The Lord's Prayer Sunday School Lesson for Kids
A free Lord's Prayer Sunday school lesson (Matthew 6:5–15) in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a Bible story, questions, memory verse and take-home.
Preschool–Grade 6
Download
- ⬇ Teacher lesson, kindergarten to 2nd grade (PDF) · 4 pages
- ⬇ Teacher lesson, preschool ages 3–5 (PDF) · 3 pages
- ⬇ Teacher lesson, 3rd to 5th grade (PDF) · 4 pages
- ⬇ Teacher lesson, preteens ages 11–12 (PDF) · 4 pages
- ⬇ Take-home sheet (PDF) · 1 page
Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.
- Ages
- Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5), Preteen (5–6)
- Time
- 20–60 minutes (depends on the age level)
- Scripture
- Matthew 6:5–15; Luke 11:1–4
- Bible story
- The Lord's Prayer
What you need
- A Bible (mark Matthew 6:6, Matthew 6:8 and Matthew 6:9–13)
- Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
- 6 paper strips, a marker and tape (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
- 6 paper plates and a marker to make the Prayer Stops (kindergarten to 2nd grade)
- A few paper "bread" shapes cut from light brown paper (preschool)
- A whiteboard or large paper and a marker (3rd grade and up)
- Paper and pencils (preteens)
- Printed take-home sheets, one per child
- Printed Lord's Prayer word search and crayons for early finishers
This free Lord's Prayer Sunday school lesson teaches kids that Jesus taught us how to pray, so we can talk to God about everything: not to show off and not with empty words, but from the heart (Matthew 6:5–15). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families with the whole prayer printed from the King James Bible. Pick the one that fits your class. Everything is in the order you teach it.
Choose your age level
- Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 3 pages: a bread hunt, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name") with motions, and a thank-you drawing.
- Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 4 pages: the What Do I Need? game, the story in simple words with every line of the prayer explained, five recall questions with answers, the Verse in Order game with six paper strips, and Prayer Stops around the room.
- 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: kids look up verses in their own Bibles (praying to be seen, the shut door, vain repetitions, the pattern, forgiving, and Luke 11:1), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race on prayer.
- Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: students read Matthew 6:5–15 and Luke 11:1–4 out loud themselves, then discuss praying in secret, putting God first, forgiving and temptation. Six discussion questions, a journal page where they write their own prayer on Jesus' pattern, and two memory verses (Matthew 6:9 and Philippians 4:6).
Lesson at a glance
- Bible passage: Matthew 6:5–15, with Luke 11:1–4
- Main point: Jesus taught us how to pray. We can talk to God about everything.
- Memory verse: Matthew 6:9 (KJV), with Philippians 4:6 added for preteens
- Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions
Lesson outline (the same in every version)
- Opening game: a short game about what we need, or how easy or hard it is to pray.
- Bible story: Jesus teaches on the mountain (Matthew 5:1–2): don't pray to be seen, shut the door and pray, no empty words, God knows what we need, the prayer itself line by line (6:9–13), and forgiving others (6:14–15). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
- Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
- Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Matthew 6:9.
- What this means for us: asking God to forgive us, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
- Activity: the Lord's Prayer word search, the Lord's Prayer crossword, the Lord's Prayer maze, the Lord's Prayer worksheet, the Lord's Prayer craft, Prayer Stops, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
- Prayer.
Tips for teaching the Lord's Prayer
- Read Matthew 6:9 straight from your Bible: "After this manner therefore pray ye." Jesus gave a pattern for our own prayers. Saying it together is good when we mean every word, but it is never a magic saying (Matthew 6:7–8).
- "Our Father" points to the one God who made us and cares for us (Deuteronomy 6:4; Malachi 2:10). Each lesson has a short note for children who have no father at home (Psalm 68:5).
- Keep the activities about praying, not about saying words fast or many times.
- Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.
Frequently asked questions
How long does this Lord's Prayer lesson take?
It depends on the age level. The preschool lesson takes 20 to 30 minutes, the kindergarten to 2nd grade lesson about 45 minutes, and the 3rd to 5th grade and preteen lessons 45 to 60 minutes. For a short class, do the story, three questions and the memory verse.
What is the main point of the Lord's Prayer for kids?
Jesus taught us how to pray. Prayer is talking to God, and we can talk to Him about everything: we praise Him, ask for His will, ask for what we need, ask Him to forgive us as we forgive others, and ask Him to keep us from evil (Matthew 6:9–13).
Where is the Lord's Prayer in the Bible?
In Matthew 6:9–13, part of the teaching Jesus gave on a mountain (Matthew 5:1–2). Luke 11:1–4 tells of another time, when one of His disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray," and Jesus taught them the same kind of prayer.
Should kids memorize the Lord's Prayer?
Learning it is good when kids understand what each line means. Jesus said, "After this manner therefore pray ye" (Matthew 6:9), so it is a pattern for our own prayers, not a magic saying, and He warned against empty words said over and over (Matthew 6:7). This lesson explains every line and helps kids pray in their own words.
