July 2026 

Week of Prayer for Children and Young People (6 – 10 July)

During the first week of July, the Diocese of Bath and Wells are inviting churches and schools, families and individuals, to pray for children and young people, as part of our 2026 Year of Prayer.

A Prayer Guide produced offers 5 daily themes, Monday through to Friday (6 – 10 July), encouraging us to pray for children and young people in our churches, schools, wider communities and at home, with the final day focusing on those who lead, teach and support children and young people across our diocese. There are suggestions for prayer alongside a Bible passage and a written prayer to use each day. Prayers for children and young people could also be included in services on Sunday 5 July, as the week of prayer begins.

Would you commit to join me in praying each day either individually, as a family or small group to pray for children and young people during the week?

Our week of prayer coincides with the Church of England’s Recognise Week which seeks to celebrate the important role played by everyone involved in ministry with children, young people, and their families.

Sunday 12 July is a day for churches nationwide to celebrate and thank those involved in this vital ministry and we will be marking this at the joint service in Locking that day. I would, therefore, encourage you to pray for the children, young people and adults in our churches and for the schools within our benefice.

Prayer for Locking Primary:

Thank you for the primary school in Locking. We pray for all the staff, governors, head teacher and pupils. May those who lead and teach have wisdom, integrity, patience and strength to perform their tasks and attend to the challenges of each day. May the children and their families find school a place of safety, kindness, help and support. Thank you for the blossoming relationship between school and church, and that the visits to our church made by children and staff have been so well received. We pray for inspiration and encouragement for those who prepare assemblies and for good communication and for the flourishing of seeds sown in your name. Amen.

Written by Jo and Beverly

This prayer could be adapted for all schools in our benefice, Locking Primary, Hutton C of E Primary, Parklands Educate together, Winterstoke Hundred and Haywood village Academy, or schools which are important to you.

Hutton CE Primary have introduced a prayer for wellbeing which the children use, you may like to use this too:

Lord of Heaven, I rest underneath your mighty wings of love. I dwell within your gentle heart. I know there is healing in your touch. Through the sufferings of Christ, I can ask for restoration and trust in your goodness. You are my Lord, my Saviour, my healer and my friend. I dwell within your gentle embrace. Amen.

To tie in with the call to prayer for children and young people in the first week of July, I will be looking in this letter at the story of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. Samuel is a prayer warrior of the Bible. His vocation began during his childhood and his story shows us how God uses the prayers of children and that age is no barrier to communication with God.

Samuel was a miracle baby and even though his mother Hannah had waited a long time for her much wanted baby, she dedicated Samuel to God’s service. So when he was weaned (maybe five years old) he went to work in the House of the Lord under the direction and care of the high priest Eli. Samuel had a ministry as a young child.

We hear that Samuel heard God’s voice three times but assumed it was Eli calling him. When Samuel realises it is God’s voice, he asks Eli to help him to understand what God is revealing to him.

Samuel’s story shows us that children hear God directly. God bypassed Eli - the most powerful religious figure in the nation - and chose to speak directly to the young child Samuel.

While children can hear God, they may not have the experience to understand or take the next steps. Eli’s crucial role was not to speak for Samuel, but to teach Samuel how to respond. This shows that the primary role of adults is to help children discern God's voice amidst the noise of the world.

When Eli instructed Samuel on how to pray, he gave him a simple, direct phrase: "Speak Lord, your servant is listening". This shows that prayers do not need to be sophisticated or complex; simple, heartfelt availability is exactly what God desires.

Popular culture often treats prayer as a shopping list of requests, but Samuel’s prayer was entirely focused on listening and building a relationship with God, rather than just asking for things. An important lesson for us all! Maybe consider beginning your prayers, in whatever form they take, with the words:

“Speak Lord, your servant is listening".

 Blessings

 Larissa