| LESSON OBJECTIVE |
Topics:
Prayer
This lesson will help the children understand that God really does
hear our prayers, even when we don't know the right words to say.
|
| AS KIDS ARRIVE ( 10 minutes
) |
Praying Hands (Coloring/Connect
the Dots Activity) Click
Here
|
| WORSHIP TIME (
5 minutes ) Further info? Click
Here |
| |
| BIBLE VERSE ( 7 minutes
) |
"You may ask me for
anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14: 14
This verse will give children the assurance that God hears our prayers
and answers them when they are in accordance with His will.
|
| BIBLE STORY ( 15
minutes ) |
Introduction:
Our story today takes place a long time ago, even before Jesus was
born. It is about a woman named Hannah. She was one of two wives to
a man named Elkanah. Hannah was very sad, because she was getting
old, and still did not have any children. The other wife, named Peninnah,
had both sons and daughters. To make matters even worse, whenever
Hannah would go to the temple to worship God, Peninnah would tease
her about having no children. It even made Hannah cry. Then one day,
she decided to pray.
Open your Bible, and Read 1 Samuel 1:
10-17; 20 to the children. (repeated below)
In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the lord. And
she made a vow, saying, "O Lord almighty, if you will only look
upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant
but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days
of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." As
she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was
praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not
heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, "How long will
you keep on getting drunk, Get rid of your wine." "Not so,
my lord," Hannah replied. "I am a woman who is deeply troubled.
I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to
the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been
praying here out of my great anguish and grief." Eli answered,
"Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have
asked of him."
So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son.
She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the Lord for him."
Discussion Questions:
1. Why was Hannah so sad? (because she did not have any children)
2. How did Hannah ask for God's help? (she prayed)
3. What did Hannah pray for? (a son)
4. Do you think Hannah was happy that she prayed to God? (yes,
because God gave her a son)
5. Can you share a time that God answered a prayer for you?
|
| FUN TIME ( 10 minutes ) |
Guess What You Hear (Activity)
Click Here
|
| ALTERNATE FUN TIME ( 7 minutes
) |
God Can Hear Me (Object Talk)
Click
Here
|
| PRAYER/SNACK ( 10 minutes )
Further info? Click
here |
For today's snack, bring Rice Krispy treats. Start by
praying to God and thanking him for hearing our prayers. As the children
eat their snacks, ask them what other foods or snacks make noise when
you eat them. (apples, potato chips, raw carrots, etc.) What foods
make hardly any noise? (Jello, pudding, cheese, etc.) To some adults,
young children's voices may seem tiny and childish, like the silly
sounds made by some foods, but to God the words spoken by children,
especially in prayer are very important. God hears and answers those
prayers the same as He does for older people.
|
| CLOSING ACTIVITY |
Telephone (Game)
Have the children sit in a circle, or around the table. Start with
one child and whisper one of the phrases shown below into his or her
ear. Have that child whisper the same phrase into the ear of the child
to his or her left, and continue around the circle until the last
child is told the phrase. Then have the last child say what they heard
out loud, and see how close it was to the original phrase. As children
leave, simply make the circle smaller.
Phrases:
God will always hear our prayers.
It makes Jesus very happy when we pray.
If we ask anything in Jesus' name, He will do it.
We can pray anytime, morning, noon, or night.
Compare this game to how when we pray, God hears exactly what we mean
to say, even when we don't say it exactly the way we want.
|
| NEXT WEEK |
Come back next week to learn more about Jesus.
|
