Christian child's prayer

A Christian child's prayer is Christian prayer recited primarily by children that is typically short, rhyming or has a memorable tune. It is said before bedtime, to give thanks for a meal, or as a nursery rhyme. Many of these prayers have a long tradition and come directly from the Bible. Some adult prayers are equally popular with children, such as the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31, Matthew 7:12), the Doxology, the Serenity Prayer, John 3:16 and, for older children, The Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23.

Bedtime

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Main article: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

original version

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
if I die before I wake,
I pray for Lord my soul to take.

A more recent variant:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep;
Guide and guard me through the night
and wake me with the morning's light

Amen

Giving thanks

God is Great

• With these additional lines, it is sung to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star":

God is good and God is great.
And we thank him for our food.

By his hands we all are fed.
Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread.
God is great and God is good,
And we thank him for our food.

Thank You Lord

Thank you my God for the day you have given us! Thank you because you are great and worthy. Thank you for another day of living, Thank you for each breath we have taken Thank you for dying on that cross my God For our sins! Thank you, Amen

Come Lord Jesus

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest,
let this food to us be blessed, Amen

A Slovak Lutheran tradition adds a second verse:
And may there be a goodly share
on every table everywhere.

Organized prayer

Regent's prayer

Almighty God,
we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee,
and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents,
our teachers and our country.

• Published in the 1950s in the New York State Board of Regents "Statement on Moral and Spiritual Training in the Schools" and afterwards known as the Regent's Prayer.
• This school prayer was the one in question in the landmark 1962 US Supreme Court case Engle v. Vitale

Philmont grace

For food, for raiment,
for life, for opportunity,
for friendship and fellowship,
we thank you, O Lord.

• US Boy Scout prayer called the Philmont Grace, named for the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico

S Bar F grace

For the gifts of food and freedom,
And the hills to roam.
For the crimson sunsets
And the Earth, our home
For the stars at night
And the gentle winds in the trees
We thank you, Great Spirit, for all of these

• US Boy Scout prayer called the S Bar F Grace, named for the S Bar F Scout Ranch in Knob Lick, Missouri

Nursery rhymes

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus loves me - this I know,
For the Bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me, he who died,
Heaven's gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin;
Let his little child come in.

Jesus loves me, loves me still,
Though I'm very weak and ill.
From his shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way
Then his little child will take
Up to heaven for his dear sake.

• 1860 poem by Anna Bartlett Warner, set to music in 1862 with added chorus by William Batchelder Bradbury. This is the original version; rewritten versions are common.

Jesus Loves the Little Children

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in his sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

• Words written by preacher Clare Herbert Woolston (1856–1927)
• Sung to the 1864 Civil War tune "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!" by George Fredrick Root
• Inspired by Matthew 19:14: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
• Some versions change Woolston's original words slightly by inserting the color "brown" between "red" and "yellow."
• Some modern versions read 'Every color, every race, all are covered by His grace' instead of 'Red and yellow, black, and white, all are precious in His sight.'
• Alternate lyrics:

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Fat and skinny, short and tall,
Jesus loves them one and all,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

• A recorded version of this is played during several different parts of the movie See No Evil.
• Used as an introduction to the Ray Stevens song "Everything is Beautiful". Steven's song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, making the words of the introductory rhyme a #1 hit as part of the song.

He's got the Whole World in his hands

He's got the whole world in his hands.
He's got you and me, brother in his hands.
He's got you and me, sister in his hands.
He's got the little bitty baby in his hands.
He's got the whole world in his hands.

• Laurie London sang a version of this rhyme which hit #1 on the Billboard Magazine Best Sellers Chart in 1958 - the only gospel song to hit #1 on that pop singles chart.

Michael Row The Boat Ashore

Main article: Michael Row the Boat Ashore

Michael, row the boat ashore, Alleluia!
Michael, row the boat ashore, Alleluia!

Sister help to trim the sails, Alleluia!
Sister help to trim the sails, Alleluia!

The river is deep and the river is wide, Alleluia!
Milk and honey on the other side, Alleluia!

Jordan's river is chilly and cold, Alleluia!
Chills the body, but not the soul, Alleluia!

If you get there before I do. Alleluia!
Tell my people I'm coming too. Alleluia!

• First noticed in 1863, sung by slaves in the Georgia Sea Islands
• A song version of this rhyme by the Highwaymen hit #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in 1961.

Away In A Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head; The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay

• First published in a Lutheran Sunday school book in 1885 in Philadelphia