Post Introduction- Our goal for this study is to continue to further our students' understanding of the different aspects of worship and teach them about the power and importance of prayer.
The Lesson
(20-25 mins depending on conversation)
Introduce this week's lesson to your students with these questions:
Who here prays at least once a day? It can be a blessing for food or a prayer before bed.
Do you find that you typically pray when you want to ask God for something?
Do you find that you typically pray when you want to ask God for something?
I'm sure that a lot of us find it easier to pray when we need things, not because asking for things is easy, but because remembering to talk to God when our life is going really well can be hard sometimes. But, even if we mostly talk to God to ask for things, are there some things that you feel like aren't important enough to ask God? Have you ever had anything that seems too big to ask God about?
Ephesians 6:18 "and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."
This verse and many others tell us that we should cry out to God for EVERYTHING, no matter how big or small. Think back to when you were a little kid and you prayed for things that seem silly now, but you asked for them because you trusted God wholly to answer you. Sometimes we need to get back into a childlike mindset and remember how awesome and powerful God is!
Maybe you haven't had a problem with asking God for all sorts of things, but you have had a problem with seeing a result in your prayer. As a new Christian, or a child, you may have felt like God was a vending machine that took in prayers and immediately deposited results, but as you mature in age and faith you realize that that isn't always the case, and it can be difficult. Jesus told his disciples a parable that addressed this exact doubt!
Luke 18:1-8 "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!'' And the Lord said, 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?'"
God is always listening to us, no matter how big or small the request, and He wants to give us all good things in His time. We know that praying isn't just about asking for things, though. Aside from saying a blessing before eating, when was the last time that you stopped to say a special prayer specifically to thank God? God listens to everything we say, but I think we should strive to be at least twice as thankful as we are needy when we pray. Even if it seems like there's not much to be thankful for, God is in everything around us and deserves to be praised and thanked for it!
Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Prayer isn't meant to be a one-sided conversation. Sometimes we get so caught up in asking for things and not seeing a quick result that we forget that God wants to respond to us! We need to be looking and watching for Him to speak, maybe not audibly, but through other people or circumstances. Searching for things or people to be thankful for, even when your situation seems helpless, makes you more aware of exactly where you can see God in your life.
Activity: Encourage your student to take a few minutes to pray individually. Encourage them to thank God for at least one thing and ask Him for something they either never considered asking for or they want to give up on.
To close, we will recite the Lord's Prayer together. Some of you may not know it, and that's okay, but I would encourage you to take the time to look it up later this week. It's not a mantra that we should be reciting as so many people view it, but instead a great guideline of how we should be praying. It opens with praising God for how amazing He is and stating that His will will be done in all places. It follows by making requests, TRUSTING Him to meet our physical needs, forgive us, give us the ability to forgive others, and protect us from spiritual and physical harm. The prayer closes by reiterating that God is all powerful and deserves to be praised for it.
"Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen."
This week's challenge is to thank God every day for at least one thing. It can be anything from having clean clothes to wear to doing well on a test. No matter how bad your day is, I want you to find one thing to be thankful for and see how it changes your overall mood day to day.
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