For Lent, I’m really trying to get the message of pray, fast, & give alms to my kids. I’m working to include each aspect, and I wanted them to be doing some independent prayer. We have used my independent prayer rings in the past, but it’s always nice to offer something new- I love having multiple tools in my toolbox! So this Lent, my kids are using Michelle’s Give Him 5 Program for all 40 days!
I met Michelle at a conference in Minnesota last year, and what she explained to me was simple. Give Him 5. Just 5 minutes a day- after all, he gave you everything. She has these adorable little portable prayer bags for children, they’re portable, and they include everything you need to start Giving Him 5.
Give Him 5 Bags Include:
- 5 Minute sand timer (the sand timer is genius because it doesn’t ding or beep- if you are into your prayer, it won’t disturb you, you can just keep praying.)
- Cards to help guide your prayer
- A scroll with an introduction to this program
- A “Give Him 5” prayer cross
She also has an assortment of coffee mugs to encourage adults to Give Him 5, bracelets, and also a new book to guide others in their journey to grow closer to Jesus through your prayer life- check it out here.
5 minutes with Jesus is such a beautiful practice to instill in your children.
I put all of our “Give Him 5” stuff in a basket along with an old phone (that’s no longer a phone) and a door hanger.
The old phone is to listen to her free recordings. She provides downloads for days 1-5 to get you started. Each one talks you through spending 5 minutes with Jesus, and has built-in space for prayer. My kids love these recordings! They’ve actually been asking to do this more than once a day during Lent. It’s such a great tool to have someone talk the kids through their first 5 sessions so they can get the hang of it, and it’s super easy for mom. 😉
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This door hanger is so the kids can hang it on the door, and no one disturbs their 5 minutes with Jesus. This is a big deal at our house because no one has their own bedrooms here. This makes the prayer time very special to them- they’re eating it up with a spoon! Michelle gave me the go-ahead to share the door hanger download with you, so here it is!
Download the “Give Him 5” door hanger here
I printed my door hanger on card stock and laminated it.
Michelle’s Give Him 5 prayer bags are only $6, and Michelle is offering a special discount code for Catholic Icing readers!
10% off code: ICING
Code is good through Lent, ending on April 3, 2015, while supplies last. You can start with her downloads for the first 5 days while you’re waiting for the kits to arrive in the mail. I’m a big believer in starting new great habits any time during Lent- it’s ok that it didn’t start on day one.
She also offers a 40% discount for DRE’s buying in bulk. Isn’t that fantastic?! Inquire to her about receiving this discount. Also, you can follow Give Him 5 on facebook.
Michelle did give me some of these kits for free when we met at a conference, but she did not pay for this post or ask for a review. As always, all opinions are my own. You can find more of my favorite products for Catholic kids here.
More Prayer Resources For Kids:
- Printable Prayer Box Dividers
- Printable Prayer Starters For Kids
- Prayer Copywork For Kids
- DIY Easy Portable Kneeler
- Portable Prayer Table For Kids
- Novena Counter For Kids
We used Give Him 5 with almost 500 kids at our Vacation Bible School and it was great! For some follow up with our parish RE program, we used the illustration in the link. Give Him 5 offers such a simple, doable way to get started in prayer – it’s accessible to all ages! We recommend it highly!
http://familyformationblog.net/2013/12/07/take-a-minute/