Tanner Olson on Creating Space for Sacred Conversation

Helping Our Children Discover the Beauty of Prayer

Today’s newsletter is by writer and poet Tanner Olson. Tanner and I haven’t met, but I love his work and so basically I just slid into his DMs and was like, Hi! Want to talk about kids and prayer over here? And he graciously said yes. I think you’ll both enjoy and exhale as you read today.

Tanner’s first children’s book, All the Things I Say to God, comes out next week! It explores the profound world of prayer and shows children that heartfelt conversations with God can occur anywhere, anytime, and about anything.

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Creating Space for Sacred Conversation

There’s a deep longing in me, and maybe in you too, to pass on the truest, most meaningful parts of myself to the people I love most.

Especially my son.

I want to give him more than good memories and favorite snacks. I want to give him my love, my hope, and the things I’ve learned in both the bright and broken moments of life.
I want to tell him how I’ve seen light pierce through the darkness.
I want to share the sacred conversations I’ve had with God when no one else was listening.

But more than anything, I want him to know that he is loved.
Not just by his parents, but by the God who created the universe and holds every star in place.
And that this God, the same one who made him, listens when he speaks.

As parents, caregivers, and mentors, we want to give our children the best of what we’ve experienced. We want to take them to Disney. We want to stand with them in awe at the edge of the Grand Canyon. We want to introduce them to the magic of a double-double from In-N-Out.

But how do we pass along something as deeply personal and mysterious as prayer?

We begin by creating space.

Not a lecture.
Not a performance.
Just space.

Space for honest conversations to happen.

There are moments when it’s hard to know how to talk to our kids about spiritual things. Maybe we don’t feel like we’re the “right” person to teach them. Maybe we don’t feel equipped. Maybe we think there is someone better to hold the conversation. But I want to encourage you—you are the right person to have these conversations with your children.

Prayer doesn’t have to sound polished. It doesn’t need big words or a special setting. What it needs is honesty, curiosity, and a willingness to speak and to listen.

In prayer, we speak to the God of the Universe.
The One who created the heavens and the earth.
The One who brought light and stars and laughter and dogs and you into existence.
The One who picked out you and your child’s shape and size and skin and soul.
The One who made a way for us to live forever with Him.
The One who sees, loves, and listens.

That’s the God we speak to when we pray.

We remind our children that beauty is available to them right where they are. We tell them who God is—not a distant force, but a loving Father. Jesus, our friend and Savior. The Holy Spirit, our comforter and guide.

When we create space for conversations about prayer and to pray, we model a relationship that points to a greater relationship.
We pray with them and for them.
We invite them to bring their own words, whether clear or jumbled or unsure.
We ask what they’re thankful for. What they’re wondering about.
We introduce them to silence and stillness, because sometimes we don’t know what to say, and that’s okay.

If you want to give your children something good and glorious, prayer is just that.

That’s why I wrote All the Things I Say to God: Learning to Pray Anytime, Anywhere. It’s not a guidebook on prayer. It’s a gentle reminder and invitation to speak freely to the God who created us and knows us.

Prayer can be whispered in a bedroom.
Shouted in frustration.
Spoken silently in the heart.
It’s a quiet “Thank you” as the sun rises.
It’s a sincere “I’m sorry” after a hard day.
It’s a desperate “Help” when the world feels too heavy.
It’s a moment before meals or school or bedtime.
It’s a long conversation while hiking through the woods or riding in the car on the way to the grocery store.
It’s the beginning—and the continuation—of a lifelong relationship between the Creator and His child.

But not everyone knows prayer is a gift.

Sometimes we need someone to show us.
Sometimes we need words to help us begin.
Sometimes we just need the space to be created.

My hope is that this book can help create that space—a gentle guide for children and the adults who love them. To show the ones we love that heartfelt conversations with God can occur anywhere, anytime, and about anything. That it would plant the seed of connection and grow into a deep, personal relationship with God.

Because at the end of the day, the best thing we can give our children is not just what we know, but introduce them to who we know.

And the beautiful truth?

God is already listening.

A Prayer

God,
By You, we are seen and loved—never forgotten or alone.

Help us always to remember that we can come to You with anything,

anytime, and anywhere.
Amen.

About All the Things I Say to God: Learning to Pray Anytime, Anywhere

All the Things I Say to God explores the profound world of prayer and shows children that heartfelt conversations with God can occur anywhere, anytime, and about anything.

Abby has been praying with her parents for as long as she can remember. They pray together before meals and before bed, on good days and tough days. Then one day Abby asks a simple question: “Mom, can I pray to God all by myself?”

Follow Abby on her journey of faith as she discovers how to express her gratitude, ask questions, pray for others, and use silence to communicate with God. Led by her own curiosity, she finds out that you can pray for anything and everything—God’s love knows no bounds.

Order the Book

All the Things I Say to God: Learning to Pray Anytime, Anywhere releases next week. Preordering gets it in your hands next Tuesday and helps authors so, so much. Like, so much.

Meet Tanner

Tanner Olson is an author, spoken word poet, and storyteller based in Nashville, TN. Known for his heartfelt and hopeful voice, he travels the country sharing poetry and stories that weave together grace, humor, and faith. His work has been described as “hopefully unique and inviting,” offering a fresh perspective on life’s complexities with honesty and curiosity.

Tanner is the author of multiple books, including Walk A Little Slower, All the Things I Say to God (Zonderkidz, April 2025), and an upcoming release with HarperCollins in February 2026.

Discover more of his work at writtentospeak.com.