Christmas Prayers for Kids: 16 Simple Prayers for the Season

The best Christmas prayers for kids are short, simple, and centered on one idea: thank You, God, for sending Jesus. Below are 16 original prayers your family can use all season -- advent candle prayers for each week, a Christmas Eve prayer, Christmas morning prayers (including one to pray before the presents), and thank-You-for-Jesus prayers kids can say on their own.

Every prayer here is written in words a 4- to 10-year-old can actually say, not words an adult wishes a child would say. Use them exactly as written, or let them be training wheels until your kids find their own words.

Advent Candle Prayers for Each Week

What do you pray when you light the advent candle? One short prayer matching that week's theme -- hope, peace, joy, and love -- takes under a minute and gives the candle its meaning. Light the candle, pray the prayer, blow it out (kids fight over this job; make a rotation). If your family is new to advent, our guide to advent Bible stories for kids pairs a story with each week.

1. Week One -- The Hope Candle

"Dear God, this candle reminds us of hope. For hundreds of years, Your people waited for a Savior -- and You kept Your promise. Thank You that we can always hope in You, because You always do what You say. Amen."

2. Week Two -- The Peace Candle

"Dear God, this candle reminds us of peace. The angels said Jesus would bring 'peace on earth' (Luke 2:14). When we feel worried or when our family argues, help us remember that Jesus came to bring peace to our hearts and our home. Amen."

3. Week Three -- The Joy Candle

"Dear God, this candle reminds us of joy. The angel told the shepherds, 'I bring you good news that will cause great joy' (Luke 2:10). Thank You that Christmas joy isn't about getting stuff -- it's about Jesus being with us. Fill our house with that kind of joy. Amen."

4. Week Four -- The Love Candle

"Dear God, this candle reminds us of love. You loved the world so much that You gave Your one and only Son (John 3:16). That's the biggest gift ever given. Help us love the people in our family the way You love us -- even when it's hard. Amen."

5. Christmas Day -- The Christ Candle

(If your wreath has a center candle.) "Dear God, today we light the middle candle because Jesus is the center of Christmas. The waiting is over -- happy birthday, Jesus! Thank You for coming to be with us. Amen."

A Christmas Eve Prayer for Kids

6. The Night-Before Prayer

"Dear God, tonight is the most exciting night of the year. Before we go to sleep, we want to remember the first Christmas Eve -- Mary and Joseph far from home, no room at the inn, and a baby about to change everything. Thank You that Jesus came quietly, in the night, for people like us. Help us sleep tonight (even though it's hard!) and wake up remembering what tomorrow is really about. Amen."

This one works beautifully by the tree with the lights on and the lamps off. Many families read Luke 2:1-20 first -- if you want the story in kid-friendly form, our roundup of Christmas Bible stories for kids walks through it scene by scene.

7. A Short Christmas Eve Echo Prayer

(Parent says each line; child repeats. Perfect for ages 2-5.) "Dear God, / thank You for Christmas. / Thank You for baby Jesus. / Help me remember / He's the best gift. / Amen."

Christmas Morning Prayers

Should you pray before opening presents? Yes -- but keep it to twenty seconds, because a twenty-second prayer before presents shapes kids more than a five-minute lecture ever could. The goal is a joyful pause, not a toll booth between children and their stockings.

8. The Before-the-Presents Prayer

"Dear God, thank You for this morning we've waited for all year! Before we open anything, we want to say the most important thing: thank You for Jesus, the first Christmas gift. Now let's celebrate -- amen!"

9. The Christmas Breakfast Prayer

"Dear God, thank You for cinnamon rolls and wrapping paper everywhere and everyone being home. Thank You for a day made for celebrating Jesus. Bless this food and this family. Amen."

10. The After-the-Presents Prayer

"Dear God, thank You for every gift we opened today and every person who gave one. Help us take care of what we got, share it without grumping, and remember the Giver behind all the givers. Amen."

11. A Prayer for Kids Who Feel Disappointed

(Because it happens, and it's better prayed about than shamed.) "Dear God, sometimes Christmas doesn't feel the way I hoped. Thank You for loving me on my excited days and my disappointed days. Help me be thankful for what I have and remember that Your love is the gift that never gets returned. Amen."

Thank-You-for-Jesus Prayers Kids Can Say On Their Own

These are short enough for a child to memorize and pray solo -- at bedtime, at the nativity scene, or in the car. For year-round versions, see our collection of bedtime prayers for kids.

12. The Manger Prayer

"Dear Jesus, You left heaven and slept in a feeding trough -- for me. Thank You for coming so small so I could know a God so big. Amen."

13. The Happy Birthday Prayer

"Dear Jesus, happy birthday! Instead of You getting presents, You came to be the present. Thank You for the best gift ever. I love You. Amen."

