Concordia Kids have taken a prayer journey with the Lord's Prayer using
Luther's Small Catechism and the
Kids Travel Guide to the Lord's Prayer by Group Publishing.
To bring the past six weeks to a close, I have created a Morning of Prayer for our Kindergarten - 4th graders, setting up our large group gathering room into prayer stations. Photos of objects that will be at each station here in the blog post with explaination.
Ask for adult volunteers to help at the stations. Sr. Youth enjoy being leaders at this type of gathering. I hope to be using a mix of both adults and Sr. Youth.
Take a look at the family prayer activity. The hope is that through this activity, prayer time will become a daily family prayer time.
If this post inspires you to create prayer stations for your students, let me know how I can be of help.
What is Prayer?
"Prayer, it is a Godly weapon!"- Martin Luther
Praying is talking to God!
Prayer brings us closer to God.
Prayer gives us a relationship with God.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" Philippians 4:6
How can we teach children about prayer without actually taking time to pray?
Prayer Stations
Three to four children at each station works best.
Six Stations allowing 6-7 minutes at each station.
You will need a minimum of 45 minutes for this activity.
Station #1 Modeling Clay
Students will use modeling clay to create a family member. Use wax paper for each child and make sure their name is on the paper. Find a safe place to dry all of the clay people and use them as a display for later. If a child wants to take their clay person home, gladly wrap it up for safe keeping and send it with them.
Station #2 World Globe
Encourage children to find where they live on the globe. Ask them to talk about current events and what is happening to God's people all over the world. Ask each child to pray a simple sentence prayer for safety and comfort for our missionaries that share Jesus with those who do not know Him. If your congregation or school sponsor a missionary, have the children lift them up by calling out their name(s).
Station #3 Schools
Take the time to print a photo of the school that each child attends. Encourage each child to pray for the safety of students, teachers and staff.
Station #4 Mirror Station
Provide a mirror for each child at this station. Encourage each child to list on a piece of paper that is titled, "I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!" Psalm 139:14... all of the things they like about themselves. Write a thank you note to the Master Creator , giving thanks for being created. Allow students to take their list with them.
Station #4 Praying In Color
Inside the white space of the prayer doodle, encourage students to write the names of friends or family members that they want to pray for. Provide a black pen or fine tip sharpie marker. ( Kinders will need help with this) Instruct them to pray silently as they color over the names and the other spaces of the doodle print. I like to print this doodle to fit inside a bible ...5x7 size. Students will take this Praying in Color activity with them to keep in their Bible. Click
HERE to see this doodle and other doodles for printing.
Group Closing - Glow Stick Prayer
Close the Prayer Station activity with the entire group gathering around the room in a circle. Make the room as dark as you can. Hand each student a glow stick with instructions NOT to bend and activate the glowing -of -the-stick!
Say to the group that the glow stick they have represents who they are. Instruct them to start at one end of the stick and to "break " it after you read each part of the Lord's Prayer. Each time they break it, their hands should move to another part of the stick. At the end of the prayer they should be at the other end of the stick for a last break. Have each student raise their glow stick up and say together, " Yes, yes, it shall be so!"
Taking the Prayer Station Experience Home
Each student will take home a ring with three cords hanging from it with a card that reads; My ARMOR against the devil and sin is to have a God fearing family woven together in Faith-Love-Forgiveness.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
The back of the card explains what each color represents.
During each prayer time , one person holds the prayer ring while another person braids the blue and green rope over the purple/white rope. Everyone gathered prays the Lord's Prayer together and continues to pray individual prayers until the braiding is complete.
A take home note will explain the process of braiding the three cords together to create one braided cord.
Heart and Home
Prayer IS our AMOR against sin and the devil. Prayer time will build up a wall of protection for our hearts and homes. We Ask. We Seek. We Knock. We Receive. We Find.
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7: 7-8
Amen! So Shall It Be! This is most certainly true!
Let's Connect!
bbost@concordianc.org
@beebeebost
