LESSON 12 | Prayerstorage.cloversites.com/pinedalechristianchurch/documents/12...LESSON 12 | Prayer 9780310826385 ... Teacher Prep: Prepare paper bowls before class. Trace a circle

Bible Basis: Judges 6 – 7; Luke 11:1 – 13

Key Verse: Psalm 66:19 – 20: “God has surely listened. He has heard my prayer . . . He has not held back his love from me.”

Key Question: How do I grow by communicating with God?

Key Idea: I pray to God to know him and find direction in my life.

Resource: Believe Storybook Bible , Chapter 12, “Prayer”

Master Supplies List ❑ Believe Storybook Bible ❑ PowerPoint slides or printable posters of illustrations ❑ Two sheets of poster board ❑ Markers ❑ Family Page (one per child)

Optional SuppliesYou will need the following supplies based on which option(s) you choose in STEP 3 | Explore More:

❑ OPTION 1: Paper towel tubes (one per child), paper bowls (one per child), a large amount of aluminum foil, tape

❑ OPTION 2: Whiteboard or large piece of butcher paper, dry-erase or regular marker

❑ OPTION 3: Four large sheets of poster board; a variety of pens, pencils, and markers; adhesive bandages (two per child); smiley-face stickers (one per child); globe or world map

❑ OPTION 4: Crayons or markers, Let’s Color! sheet (one per child) ❑ OPTION 6: Two puppets

LESSON 12 | Prayer

9780310826385_believe_curr_early_elem_11_30_4thpgs.indd 1 3/25/15 10:05 AM

November 20th, 2016

LESSON 12: Prayer | EARLY ELEMENTARY 2

STEP 1 | Come Together (10 min)

Supplies: Two sheets of poster board, markers

• GATHER the children.

PRAYER POSTER• SAY, Today we are going to learn about prayer – what it is and why we

do it.• ASK, What does prayer mean to you? (Talking to God and listening to

God)• SAY, That’s right. Prayer is talking to God and listening to God, just

as we might talk with and listen to a friend in a conversation. Did you know we can talk with God that way as well? We might not hear his voice out loud, but the more time we spend with God, the better we can hear him in our hearts. Praying is a way to get to know God better and to learn his direction in our lives.

TAKE PRAYER REQUESTS• SAY, Sometimes it also helps when we let other people know what we

are praying about so that they can help us pray too.• SAY, I would like for some of you to share one thing you want to pray

about. It might be something you are worried about. In your prayer, you might ask God to do something, like help you to be kind or to heal your friend’s broken arm. In your prayers, you can always ask God to forgive you for doing something that wasn’t nice or for doing something that was wrong. God always forgives us when we ask.

• WRITE down one or two of your own prayers to God.• SAY, Now we are going to write our prayers on this poster.• TAKE prayer requests from the children, and write them on the poster

board.• HANG the poster board somewhere in the room where it will be visible

to everyone.• SAY, I will hang it here in our classroom so that we will all be

reminded to keep praying for these things together.

THANKFULNESS POSTER• SAY, Now we are going to make another poster.• CONTINUE, This one will show things we are thankful for. These are

the good things in our lives that come from our good heavenly Father.



• ALLOW the children to tell what things they are thankful for. Write them on the poster board.

• HANG the poster somewhere in the classroom so that it will be visible to everyone.

• SAY, We can spend some of our prayer time every day thanking God for the good things in our lives and that he is our good Father God in heaven.

REVIEW• SAY, Today we learned that prayer is talking to God and listening to

him, like a conversation. We also learned that prayer is not just about asking for things, but is also a time to thank and to praise God.

KEY VERSE• REVIEW this week’s Key Verse. You may want to repeat the verses

slowly a few times, until the children are able to say them from memory.• NOTE: You may also choose to review last week’s Key Verse together.

Psalm 66:19 – 20God has surely listened. (cup ear)He has heard my prayer. (fold hands)He has not held back his love from me. (fold arms across chest)

STEP 2 | Hear the Story (15 min)

Supplies: Believe Storybook Bible, PowerPoint slides or printable posters of illustrations

INTRODUCTION• TELL the children that they will be learning more about prayer.• SAY, We already learned that prayer is talking to God and listening to

God. We also learned that prayer can be thanking and praising God.• SAY, Now we will learn about a man who took prayer very seriously.