14. The Immanuel Prayer

"Dear God, the Bible says Jesus is called Immanuel, which means 'God with us' (Matthew 1:23). Thank You that I'm never alone -- not at school, not in the dark, not ever. Amen."

15. The Shepherd's Prayer

"Dear God, the shepherds heard the good news and ran to see Jesus, then told everybody. Help me be like them -- excited about Jesus and not shy to say so. Amen."

16. The Little Light Prayer

"Dear Jesus, You are the light of the world. This Christmas, help me be a little light too -- kind at home, gentle with my brother/sister, and generous like You. Amen."

How Do You Keep Christ at the Center Without Guilt-Tripping Kids About Presents?

Keep Christ central by adding Jesus-focused moments to the season, not by subtracting the joy of presents -- excitement about gifts is not a spiritual failure, it's childhood. God is not offended that your seven-year-old is thrilled about a bike. In fact, a child's delight in a good gift is a picture of exactly how God wants us to receive His grace: eagerly, with unembarrassed joy.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Never use Jesus as a corrective. "It's not about presents, you know" said in a scolding tone teaches kids that Jesus is the person who ruins fun. If a child hears Jesus invoked mainly to dampen their excitement, they'll quietly conclude faith and joy are opposites.
• Attach prayer to the fun, not against it. Pray the twenty-second prayer before presents (#8 above) with the same energy you'd use for a birthday countdown. Light the advent candle right before the Christmas movie. Put the manger scene where the action is, not in the formal room nobody enters.
• Let gratitude be the bridge. Instead of "presents don't matter," try "every good gift comes from God -- who do you think He used to give you this one?" Gratitude connects presents to God; guilt disconnects kids from both.
• Model it rather than lecture it. Kids believe what they watch. If they see you genuinely delighted at the advent wreath, singing along to the carols, and moved on Christmas Eve, the center of Christmas will be obvious without a single lecture. Families who want more structure can build in one of the practices from our guide to Christian Christmas traditions for families.
• Answer questions honestly. Somewhere around age 4-7, kids ask how Santa, presents, and Jesus fit together. Our post on how to explain Christmas to a child walks through those conversations without panic.

A rhythm that works for many families: one prayer moment per day in December (the advent candle or a bedtime prayer above), one story or game moment per week -- a few rounds of Christmas Bible trivia counts -- and full-hearted participation in all the fun. During the story moment, screens can help rather than hurt -- the Christmas story videos at Faithful Kids pair each episode with a quiz, and kids will ask to "play" it without knowing they've asked for a devotional.

When Should Kids Start Saying Christmas Prayers Themselves?

Around age 3, kids can repeat echo prayers; by 5 or 6, most can say a memorized two-line prayer alone; by 7 or 8, many can pray in their own words. The progression matters less than the pattern -- a child who hears a parent pray simply and honestly every December will eventually do the same. Start with the echo prayer (#7), graduate to the Happy Birthday Prayer (#13), and by the time they're big enough to read the Christmas story aloud on Christmas Eve, they'll be big enough to close it in prayer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a simple Christmas prayer a child can memorize?

"Dear Jesus, happy birthday! Thank You for being the best gift ever. I love You. Amen." At four short lines, most kids ages 4 and up can learn it in a day or two. Say it together at bedtime through December and they'll have it by Christmas.

What do you pray when lighting advent candles?

Pray one short prayer tied to that week's theme: hope (week 1), peace (week 2), joy (week 3), and love (week 4), with a Christ-candle prayer on Christmas Day if your wreath has a fifth candle. Keep it under a minute -- light the candle, pray, and let a child blow it out.

Should we pray before opening Christmas presents?

Yes -- a short, joyful prayer of about twenty seconds is one of the easiest ways to center Christmas morning on Jesus. Keep the tone celebratory, not corrective; the prayer should feel like the starting gun for the fun, not a delay of it. Prayer #8 above is written for exactly this moment.

How do I keep my kids focused on Jesus instead of presents?

Add Jesus-centered moments (advent candles, a nightly prayer, the Christmas Eve reading of Luke 2) rather than shaming their excitement about gifts. Kids absorb what's celebrated, so celebrate Jesus with the same energy you give the presents. Guilt-tripping typically backfires and teaches kids that faith is a killjoy.

What Bible verses go well with Christmas prayers for kids?

Luke 2:10-11 ("I bring you good news that will cause great joy"), John 3:16, Matthew 1:23 ("Immanuel -- God with us"), and Isaiah 9:6 ("For to us a child is born") are the most kid-friendly. Read one verse, then pray one short prayer -- the pairing takes two minutes and works every night of December.

Are written prayers okay, or should kids pray in their own words?

Both are good, and written prayers usually come first -- they give kids language and confidence, the way training wheels precede riding solo. Most children naturally start improvising ("and thank You for my hamster") once memorized prayers feel comfortable. Welcome the additions; that's the goal working.