Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – KWL Chart
Materials: large piece of paper, marker
Make three columns on the paper. Label the columns: K, W, L.
Tell kids that you will be talking about Jesus and prayer. Ask kids to tell you anything they know about prayer. List these ideas under K (for Know). Then ask kids to tell you something they would like to know about prayer; list these ideas under W (for Want to Know). Say that after the large group time, they can list things they have learned about prayer in the L column.
Live It Out
Game – One Left Standing
Materials: masking tape, CD, CD player
Use masking tape to make Xs on the floor in a circle; space them apart as appropriate. Make an X for each child (less 1). Play music and tell kids to walk around the circle of Xs. Stop the music and tell kids to sit. When all are sitting but one, ask a review question; the standing child can answer or ask someone to help her answer. Lead all kids to stand and start the music again. Play several rounds to review the story. Remove another X (or several). Play the music. When the music stops, ask those standing to repeat the Life Point together.
Craft – Verse Chain
Materials: paper strips, glue or stapler with staples, markers
Each child will need several paper strips. Lead kids to print words of the verse on paper strips, one or two words per strip. After a child completes his verse, lead him to use the strips to create a paper chain. He can glue or staple the ends of a strip to make a circle; the word should be on the outside of the strip. Show him how to thread the next strip through the circle and then attach the ends of that strip to make another link. He can chain together all his verse words. Suggest kids use their chains as a reminder to pray this week. Comment they can add more links in their chain at home if they choose; these links could be names of people or things for which they want to pray. Pray together, thanking God that He hears the prayers that we pray.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Straw Toss
Materials: plastic cups, paper, covered straws, marker
Print the letters P, R, A, Y on paper, one letter per page. Lay the letters around the room. Near each letter, set 2-4 cups.
Give each child a straw. Show kids how to toss straws like darts or spears. (Hold the straw parallel to the floor; pull hand back; move hand forward and release straw.) Lead kids to shoot and get their straws in the cups for each letter, in order. (Each child should retrieve his own straw; label with names if possible.) All kids should shoot for cups around the P. When a child’s straw lands in a cup near that letter, he can move to the next letter. Pull the pages together to spell the word. Read it and tell kids they will learn more about praying today.
Live It Out
Game – White Board Race
Materials: large white board, markers (2 different colors), numbered cube, cleaning wipes
Draw 10 or more spaces across the white board. Group the kids into two teams and give each team a marker. Ask a review question to Team 1. If the team answers correctly, a member of the team can roll the cube, count over that many spaces, and draw a stick figure in the space on the board. Ask a review question to Team 2. That team can also roll the cube an draw a stick figure in the correct space if they answer the question correctly. Continue to ask questions, with teams rolling and drawing figures when answering correctly. When teams draw a figure in the last space, erase the figures, redraw spaces, shuffle teams, and play again. Say the Life Point. (Remember to wipe the marker and numbered cube after each use.)
Craft – Journal
Materials: heavyweight paper, white paper or notebook paper, colorful duct tape, pencils, markers, hole punch, scissors, yarn
Talk about the Bible story and the Life Point. Tell kids that a prayer journal can help people keep track of prayers about God’s will. Tell kids to cut two pieces of heavyweight paper and several pieces of white paper to the same size. They can place the white paper between the two pieces of heavyweight paper. Lead kids to punch two holes through the paper and tie yarn through the holes to bind the journals. They can use the duct tape and markers to decorate the covers of their journals. Lead kids to write their names inside the journals. They can use pencils to write the Life Point or Bible verse on the first page of their journals as time permits. Tell kids they can write about things they are praying. They can write what they are thinking about as they pray for God’s will. They may also want to list prayer requests in the journals.
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