His name was Gideon.• CONTINUE, Gideon understood that when we listen to God, some-

times he has special directions for us to follow.

READ CHAPTER 12• READ aloud chapter 12, “Prayer,” from the Believe Storybook Bible.• SHOW the illustrations included with this curriculum on PowerPoint

slides or printable posters.



REVIEW GIDEON• ASK, Who told Gideon that he would be a great warrior? (An angel)• ASK, Did Gideon believe the angel? (No)• SAY, Gideon wanted a sign from God, so he tested God. What was the

test? (For God to make the wool wet and the ground dry)• ASK, Did God give Gideon this sign? (Yes)• ASK, What directions did God give Gideon about the men in his army?

(To send home the men who were afraid)

REVIEW JESUS• ASK, How do we know that Jesus thought it was important to pray? (He

spent time praying and asked his disciples to join him in prayer)• ASK, Why did Jesus teach his disciples how to pray? (Because they

wanted to know the right way to pray)• PRAY, Thank you, God, that when we talk to you, you listen to us!

Please help us to listen to you too and to remember to pray to you every day just like we would talk to our best friends. Amen.

STEP 3 | Explore MoreChoose from these activity options, depending on your available time frame, to help the children explore the lesson further.

Option 1: Gideon’s Trumpet (15 min)

Supplies: Paper towel tubes (one per child), paper bowls (one per child), a large amount of aluminum foil, tape

Teacher Prep: Prepare paper bowls before class. Trace a circle using one end of the paper towel tube on the outside bottom of each bowl. Carefully slice this circle into pie-shaped sections (leaving the outer circle intact) so that the paper towel tube can easily slide through.



• SAY, One of the instructions that God gave Gideon in prayer was to scare away the enemies by blowing a trumpet. Today we are going to make our own trumpets.

• GIVE each child a paper towel tube and a prepared paper bowl.• INSTRUCT the children to slide the paper towel tube through the

opening in the bottom of the bowl so that the bowl is at one end of the tube.

• SHOW the children how to cover the trumpet with aluminum foil.• USE another piece of aluminum foil to create a handle by twisting it

tightly and then taping it to the bottom of the long part of the trumpet.

Option 2: Memory Pop-Up Game (10 min)

Supplies: Whiteboard or large piece of butcher paper, dry-erase or regular marker

Teacher Prep: Write the Lord’s Prayer on a whiteboard or on a large piece of butcher paper to hang on the wall.

NOTE: The following version of the Lord’s Prayer is from the NIrV Bible (Matthew 6:9 – 13), but you may use a different version if you choose.

Our Father in heaven,may your name be honored.May your kingdom come.May what you want to happen be done on earth as it is done in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.And forgive us our sins, just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.Keep us from sinning when we are tempted. Save us from the evil one.

• SAY, In the story, Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. Today I will help you learn this important prayer, which many people call the Lord’s Prayer.

• READ ALOUD the Lord’s Prayer once, then have the children read it along with you several times before beginning the game.

• INSTRUCT the children to put their heads down and close their eyes.• EXPLAIN to the children that you will walk around the room, and

when you tap someone on the head, you will say a phrase of the Lord’s Prayer (starting at the beginning and going in order), and they are to pop up and repeat that same phrase of the Lord’s Prayer after you.



• CONTINUE the game until each child has had a turn and you have had a chance to review the Lord’s Prayer several times.

Option 3: Prayer Path (25 min)

Supplies: Four large sheets of poster board; a variety of pens, pencils, and markers; adhesive bandages (two per child); smiley-face stickers (one per child); globe or world map

Teacher Prep: Before class, set up prayer stations around your meet-ing space. Laying the poster board on tables or desks or on the floor so children are able to write on them works better than taping them to walls. Label the poster board sheets in large letters, but leave plenty of room below. You will need one poster labeled “Healing,” one “Thanks!,” one “World,” and one “Us.”

• DIVIDE the children into four groups.• SAY, Today we have learned that there are many reasons and ways

to pray. We are going to take a walk on a Prayer Path to four prayer stations.

• INSTRUCT one group to stand near the Healing station.• PLACE the adhesive bandages and some markers at the station.• SAY, At this Healing prayer station, you may write on a bandage or two

the name of a person who is in need of physical, emotional, or spiritual healing. Pray for that person’s healing, and then stick the bandage to the poster. You may also choose to pray for the names on the other bandages.

• INSTRUCT the next group to stand near the Thanks! station.• PLACE the smiley-face stickers and some writing utensils at the

station.• SAY, At this Thanks! station, you may write a prayer of praise and

thanks on the poster and stick a smiley-face sticker near your prayer of praise. While you are here, you can see all the wonderful things that God is doing in our lives!

• INSTRUCT the next group to stand near the World station.• PLACE the globe or world map at the station, along with some writing

utensils.• SAY, At this World station, take a few moments to write down a prayer

for our town, our country, our world, our government, our missionaries, or anything else you’d like to pray for.

• INSTRUCT the last group to stand near the Us station.



• PLACE a variety of markers, pens, or pencils at the station.• SAY, At this Us station, you will write your name, decorating it how-

ever you’d like, and draw a picture of yourself if you wish. Take a few minutes here to say a prayer for yourself and for your friends and for all of us here today.

• INSTRUCT children that they will spend five minutes at each station before rotating to the next. Each group will visit all four stations.

• NOTE: If children do not feel comfortable writing down prayers, that’s okay! Children can simply pray silently for those five minutes.

Option 4: Let’s Color! (10 min)

Supplies: Crayons or markers, Let’s Color! sheet (one per child)

Teacher Prep: Print and photocopy the Let’s Color! sheet (one per child)

• GIVE each child a coloring page.• PROVIDE a selection of crayons and/or markers for the children to share.• DISCUSS this week’s Key Idea as the children color.

Option 5: Praise and Worship (15 min)

Gideon the Praying Man The song is sung to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.”

Gideon was a praying man, a praying man, a praying man,Gideon was a praying man, he asked God what to do.God said, Defeat the enemy, enemy, enemy.God said, Defeat the enemy.And that’s what he did do.

“The Lord’s Prayer” by Paul Field© 1998 by Meadowgreen Music Company

CCLI #2607977

Option 6: Act It Out (10 min)

A Prayer List

Use two puppets to act out the following short skit.

Characters

KendraJamal



Props: Two puppets

JAMAL is staring at a piece of paper in his hand.

Kendra: Hey, what do you have there? (grabbing the paper)

Jamal: My list.

Kendra: List of what?

Jamal: My prayer list. I wrote down everything I want for my birthday.

Kendra: You know, prayer isn’t just about asking God for things.

Jamal: It isn’t?

Kendra: No, God isn’t Santa Claus, Jamal!

Jamal: Well, I want to talk to God about my birthday (grabbing the piece of paper from KENDRA).

Kendra: That’s fine, you can talk to God about anything. But are you listen-ing to God too? My mom always says, “God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should listen a lot more than you talk!”

Jamal: Hmm. That’s a good point. So what do you think God would say about my birthday?

Kendra: I don’t know. He’d probably say he’s happy you were born because he made you and he loves you!

Jamal: That’s cool. He made me and he loves me (bows head to pray, then looks up after about ten seconds). I think God wants me not to be so greedy about my birthday and just be thankful for what I get and what I already have.

Kendra: Yeah, that sounds about right.

Jamal: If prayer isn’t just about asking for things, then what is it all about?

Kendra: Prayer is about listening to God.

Jamal: Well, I listened when God said, “Don’t be greedy.” What else is prayer about?

Kendra: Prayer is also a time to thank God for all your blessings, even when it isn’t your birthday.

Jamal: I just got a new pair of shoes. Should I thank God for that?

Kendra: Sure. Can you think of anything else that is good in your life? Every good gift comes from God, you know.

Jamal: Sure. There’s tons of stuff!

Kendra: Okay, go!



Jamal: (talking quickly) My mom, my dad, my sister (KENDRA nods affirma-tively) . . . God, thank you for my house, my dog, my room, my television, my PlayStation, my —

Kendra: (laughing) Okay, I think you got the point. Good job, Jamal (high-fiving him)!

STEP 4 | Going Home (5 min)

Supplies: Family Page (one per child)

Teacher Prep: Print and photocopy the Family Page (one per child).

• GIVE each child a copy of this week’s Family Page.• SAY, Give this page to your family when they pick you up. It will

remind you to tell your family what you learned about Gideon, Jesus, and the importance of prayer.

• HAVE the children practice telling you the Lord’s Prayer.• REVIEW this week’s Key Verse as well as today’s story and Key Idea

from the Believe Storybook Bible as you wait for the children to get picked up.

• MAKE sure each child remembers to take home any activity sheets or craft projects and the Family Page.


Lesson 12

Lesson 12

Lesson 12

Lesson 12

Lesson 12

LESSON 12: Prayer | EARLY ELEMENTARY

Let’s Color! Name:

[Coloring page to come]



FAMILY PAGE | Lesson 12: Prayer

Bible Basis: Judges 6 – 7; Luke 11:1 – 13

Key Verse: Psalm 66:19 – 20: “God has surely listened. He has heard my prayer . . . He has not held back his love from me.”

Key Question: How do I grow by communicating with God?

Key Idea: I pray to God to know him and find direction in my life.

Resource: Believe Storybook Bible , Chapter 12, “Prayer”

How to Use This PageThis week, your family can either read the story from the Believe Storybook Bible or read the Bible Basis passages from your Bible to help your child remember the lesson. Use the Table Talk questions below to start a discussion around the dinner table, while driving in the car, or just about anywhere. The Living Faith activity is designed to remind your child of the Bible lesson through a drama or other engaging activity. The Extra Mile idea provides interactive ways for your child to connect with the story.

Table Talk 1. Gideon understood the importance of prayer. Why do you think

prayer is important? 2. What directions did God give Gideon? (To defeat the enemies) What

kind of helpful directions does God give you when you pray? 3. Sometimes it’s hard to know when God is talking to us. How do you

listen to God? 4. What prayers do you say with the family at bedtime? At mealtimes?

Living Faith

Option 1Go on a “Prayer Quest” as a family. People often make a prayer “request” when they ask for something for themselves. However, a “Prayer Quest” is when you actively seek to find out what someone else needs or is praying about, and you take part in answering that request if you are able. Encourage your child to pay attention at church when others make prayer requests, and then discuss as a family how you could participate in helping an individual with a specific request. Also encourage your child to pray with the person for their need.



Option 2As another option, keep a notebook nearby when it’s time to tuck your child in at night. Ask what he or she would like to pray about and jot those things down in the notebook. When a prayer has been answered, be sure to talk about this with your child during bedtime prayers.

Extra Mile• To help make the power of prayer more real to your child, create a fam-

ily prayer list. To increase visibility and interest, have your child help decorate a large poster board featuring the list. Let each member of the family add something to the list that is really important to him or her. Post the list where everyone can see it and be reminded to pray for these things each day. When an item on the prayer list is answered, have a simple celebration to drive home to your child the fact that God really does hear and answer our prayers.

• Try to emphasize praise and thankfulness into each family prayer time to help your child understand that praying is not just about asking for things, but also about worshiping God. Try structuring your prayer time in the Praise-Thank-Ask way to help your child start to learn the different ways to pray to God:

• Praise: “Dear God, you are so good to me!”• Thank: “Thank you for giving us good weather for my baseball

game.”• Ask: “Please help me to be more patient with my little sister, and

please protect me while I sleep tonight. Amen.”• Work on memorizing the Lord’s Prayer with your child, using this ver-

sion (NIrV) or another Bible version of your choice:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. May your kingdom come. May what you want to happen be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us. Keep us from sinning when we are tempted. Save us from the evil one.


Documents

LESSON 12 | Prayerstorage.cloversites.com/pinedalechristianchurch/documents/12...LESSON 12 | Prayer 9780310826385 ... Teacher Prep: Prepare paper bowls before class. Trace a circle