favorite quotes:
“Our job as parents is not to get our children saved. It is to teach our children how we love God. It’s to disciple them into a genuine relationship with Him, where they depend on Him, trust Him, and live for Him alone. If we never teach them to pray, we miss the whole point of salvation—to know Jesus and have a loving relationship with Him.”
“Just as we don’t wait until our children understand true thankfulness before we instruct them to say ‘thank you,’ we shouldn’t wait until they understand the complexities of prayer before we begin teaching them to pray.”
“What would it look like to take prayer off the china shelf and hand it to your children?”
“Being still is not the goal in prayer. Our goal is to initiate times that our children can meaningfully and genuinely communicate with God. Being still is simply a way in which that can happen, not the way.”
“When we share with our children what God has done, it sparks their faith for what He will do.”
❤️ What I Loved: Erica’s voice and tone throughout the book. When reading this book, I was engaged, encouraged, and felt as if I was having coffee with a fellow mama whose heart for prayer mirrored my own. There were many sections that I gleaned from, but I particularly appreciated her thoughts and wisdom on: the theology of prayer, written prayers, ministering to children, and physical healing.
Thank you, Erica Renaud, for my copy of Pray with Me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
📖 Some of my favorite quotes:
“Our job as parents is not to get our children saved. It is to teach our children how we love God. It’s to disciple them into a genuine relationship with Him, where they depend on Him, trust Him, and live for Him alone. If we never teach them to pray, we miss the whole point of salvation—to know Jesus and have a loving relationship with Him.”
“Just as we don’t wait until our children understand true thankfulness before we instruct them to say ‘thank you,’ we shouldn’t wait until they understand the complexities of prayer before we begin teaching them to pray.”
“What would it look like to take prayer off the china shelf and hand it to your children?”
“Being still is not the goal in prayer. Our goal is to initiate times that our children can meaningfully and genuinely communicate with God. Being still is simply a way in which that can happen, not the way.”
“When we share with our children what God has done, it sparks their faith for what He will do.”
April 4, 2023
I love how Erica approaches this important topic: with a biblical foundation, grace-filled encouragement, simple tips and scripts to help you pray with your kids, and relatable analogies that communicate love and truth.
This practical guide covers everything from answering kids’ tough questions about prayer to ways to make talking to God so appealing to their young hearts, from how to overcome the “wiggles” to how to embrace them!
One of my favorite parts is the way Erica helps us think about two times to pray with kids based on Deuteronomy 6:7 where God instructs us to teach our children “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
She says we can think of waking and bedtime as examples of planned times to pray while sitting and walking are examples of spontaneous times to pray. I love how she talks about why each is important and then gives plenty of examples.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. She shares wisdom and gives tips for so many situations. Highly recommend!!
This practical guide covers everything from answering kids’ tough questions about prayer to ways to make talking to God so appealing to their young hearts, from how to overcome the “wiggles” to how to embrace them!
One of my favorite parts is the way Erica helps us think about two times to pray with kids based on Deuteronomy 6:7 where God instructs us to teach our children “when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
She says we can think of waking and bedtime as examples of planned times to pray while sitting and walking are examples of spontaneous times to pray. I love how she talks about why each is important and then gives plenty of examples.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. She shares wisdom and gives tips for so many situations. Highly recommend!!
April 4, 2023
I'm so grateful for this book. As I read this book I felt that my parenting and ministry leader toolbelt was expanding. I gained such practical and creative tips and tools that I could (and was so excited to!) implement that night during prayer time with my kids. I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing the author speak at a Children's Ministry Conference in Mass and I'm so grateful for that encounter. She later came to our church to speak at a parenting and kids ministry event. If you have ever heard Erica speak, you know you have to have this book. If you have not ever heard from Erica, I can tell you that you need to get this book and go see her speak if she's ever in your area. This book and her message are anointed and powerful. They are not just inspiring but also so practical and useable...that's really what parents need! Thank you, Erica for this book and for sharing the message God gave you!
October 30, 2023
Erica Renaud has an undeniable gift and heart for praying with and for our children, and her new book is a passionate and powerful testament to this calling. For any parent, guardian, or children’s worker who wrestles with how to lead children to pray for themselves (and really, who doesn’t!?) this book is for you. Full of wisdom, encouragement, and practical ideas for all ages, Erica writes with relatable humor, humility, and so much grace. This is a resource I wish I had years ago, and one I will continue to reference for years to come. Buy it for yourself and everyone you know - and let’s raise up a generation who prays!
April 4, 2023
What a gift this book is to read and apply! It covers so many questions, concerns and frustrations I’ve had about praying with my kids. It gives so many helpful tools to apply while laying out so many key principles to prayer with our kids. One of my favorite chapters is “The Theology of Prayer” because Erica provides language you can use to communicate big ideas to your kids, and she even breaks it down into age groups! There’s so much I love about this book. I feel so empowered and so excited to begin applying it!
