Power or Prayer

The focus of this family time is to use five easy steps to teach your family that as the apostles James and Paul encourage us, we are to pray continually with great faith, believing that God hears and answers our prayers.

MEMORY VERSE: 

But God has surely listened. He has heard my prayer. Give praise to God. He has accepted my prayer. He has not held back his love from me. Psalm 66:19–20

Learn the Memory Verse together and say it throughout the week to help your family remember and apply what they have learned.

STEP 1. GATHER!

Call out different statements starting with “I can pray …” using the list below. If the kids believe they could pray during the situation you call out, they will run to the other side of the room. 

You can use the following statements: 

• I can pray … for my family. 
• I can pray … for my friends. 
• I can pray … for someone who is sick. 
• I can pray … when I’m feeling sad or worried. 
• I can pray … for my teachers. 
• I can pray … for people who are not nice to me. 
• I can pray … when I’m happy. 
• I can pray … for my church leaders. 
• I can pray … for people I don’t know in other countries. 

SAY: These are all times we can pray! God hears our prayers! 

STEP 2. READ THE BIBLE AND WORSHIP

Sing and have fun while worshiping then pray. Take a moment here to thank God for your family and your time together!!

STEP 3. DISCUSSION !

Watch the Bible Story video, and use these questions and points to have a conversation with your children about the Bible story.

REVIEW THE BIBLE STORY  

Use these questions and points to have a conversation with your children about the Bible story.

• How is it possible that God always hears our prayers? 
• According to God’s big story, what kind of things can we pray for? 
• What does it mean to never stop praying? 
• When is a good time to pray to God? 
• What are things that you talk with God about? What’s something small you want to talk with Him about? What’s something big you want to talk with Him about?   

Isn’t it wonderful to know that God always hears and answers our prayers? We serve an amazing God! Let’s take some time to talk to our great God in prayer, knowing that He is listening and wants to hear from us!

Mission Moment

Florence Nightingale

(1820-1910)

Have you ever been in a hospital? Were you visiting or were you a patient? Did you see nurses helping people? When Florence Nightingale was a girl hospitals in England were nasty and dirty. The nurses were sometimes nasty and dirty too and often didn't help people at all.

Florence's family was rich. They thought Florence should live like other rich girls - go to smart parties, wear smart clothes and play with smart friends. But Florence was Jesus’ friend. She knew that Jesus didn't want her to just live like that - he wanted her to help people.

Florence wanted to be a nurse and help people who were ill. Florence's parents were very cross. Rich girls weren't supposed to be nurses in nasty, dirty hospitals. But Florence wanted to make hospitals clean and safe - somewhere people got better not worse.

Florence got her big chance when she went to look after ill and wounded soldiers in the crimea in Russia. She made sure the hospitals were dean laner sane, not nasty and arty. She taught nurses how to make people better not worse. When she came home she set up a special school to teach more nurses how to care for people.

Today hospitals are clean and safe places, where nurses help and care, and where people usually get better not worse. thanks to Florence Nightingale who wanted to do something for her friend Jesus.

STEP 5. Pray!