• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Building Faith

Building Faith

A Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary

  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • Who We Are
    • Our Writers
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
  • ARTICLES
    • ARTICLES BY TOPIC
    • MOST RECENT ARTICLES
  • EN ESPAÑOL
  • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • Episcopal Teacher
    • Choosing Curriculum
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Signs of Life
    • Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John
    • 5 Marks of Love
    • Growing a Rule of Life
    • It’s Time To…
    • #AdventWord
  • SUPPORT US
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/Children & Family/Creating Prayer Bottles

Creating Prayer Bottles

Children’s spontaneous prayer—connecting to the wonder and love of God—is a gift for the whole family to explore.

The season of Lent lends itself to creating opportunities for faith exploration in the home. Prayer practices are particularly Lenten, as they re-connect us with God and lend themselves to self-examination. Children’s spontaneous prayer—connecting to the wonder and love of God—is a gift for the whole family to explore.

Making Prayer Bottles

This prayer bottle takes a simple item (a sensory bottle) and uses it to opens a connection, within the family and most importantly, with God.

We made these during our children’s program the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The response has been tremendous. Families who were absent have stopped by the parish office to create bottles during the week and adults have emailed asking for the instructions so that they could make their own at home!

Supplies

  • Water bottles (Remove the labels)
  • Clear liquid soap
  • White iridescent glitter
  • Small mirrored glitter (or something similar)
  • Palm leaf confetti
  • purple sequins
  • small shells
  • small cross

Instructions

  1. Fill the bottles 2/3 full with warm water
  2. Add 2 tsp white glitter, 2 tsp mirrored glitter, 3 pinches palm leaves, 3 pinches purple sequins, 10-12 small shells, 1 cross.
  3. Fill the container the rest of the way (all the way to the top) with liquid soap.
  4. Use hot glue to secure the lid in place.
  5. Write Pray, or I Pray on the lid of the bottle.
  6. Shake the bottle to combine everything inside.

The prayer on the attached card is below and on a printable pdf.

Dear God,

When I look in this bottle I see lots of things. I see sparkles that remind me that Jesus is the Light of the world. I see tiny mirrors that remind me that I am made in your image. I see shells that remind me that when I was baptized I was marked as yours forever. I see palm leaves that remind me to shout, “Hosanna!” and give thanks for all of my blessings. Most importantly, I see the cross, which reminds me that you loved me so much that you gave me Jesus, and through that love all things are possible.

  • (find the Cross) Where did I see God’s love today?
  • (find a palm leaf) What am I thankful for today?
  • (watch the mirrors) Where did I see God in myself today?
  • (see the sparkles) Where do I need to shine my light to help someone?
  • (find the shells) Say the Lord’s Prayer.
    AMEN


Charlette Preslar is the Director of Youth and Family at Christ Episcopal Church Coronado, the chaplain at Christ Church Day School and the youth missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. Charlette loves hiking, digging in the dirt, and is most happy creating giant messes and adventures with youth of all ages.

Print PDF

March 10, 2019 By Charlette Preslar

Filed Under: Children & Family, Prayer, Prayer Popular Tagged With: faith at home, Lent, practices, prayer, sensory bottle

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MaryAnn

    August 14, 2021 at 4:38 pm

    This is a great idea. Thank you for sharing.

    I’m not quite clear on the “liquid soap”. Is this dish, floor, laundry soap?

  2. Sarah Bentley Allred

    August 18, 2021 at 8:23 am

    Yes! Clear dish soap should work well!

  3. Jennifer

    September 17, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    Does the soap not make it too bubbly? I have used glycerine in snow globes to help dispense and slow the glitter down. Is that what the soap is for?

  4. Sarah Bentley Allred

    September 18, 2021 at 2:23 pm

    Yes, I think that is exactly what the soap does. Glycerine would probably work too!

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Subscribe to Building Faith

You’ll get new articles, plus free weekly updates in your inbox.

We respect your privacy. View our privacy policy here.

Search Our Site

Search by Topic

New Articles

New and Recent Lent Resources for 2023

If you’re busy organizing children’s, youth, adult, or parish-wide programs for Lent and Holy Week, …

Continue Reading about New and Recent Lent Resources for 2023

Black History Month Resources for 2023

February is Black History Month in the U.S., and the theme for 2023 is “Black Resistance.” According …

Continue Reading about Black History Month Resources for 2023

Resources to Learn, Pray, and Act This Martin Luther King Day

Every third Monday in January, around his birthday (January 15), we commemorate the life and work of …

Continue Reading about Resources to Learn, Pray, and Act This Martin Luther King Day

Footer

Keep In touch

  • Email
  • Facebook

Upcoming Webinars

Eventbrite Registration

Building Faith

Lifelong Learning, Virginia Theological Seminary
3737 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22304

Copyright © 2023 · Building Faith · A Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary

Design by Blue+Pine Creative, Inc.

Subscribe to Building Faith

Get Articles and Resources by Email

Privacy Policy