A Prayer for Children: Health

Health and Wholeness: Our Natural State

Health is more than just the absence of illness. It is the natural state of our body, mind, and spirit working together in harmony.

Our bodies are always seeking balance. When we get a fever, it’s not something going wrong; it’s the body’s way of resetting and healing itself. Just as our physical body knows how to restore itself, our thoughts play a role in shaping our experience of health and well-being.

Children have a natural superpower: They live in the present moment. When they fall and scrape their knee, they may cry even if the injury isn’t serious because they are reacting to the pain they feel right now and perhaps to the surprise of getting hurt. Once the moment passes and they get a bandage and a hug, like Elsa from Frozen, they “let it go.”

As parents, we struggle with this. If a child is seriously sick or injured, we understandably worry because our minds project into the future. What if this gets worse? What if they don’t recover quickly?

Our Thoughts Shape Our Experience

In Unity we teach the ancient spiritual principle that thoughts we consistently focus on will shape our reality. A mind filled with worry, fear, or negativity can create stress in the body, while a mind focused on peace, wholeness, and well-being supports healing and health.

Modern science backs this up. The placebo effect is a powerful example of how thoughts influence the body. In one well-known study, patients who believed they had knee surgery—even though doctors only made small incisions and performed no actual repair—experienced the same improvement as those who had the full procedure. Their belief in healing triggered real physical recovery.

This doesn’t mean we deny the very real human experience of illness and injury. Returning to wholeness is about being open to using all the tools at our disposal. The prescription for health is to tap into the innate wisdom that lives inside us to know what we and our children need to return to wholeness, which is the truth of our being.

Tools for Wholeness

Unity teaches two powerful spiritual tools to help us align with health and wholeness: denials and affirmations.

Denials clear the mind of limiting beliefs. They are not about denying reality but rather denying that outside circumstances have power over us. Denials allow us to release false ideas that do not serve us.

Affirmations replace those limiting beliefs with empowering truths.

For example, if a child feels sick, they might say:

Denial: My stuffy nose has no power over me.

Affirmation: I am strong and healthy, and every breath I take gives me energy.

Music is a wonderful way to explore affirmations. Here is a link to a simple song that affirms all cells in our bodies are healthy, happy, and whole!

Listening to the Inner Voice

Our body has wisdom, and when we listen to our inner voice, we receive guidance on how to care for ourselves and our children.

By pausing, breathing, and listening within, we can hear the gentle wisdom guiding us toward health. Teaching children to trust this inner knowing helps them make choices that support their well-being, such as eating healthy foods, drinking water, brushing their teeth, and getting enough sleep.

A Prayer for Health in All Children

As I inhale, I feel life-giving energy enter every cell in my body. On the exhale, I call to mind the children in my life who may be experiencing illness or dis-ease. I see them smiling radiantly, breathing deeply, and running freely. As I expand my awareness to all the children of the world, I hear their laughter and feel their joy. I am filled with gratitude for the health and wholeness of each of these divine expressions of God.

A Shared Family Prayer for Health

As we take a breath together, we affirm the truth: I am whole, vibrant, and filled with divine energy. If someone we love isn’t feeling well, we picture them radiating health, their bodies in perfect balance, their spirits uplifted in joy. We thank God for the divine life within, restoring them to wholeness with ease and grace. And so it is!