May 28, 2023
I adored this book. It was so easy to read, and I actually think I might re-read it again right away because there were so many great insights and ideas. The author has such a gentle way to leading us on and teaching that in chapter I look back and realize she’s taken me on a journey, and I didn’t even realize how much I was learning. There are so many great ideas and mind shifts in this book, and it’s incredibly encouraging. Whether you’re just embarking on this praying-with-kids journey or smack dab in the middle of it, definitely give Pray With Me a read.
February 20, 2025
3.5 Read little sections of this book with 7 and 8 year olds as part of our evening devotions. We are focusing on prayer and this book touched on alot of different topics to pray about, different strategies to try and attitudes. A bunch is definitely written to just parents so some of that I skipped over, and she had a few strategies that I completely disagree with but overall I felt like this was a helpful tool with teaching our kids the basics of prayer and getting them to put what they are learning into practice.
April 4, 2023
Relatable, captivating, and so full of truth! Highly recommend for parents (or really anyone) who want to not only help their children grow in prayer, but to also grow themselves! So thankful for the tools and insights Erica offers, and for the way she leads readers to the foot of the cross! I couldn’t put it down and will come back to it again and again.
“The more our children understand about the truths of prayer, the more they will walk in the power of prayer.”
“The more our children understand about the truths of prayer, the more they will walk in the power of prayer.”
April 9, 2023
If you have kids of your own, nieces and nephews, or any children in your life, this book is an incredible resource. Even if you don’t interact with children, Erica still highlights the importance of prayer in all of our lives. Her passion for prayer, for Scripture, and for bringing children to Jesus is so apparent on every page. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a deeper relationship with Jesus through prayer. And especially to parents who want encouragement and practical advice for teaching and modeling prayer to their children.
While talking about how to help prepare our children for the struggles that inevitably come in life, Erica asks, “What better way to prepare our children for storms than to introduce them to the One who calms them?” This quote encapsulates her strong desire to “bring the little children to me,” as Jesus commands.
While talking about how to help prepare our children for the struggles that inevitably come in life, Erica asks, “What better way to prepare our children for storms than to introduce them to the One who calms them?” This quote encapsulates her strong desire to “bring the little children to me,” as Jesus commands.
September 7, 2023
If I could rate 10 stars, I would! I picked this up at our local library on a whim because of its title and beautiful artwork on the cover and it blew me away. I’ll be purchasing it so I can have it on my shelf permanently. What a great resource to have for helping to cultivate in your children an authentic prayer life and relationship with the Lord. Highly, highly recommend!
January 29, 2024
I really appreciated this book’s practical suggestions for making prayer more meaningful and accessible for your children and more than just a trite phrase or two recited at mealtimes. I plan to keep the book handy so I can refer to the tools as needed in the future. The author uses a good amount of scripture throughout to support her points.
July 21, 2024
Overall this was a good book with some helpful ideas to implement in praying with children. It was appropriately short but still felt a little repetitive.
The author’s theology seems pretty sound aside from a couple of wacky continuationist stories told about her and her husband commanding healings & hearing the audible voice of God that give me some pause.
The author’s theology seems pretty sound aside from a couple of wacky continuationist stories told about her and her husband commanding healings & hearing the audible voice of God that give me some pause.
April 4, 2024
3.5 stars
This had some good info and ideas, but some just felt repetitive to me. I also feel like this would be a good book for a new Christian family or one that hasn't put any Godly habits into practice in their home and need a place to start.
This had some good info and ideas, but some just felt repetitive to me. I also feel like this would be a good book for a new Christian family or one that hasn't put any Godly habits into practice in their home and need a place to start.
April 11, 2024
Exceptional. This book not only taught me new ways to pray with and engage my 3 year old in prayer but also changed how I myself might pray and organise my journal.
I will be returning to this book again and again for many years to come.
I will be returning to this book again and again for many years to come.
May 23, 2025
I am so grateful for a practical guide to teaching my young kiddos to pray and to learn how to have a relationship with Jesus! I highly recommend for parents teaching their kiddos spiritual disciplines!
September 29, 2023
Super encouraging and practical!
April 29, 2024
After half the book i gave up. Nothing new, just the same old talk. The book is not bad, but it doesn’t spark anything.
March 3, 2025
Loved this book so much! Practical, helpful, inspiring. It’s one of my “staples” in parenting and I know I will want to read it again and buy a hard copy since I listened via audiobook this time.
August 15, 2025
Loved this book! Practical ideas on incorporating prayer into your kids of all ages lives.
September 21, 2025
Beautiful reminders, lots of things to learn.
October 30, 2025
It was good! There were definitely things i disagreed with the author on, but overall I found it helpful for anyone who works with kids.
December 29, 2025
Excellent! Honest, relatable, do-able, practical, inspiring, re-orienting.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews