What is prayer?
Children's sermon
Object:
a copy of the Lord's Prayer
How many of you know the Lord's Prayer? See, I have a copy of it right here. Let me read it to you. I'll bet you'll know it once I get going. (Read the prayer.) Remember it? It's one of the most important prayers we have in the church, because Jesus gave this prayer to us. In our Bible reading today, one of the disciples asks Jesus to show them how to pray. The disciples weren't really sure what they were supposed to say when they prayed. Jesus taught them this prayer.
Have you ever wondered how to pray? I have. We talk a lot about prayer in church and Sunday school, but I used to wonder what prayer really is and why it is so important. Prayer is what we do when we talk to God. Just like I am talking to you right now, we can talk to God about all kinds of things. It's just like having a conversation with a friend. We can tell God about our day, ask for help if we have a problem, and thank him for the blessings we have. Sometimes we need to pray and ask God to forgive us for something we did wrong. We can pray and ask him to help someone else, too. Prayers don't just have to be about us.
We pray at the end of our children's sermon time, don't we? What are some of the things we've prayed about during this time together? (Give the children time to remember some of the prayers, if they are able.) In those prayer times we've talked to God about all kinds of things. It doesn't matter what we tell God, because he wants to hear about everything. In fact, God will talk back to us sometimes, but we have to listen very carefully.
The most important thing to remember about prayer is that it is very simple. Sometimes we'll hear people say complicated prayers in church, but not all prayers have to be complicated. Sometimes the simplest prayers are the best. Tell God you love him. Ask God to help you. Ask him to help someone else. The main thing is to talk to him in the first place.
Prayer: For our prayer time today, let's say together the Lord's Prayer. If you don't know it, just listen as the rest of us pray. (Pray together.) Amen.
Have you ever wondered how to pray? I have. We talk a lot about prayer in church and Sunday school, but I used to wonder what prayer really is and why it is so important. Prayer is what we do when we talk to God. Just like I am talking to you right now, we can talk to God about all kinds of things. It's just like having a conversation with a friend. We can tell God about our day, ask for help if we have a problem, and thank him for the blessings we have. Sometimes we need to pray and ask God to forgive us for something we did wrong. We can pray and ask him to help someone else, too. Prayers don't just have to be about us.
We pray at the end of our children's sermon time, don't we? What are some of the things we've prayed about during this time together? (Give the children time to remember some of the prayers, if they are able.) In those prayer times we've talked to God about all kinds of things. It doesn't matter what we tell God, because he wants to hear about everything. In fact, God will talk back to us sometimes, but we have to listen very carefully.
The most important thing to remember about prayer is that it is very simple. Sometimes we'll hear people say complicated prayers in church, but not all prayers have to be complicated. Sometimes the simplest prayers are the best. Tell God you love him. Ask God to help you. Ask him to help someone else. The main thing is to talk to him in the first place.
Prayer: For our prayer time today, let's say together the Lord's Prayer. If you don't know it, just listen as the rest of us pray. (Pray together.) Amen.
