Prayer
Children's sermon
Open My Eyes
More Children's Object Lessons
Object:
If you feel it is safe to do so, you might have a prayer written on a piece of paper and burn it on a metal tray.
Purpose: To help children understand the nature of prayer.
Material: If you feel it is safe to do so, you might have a prayer written on a piece of paper and burn it on a metal tray.
Lesson: Today I want to talk to you about something we do together each Sunday and which I assume you have done at home. We call it ''praying.'' You may use prayers in your family when you sit down to have a meal or when you are getting ready to go to sleep. These are special times for prayers, but I hope you know that you can pray anytime, anywhere.
Long ago people used altars and smoke and fire to help them when they prayed. Back then, a person might write a prayer on a piece of paper and then set the paper on fire on an altar, and as the smoke rose the one praying felt that what was desired in prayer was being carried to the gods in the heavens.
Today, however, because of Jesus, we believe that we do not need such things to help us pray. All we have to do is to talk to God as we would talk to a friend or to our parents. You see, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he told them to begin by saying, ''Our Father, who art in heaven ...'' (Matthew 6:9).
Prayer is very important to your life as a Christian, for it is one way that you can bring God into your life, just as
you let a friend be a part of your life when you talk to that person. Remember, God is everywhere so to talk to him all you need to do is to think the thoughts that you want to share with him and they shall be shared. I hope you boys and girls will take time, every day, to let your thoughts go to God in prayer.
Possible Times To Use This Illustration In The Home:
• When on a picnic or camping and you are sitting around a campfire.
• When at home watching the fire in a fireplace.
• When you are teaching your child to say grace at the table or to say a prayer at bedtime.
Scriptural Background: ''Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer'' (Psalm 19:14).
Material: If you feel it is safe to do so, you might have a prayer written on a piece of paper and burn it on a metal tray.
Lesson: Today I want to talk to you about something we do together each Sunday and which I assume you have done at home. We call it ''praying.'' You may use prayers in your family when you sit down to have a meal or when you are getting ready to go to sleep. These are special times for prayers, but I hope you know that you can pray anytime, anywhere.
Long ago people used altars and smoke and fire to help them when they prayed. Back then, a person might write a prayer on a piece of paper and then set the paper on fire on an altar, and as the smoke rose the one praying felt that what was desired in prayer was being carried to the gods in the heavens.
Today, however, because of Jesus, we believe that we do not need such things to help us pray. All we have to do is to talk to God as we would talk to a friend or to our parents. You see, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he told them to begin by saying, ''Our Father, who art in heaven ...'' (Matthew 6:9).
Prayer is very important to your life as a Christian, for it is one way that you can bring God into your life, just as
you let a friend be a part of your life when you talk to that person. Remember, God is everywhere so to talk to him all you need to do is to think the thoughts that you want to share with him and they shall be shared. I hope you boys and girls will take time, every day, to let your thoughts go to God in prayer.
Possible Times To Use This Illustration In The Home:
• When on a picnic or camping and you are sitting around a campfire.
• When at home watching the fire in a fireplace.
• When you are teaching your child to say grace at the table or to say a prayer at bedtime.
Scriptural Background: ''Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer'' (Psalm 19:14).
