Family Worship

Power of 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: 


God listens to me and hears my prayers. I can praise Him.  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





STEP 3. DISCUSSION !

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

 

REVIEW THE BIBLE STORY  


We can pray to God!

  • What is prayer? (talking to and listening to God) 
  • What did Jesus’ early followers think about prayer? (that it was important and powerful) 

We can pray about everything!

  • What is something we can pray for? 
  • Does God always give us everything we pray for? Why do you think this is? 

We can pray any time! 

  • When can we pray? (We can pray day or night. We can pray all the time!) 
  • Should we only pray when we are sad? (No, we can pray when we are happy or sad. We can pray all the time!) 

God hears our prayers! 

  • How do you talk with God? 
  • Which of our prayers do you think God hears? (All of them! God hears our prayers!)  

We can pray to God anytime, about anything. He hears our prayers! 


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!

God, thank You for hearing our prayers. Help us to always remember to pray and talk with You! In Jesus’ name, Amen. 
Encourage the kids to hold their hands out in front of them, with palms up, as if their hands were open to receive something. Tell them to listen and receive the blessing as you speak it over them. 
Blessing: May you always remember that you can pray anywhere, anytime. May you remember that you can pray no matter how you are feeling or what is going on. May you always remember that God hears our prayers.