09/21/2026
"Do you even want to be saved?"
It was summer, 20 years ago, and it was my first year serving as a counselor at church camp.
Night after night I watched as various counselors and speakers attempted to pray for a specific pr***en, and night after night she more or less just stood there, not really showing any desire to pray.
On the last day of camp, she and I had a conversation and I was trying to figure out why she didn't really care much for these attempted prayers.
"Do you even want to be saved?" I asked.
"No."
"Do you mind if I ask why?"
"Because you have to cry to get the Holy Ghost, and I don't cry in front of people."
All week. All week this kid didn't want to pray for salvation because somehow she came to the conclusion that it was a requirement to cry in front of people.
I explained to her that while it's true, some people do get emotional and cry while they pray, it is not a requirement at all!
Guess who prayed at the altar that night?
Sometimes we assume that kids in church are all kind of the same. Surely they all want to be saved, surely they all feel comfortable going up front to pray at the end of every service--after all, it's what we do, right?
But they're not all the same. Not every child feels comfortable praying while people are watching. Not every child feels absolute faith in God and an absolute desire to be saved.
Some have questions. Some have doubts. Some have fears.
Some want to pray, some don't.
Some want to pray at the altar, others want to pray from the pew.
Some are praying for salvation, some are praying for their sick dog, some are just going through the motions because their parents expect them to pray.
We want all kids (and teens, and adults) to feel comfortable praying at church and to feel comfortable seeking God and His salvation.
To better help them do so, here are five do's and don'ts for praying with kids at the altar:
