Monday 5 October 2015

Why Pray?


This has been complied from the sermon series “Why Pray”, by Grant Comely and adapted for the Children’s Church by Pat van Wyk.

Let us teach the children about Jesus from a small age. Praying is so important, so let us teach them to pray.

Foreword:


Prayer is the most powerful weapon known to mankind. It brings solutions and brings God onto the scene. Phillip Brooks said one of the most powerful statements that I have ever heard concerning prayer. He said Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking a hold of His willingness. Prayer seems to do something about the human heart. It has a tendency to give hope and stimulate faith. People who are in the habit of practicing prayer, seem to be happier and healthier as human beings.

This course entitled “Why Pray” is dynamic in the fact that it will help you establish a powerful prayer life. My personal opinion is that this should be approached with the greatest dedication and commitment, as prayer is not something that we do as a ritual to please God, but something that we do to find life.

Grant Comley

Lesson One

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What the teacher needs to do: Repeat the memory verse often. Read James 5:13-19 to familiarize yourself with the scripture. The answers are given below the questions.

Memory Verse: James 5:13 “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” NIV

Ask the question: Why must we Pray?
To talk to God.

Question: what must we do when we are suffering or sick?
Pray – talk to God the Father.

Question: what must we do if we are cheerful?
Sing psalms and sing songs of praise.

Summary:

Father God gives us a free choice. When we pray, we are asking Him to help us. We are also telling Him how much we love Him when we sing. We need to pray to ask God to come into our problem and help us, in the name of Jesus. That means our prayers are powerful.

Question: Why are our prayers powerful?

Because we are praying in the name of Jesus.
We are teaching the children to pray and the power of prayer.
If you believe that Jesus died for you, you have the right to use his Name.

Repeat the memory verse a few times and encourage them until they can repeat it.

Encourage them to pray individually.

Lesson Two


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Teacher – Read James 5:13b and explain. Read Eph 5:19-20.

Memory Verse: James 5:13b “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” NIV

What does it mean? When things are bad pray, when things are good praise? Last week we learnt that prayer is to talk to God. Now let us take a look at the second part of the sentence.

When things are good “You should sing praises.”  We all like to sing when we are happy. It is not easy to sing when we are sad. When we sing, we are glorifying God. Which simply means we give God all the glory, we say “His the best”  “His everything” “He is all” Read Eph 5:19-20.

Praise comes from the feeling of love in your heart. Singing praise songs to God the Father shows love in your heart for Him. We pick up the phone and we talk on it. Let us talk to God in prayer often.

Repeat the memory verse and let them pray. Let them sing something as a demonstration.



Lesson Three: Why must we pray?


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Teacher: Read James 5:16b and 2 Corinthians 5:21. Let the children play the memory verse with a mirror. Look into the mirror and say the verse, if they cannot remember the class repeats it with them. Let each child have a turn. It is fun. Repeat the summary so that the children learn to remember what they have learnt.

Memory verse James 5:16b “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” NIV

Read 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Jesus died for us. Now we stand righteous in Gods sight. Jesus paid the price for our sins. He fixed everything that was wrong between us and God. Jesus took our sins on Him. Now we can go to God the Father and ask anything in Jesus name. In Jesus name we have authority and Power. Because we are forgiven, we are free. We can pray boldly and confidently to the Father in the name of Jesus.

Righteous meaning we are in right standing with God.

SUMMARY:

So far we have learnt – prayer is talking to God. Praise comes from the feeling of love in your heart. Singing praise songs shows love in your heart. Now we are learning about the power of prayer. Jesus bought back our sins. We are free and forgiven. In Jesus name we have authority and power, boldness and confidence when we pray.

Teacher: Pray a powerful pray short and sweet ending with the name of Jesus.


Lesson Four: Learn to pray in the name of Jesus


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Teacher – Read John 14:12-14 Exodus 15:26, Psalm 35:27

Memory Verse: John 14:14 “ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” NIV Remember to repeat it a few times and at the end.

(Play a game with the children before starting).
Call out one of the children’s names. He will answer. Do this to a few. Then explain, why did you answer? because you called my name.

Jesus hears us when we pray. Why will he give us what we ask for? Because the bible teachers us that He wants to. He wants to heal us. He wants to protect us. But you have to pray in his nature and character. That means if you ask Him something in His nature, He will do it. Remember that Jesus will not do magic because He is the Son of God, He will do it Super-naturally. It simply means He will always do what He thinks is the best for us, even when we don’t understand or see it.

All He asks us in the Bible is to believe. What must we believe? That He paid the price for us. He took our sin on Him by dying on the cross for us. In the time Jesus was born people were named after there character. It meant their names had meanings. Jesus means Saviour.

If you believe you have power in the name of Jesus.

Let the children pray for each other.

                                                 

Lesson Five: Goodness


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Teacher: Read Jeremiah 29:11 and John 5:14-15
Jeremiah 29:11 type out, then cut the piece into four pieces so that the children can put it together like a puzzle as they cannot read.

Memory Verse 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you.”

Play the memory verse letting each child have a turn. If the class is big split them into two teams and let them say the verse as they build it and see which team wins. Have fun.

Let the children settle down. Summarize the verse.

God loves us. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives. God will give us far more than we ask for.

Read John 5: 14-15 slowly to them explaining it to them.


Lesson 6: How must we pray?


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Teacher: Read Mark 11:24 Type out 3 words each on a separate piece of paper and cut out. Believe Don’t Doubt. Use 3 Dirt Bins, press-stick and 3 balls. Paste each word on a dirt bin. Let each child say the word out aloud of each on the bin, through the ball in (netball) Read Mark 11:22-24.

Memory Verse: Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” NIV

Play the memory game. Let each child have a turn.

Each child must repeat the words on the bin before throwing the ball.

Let the whole class repeat it at the end. Ask a few to the say the memory verse. Have fun.

End with Prayer.


Lesson 7: Faith and believing


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Teacher – Read Mark11:24. Have enough sweets. Take a sweet put your hands behind your back, now put a sweet in one hand close your hands and let the children chose a hand. Let each child have a turn. If they choose correctly the sweet is there’s if not eat the sweet and see the look of dismay on their faces. When you have gone through give the children each a sweet that did not get one. It makes them determined to get it right. Repeat the memory verse. Do you believe you will receive? Let them choose a hand. Read Mark 5:25-34.

Memory Verse: Mark 11:24 (b) “Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” NIV

Read from Mark 5:25-34 slowly and explain as you go.

The three important keys in this lesson is:

First key is verse 27 – She heard
Second key is verse 28 – She said
Third key is She told

Ask if any need prayer. Let them also pray out loud.


Lesson 8: Summary


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Teacher: Summary of all Memory verses. Choose one of the memory games and play it again.

Lesson – Let’s tell it almost like a story.

Prayer is Powerful. Prayer brings an answer to everything. When things are bad we must pray and talk to Jesus. When things are going good we must sing praises.

What does it mean to sing praises? It means we love Jesus deep down in our hearts.

Jesus died on the cross for us. His blood covers our sins, if we believe we can pray in His name.

Father God knows the plans He has for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) Things only we can do because we are special. God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. All we have to do is to believe. What must we believe? That Jesus died on the cross for you and me.


Use this time for an altar call. Prepare teachers and helpers before hand.

This has been such a privilege to share with you. My prayer for you is that you daily build your prayer life into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Love in Christ,
Pat.

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