Magic Prayers
Children's sermon
Children's Sermons A To Z
Exegetical Aim: To teach the children that prayer forms a relationship with God.
Props: An empty wallet or purse.
Lesson: Good morning. (response) Holding up the wallet/purse, thumb through it and show that it is empty. I want you to look at this! There's nothing in here. I need to do something about this empty wallet. Let's see ... what can I do about this? Show that you are thinking by tapping on your temple. If there is a response from the children ignore it. I know ... I gotta pray about this. There are a few things I've wanted to talk to God about, and I can pray about this too ... Let's pray.
Casually you begin to pray: God, I want a lot of money. You see, there's this red jeep. It's really nice and I think I'd look really good in it driving around town. And, I'd like some really big muscles. You made me kind of puny and if, well, if you could change that I'd be very happy. Oh, and one last thing. I've noticed something very strange about my hair. There's not as much of it as there once was and it's turning a strange color. I know it sounds strange, but it actually looks as if it's turning gray. So if you could stop that. Amen.
Well, that ought to about do it! Hold up the wallet and check to see if the money has magically appeared. Continue to look through the wallet and say to yourself: What happened? (response) There's no money in here. Now address the children. What happened? Why didn't I get any money? (response) Your guess is as good as mine as to what the children will answer - be on your toes. And I don't feel any stronger. Feel your arm. Why didn't God give me bigger muscles? (response) Does my hair look any better? (response) Why is that? (response)
Application: Affirm one of the correct responses: That's right. You know that I'm teasing you, don't you? (response) We really can't pray like that and expect God to answer. What kind of things should we pray for? (response) Give them time to answer. In addition to the children's answers: We can pray for God's will to be done in our lives. We can pray for our food. We can pray that God will help us to forgive one another and to help us do what is right and good. That's what real prayer is: we put away our selfish thoughts and we pray that God will help us love one another. That's how Jesus taught us to pray.
Let's Pray: Pray the Lord's Prayer or do this children's version. I'll pray the right way this time: Father in heaven, we ask for your will to be done in our lives. Please bless us with food today and forgive us when we sin. We forgive those who have hurt us. Help us above all to be good. Amen!
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Proper 12
Colossians 2:6--15 (16--19)
Nailed Forgiveness
Exegetical Aim: To show that forgiveness came to us on the cross.
Props: A small cross, a hammer, nails, and paper.
Lesson: Hold up the cross. I believe all of you know what I have in my hand. (response) Yes, it's a cross. Tell me why it's important to us. (response) Yes, that's right; Jesus died on the cross. But do you know that God made something good come out of it? When Jesus died, our sins were forgiven. Can someone tell me what sins are? (response) Can you name any sins? (response) Write down the answers on individual pieces of paper. Do no more than four. Yes, all of these things are sins. And in our lives we do these things. Sometimes we do them on purpose, other times by accident, but we always need to ask for forgiveness. And when we do ask for forgiveness, the Bible promises that something wonderful will happen.
Application: Take out the hammer and nails from where they were hidden. Take one of the pieces of paper, and prepare to nail it on the cross. The Apostle Paul said that when Jesus died begin to nail the first piece of paper, he took our sins, nail the next piece of paper, and all the things against us, nail the next piece, and nailed them to his cross, nail the last piece. Hold up the cross. Your sins and my sins are nailed to the cross because Jesus loves us. The next time you see a cross, you can remember that Jesus nailed our sins to it. Be thankful that our sins have been forgiven.
Let's Pray: Dear God, thank you for Jesus Christ and how our sins have been nailed to the cross. When we see the cross, we know that on that cross Jesus forgave our sins. Amen.
?
Props: An empty wallet or purse.
Lesson: Good morning. (response) Holding up the wallet/purse, thumb through it and show that it is empty. I want you to look at this! There's nothing in here. I need to do something about this empty wallet. Let's see ... what can I do about this? Show that you are thinking by tapping on your temple. If there is a response from the children ignore it. I know ... I gotta pray about this. There are a few things I've wanted to talk to God about, and I can pray about this too ... Let's pray.
Casually you begin to pray: God, I want a lot of money. You see, there's this red jeep. It's really nice and I think I'd look really good in it driving around town. And, I'd like some really big muscles. You made me kind of puny and if, well, if you could change that I'd be very happy. Oh, and one last thing. I've noticed something very strange about my hair. There's not as much of it as there once was and it's turning a strange color. I know it sounds strange, but it actually looks as if it's turning gray. So if you could stop that. Amen.
Well, that ought to about do it! Hold up the wallet and check to see if the money has magically appeared. Continue to look through the wallet and say to yourself: What happened? (response) There's no money in here. Now address the children. What happened? Why didn't I get any money? (response) Your guess is as good as mine as to what the children will answer - be on your toes. And I don't feel any stronger. Feel your arm. Why didn't God give me bigger muscles? (response) Does my hair look any better? (response) Why is that? (response)
Application: Affirm one of the correct responses: That's right. You know that I'm teasing you, don't you? (response) We really can't pray like that and expect God to answer. What kind of things should we pray for? (response) Give them time to answer. In addition to the children's answers: We can pray for God's will to be done in our lives. We can pray for our food. We can pray that God will help us to forgive one another and to help us do what is right and good. That's what real prayer is: we put away our selfish thoughts and we pray that God will help us love one another. That's how Jesus taught us to pray.
Let's Pray: Pray the Lord's Prayer or do this children's version. I'll pray the right way this time: Father in heaven, we ask for your will to be done in our lives. Please bless us with food today and forgive us when we sin. We forgive those who have hurt us. Help us above all to be good. Amen!
?
Proper 12
Colossians 2:6--15 (16--19)
Nailed Forgiveness
Exegetical Aim: To show that forgiveness came to us on the cross.
Props: A small cross, a hammer, nails, and paper.
Lesson: Hold up the cross. I believe all of you know what I have in my hand. (response) Yes, it's a cross. Tell me why it's important to us. (response) Yes, that's right; Jesus died on the cross. But do you know that God made something good come out of it? When Jesus died, our sins were forgiven. Can someone tell me what sins are? (response) Can you name any sins? (response) Write down the answers on individual pieces of paper. Do no more than four. Yes, all of these things are sins. And in our lives we do these things. Sometimes we do them on purpose, other times by accident, but we always need to ask for forgiveness. And when we do ask for forgiveness, the Bible promises that something wonderful will happen.
Application: Take out the hammer and nails from where they were hidden. Take one of the pieces of paper, and prepare to nail it on the cross. The Apostle Paul said that when Jesus died begin to nail the first piece of paper, he took our sins, nail the next piece of paper, and all the things against us, nail the next piece, and nailed them to his cross, nail the last piece. Hold up the cross. Your sins and my sins are nailed to the cross because Jesus loves us. The next time you see a cross, you can remember that Jesus nailed our sins to it. Be thankful that our sins have been forgiven.
Let's Pray: Dear God, thank you for Jesus Christ and how our sins have been nailed to the cross. When we see the cross, we know that on that cross Jesus forgave our sins. Amen.
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