Looking for a functional craft activity for your Sunday School, VBS, or even at home? Have your group create their own prayer box to help them direct their thoughts and prayers, and become closer to God. Begin a discussion about what types of things we would ask God, and why we would confide in Him. This will help guide them with what to keep in their prayer box, and to have faith that He is always listening.

How to Make a Prayer Box

Each student can decorate their boxes in their own way. Here’s a list of materials to guide your craft activity:

• Color-Me Box
• Decorative paper
• Assortment of craft trims
• Ribbon
• Gems
• Markers
• Mod podge

The Color-Me boxes come in a pack of 12 and are perfect for this craft project because they are white and can be drawn on with marker without it smudging. There are many different ways to decorate a prayer box, but we used some simple concepts for the two we made. 

Flower Prayer Box

This one is great for Spring! Use markers to draw flowers around the entire box. Place a gem for the center of the flower. Add craft trim around the edges.

Purple Prayer Box

Mod podge decorative paper onto the top and sides of the box. Add craft trim around the edges.

Inspirational Messages

Encourage students to write an inspirational message on the outside of the box, to help remind them the meaning behind their prayer box. For our boxes, we have these messages on the outside:

• “Prayer Changes Things”
• “You Can Talk to God Anytime, Because He’s Listening All The Time”

You can also have them write a message inside:

• Inspirational quote: “When your heart starts to worry and your mind just cannot rest, put your prayers down on paper and let God do the rest“

• A verse from the Bible: Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. – Jeremiah 29:12

Once their prayer box is complete, they will write down their prayers and place them inside the box for safe keeping. Each night, they will choose a prayer from the box and read it to God. You can also choose to have them keep it at the church if you have prayer time, that way each student is using their prayer boxes as a group. This may help them to get more used to the concept.

This craft also makes a great gift for Sunday School teachers! Have your kids decorate a prayer box with their teachers’ favorite colors or theme. Include his or her name too! Then write down the names of all the students to keep inside the box. It will be a blessing for your child to know she is important and will be in someone’s prayers.