PRAYER
This first Sunday school lesson of a series that will introduce children to the importance of prayer in their daily lives.
TOPICS
Christian Living, Knowing God, Listening, Prayer, Relationships
AS KIDS ARRIVE (10 minutes)
Display the following items on a table:
Telephone Newspaper Letters & Envelopes Road Map Radio
As the children arrive, give them a sheet of paper and ask them to list what they think the items on the table have in common. Just before class starts let the kids know that all the things displayed on the table are used to communicate with each other. Today our lesson is about another way we communicate. More specifically, it is about how we communicate with God.
OPENING PRAYER AND PRAISE (5 minutes)
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MEMORY WORK (12 minutes)
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
Write the verse on the board. Say the verse together as a group several times. Then erase one word. Have the kids say the verse correctly again with the missing word. Then erase another word and say the verse again. Continue erasing words until the kids can say the entire verse without seeing the words.
SCRIPTURE READING AND DISCUSSION (15 minutes)
Introduction:
Today we will learn that prayer is communicating or talking with God. We may not be able to call God on the telephone or send Him a letter, but prayer is just as real as e-mail or newspapers. Why should we pray? Because it makes our relationship with God stronger. Could you imagine trying to have a best friend without communicating with them? Prayer is seeking God and His direction for our lives. Praying also helps keep us out of trouble. Jesus told us to pray, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Matthew 26:41)
Read James 5:13-16 (The Prayer of Faith)
Have the kids find James 5:13-16 in their Bibles. Ask for a volunteer to read the passage, or if you prefer, read the passage to the children yourself.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is prayer? (Prayer is spiritual communication between ourselves and God.)
2. Can you pray when you are in trouble? (Yes.)
3. Can you pray when you are happy? (Yes.)
4. What is another name for happy prayers? (Praises.)
5. What are some of the examples of why to pray mentioned in James 5:13-16? (When you are in trouble, when you are happy, when you are sick, to show faith, for confession of sin, and to pray for others.)
6. What else can we pray for? (Some examples include: Guidance, Protection, Strength, Wisdom.)
7. Is the prayer of a righteous man powerful? Is it effective? (Yes the Bible tells us in James 5:16b that the prayers of the righteous are both powerful and effective.)
CLASS EXERCISE (5 minutes)
Answers Without Speaking (Activity) Click here
ALTERNATE CLASS EXERCISE (20 minutes)
Jesus Pillow (Craft) Click here
APPLICATION (2 minutes)
Why pray? It’s simple, to talk with God and to get His direction for our lives. God is so good and will help us when we are happy, sad, sick or even when we’re in trouble. God will give us wisdom, strength and understanding if we only ask Him. In fact God is willing to give us many good things as long as we ask for them in accordance to His Will. God answers our prayers with signs, the Holy Spirit and His Word, the Bible. When we pray our relationship with God grows.
NEXT WEEK
Did you ever see a human that thought he was a robot? If not, be sure to come back next week.
CLOSING PRAYER (2 minutes)
Further info? Click here
TAKE HOME PAGE
Give one copy to each child at the end of the class to take home. Click here for NIV or KJV
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Lessons in this series:123Overview
A three lesson series about communicating with God through the power of prayer.
ADDITIONAL SERIES RESOURCES:
I Can Pray to God (Bulletin Board) Click here
Lesson 1 – Why Pray?
This first Sunday school lesson of a series that will introduce children to the importance of prayer in their daily lives.
View Lesson 1
Lesson 2 – How Should We Pray?
The second Sunday school lesson of a series that will introduce children to the different ways in which we can pray.
View Lesson 2
Lesson 3 – The Purpose of Prayer
The third Sunday school lesson of a series that introduces children to the purposes of prayer.
View Lesson 3
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This week’s Bible lesson is finished. The learning objectives are clear and measurable. I’ve found all the right teaching activities. The lesson plan is laser-focused to change lives. But am I ready to teach?
Once again I’ve forgotten a basic key to effective teaching – I’ve failed to pray!
Something very bad happens when I focus on my skills as a teacher instead of seeking God’s help. Teaching the Bible is different than teaching Math. There is a spiritual dimension to the learning environment in Sunday school. Everything depends on prayer.
Work hard and pray even harder
I don’t write this to encourage lazy preparation. We must never presume that God will bless our lack of effort. At the same time we should not assume that we can accomplish anything lasting without his help.
Augustine put it this way, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”
But what should you pray about? Here are some ideas to get you started. Feel free to add to this list in the comments section below.
- Thanks God for the privilege of teaching his truth to his children.
- Pray for freedom and power to connect with the learners.
- Ask God to prepare the mind of every child to understand.
- Ask God to prepare the heart of every child to receive God’s Word.
- Ask God to prepare the hands of every child to obey God’s Word.
- Pray that the truths you teach will be passed on to through these children to the coming generations.
I’ve found that I have to be intentional about prayer. It rarely happens on accident. At the risk of becoming legalistic, I’ve even added prayer to my lesson planning checklist.
What about you?
How do you make prayer central to your Bible teaching?
Effective Teaching Depends On Prayer
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