For Kids
How can we get our children to be inspired to pray. This responsibility rests with the parents, family and church. We will be offering some fun activities for kids on this site that will encourage them to pray for topics of both local or national importance.
Activities for the Classroom
Developing Prayer Topics:
Approach One-
· Are any students or teachers seriously ill?
o Cancer
· Do any students have parents in the military? Do any teachers have a spouse in the military?
· Has anyone in the school recently lost a member of their family or a close friend?
· Do any of the students have a mother who is pregnant? Are any teachers expecting or out on maternity leave?
o Pray for all mothers, newborns, and unborn babies
· Has any student broken a bone recently? (Walking around in a cast)
· Has the class lost a student because the family had to move away?
o For their family to be happy in their new home, and so that student can find friends at his or her new school
· Global intentions.
o Disaster victims, war victims, the people of Africa, the oppressed
· Allow students to realize that they can turn to God during times of difficulty in their own life
o Hardships at home, school, with friends
Approach Two-
· Connecting Prayer Topics to Lessons
o SCIENCE When teaching about volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, mudslides, droughts, and wildfires
§ Students can develop their prayers for recent victims of these types of natural disasters
o SOCIAL STUDIESWhen teaching about wars, famines, genocides, immigration, child labor, and slavery
§ Students should be guided to focus their prayers on modern day genocides, injustices against women and children especially in Africa and the Middle East, people who have been displaced and now feel alone, and the current wars throughout the world.
o READING
§ Use the topics of the literature to help shape the prayers of the students. Maybe the character is struggling with bullies and the children could pray for all victims of bullying or for anyone who feels alone
o WRITING
§ Have students write their own prayers as a writing activity, start with a broad topic, have students break it down to how it effects the world, then their school, then themselves
· Spider Maps, Word Cluster charts, or Ice Cream Cones would all help students branch off from a main topic
Approach Three-
· Allow students reflection time with music to help them meditate and allow God to enter into their thoughts on a new level.
o Music for all Classrooms:
§ “You Are Loved” – Josh Groban
§ “I Life My Hands” –Chris Tomlin
§ “My Confession” –Josh Groban
§ “Give Me your Eyes”- Brandon Heath
§ “Love Never Fails” – Brandon Heath
§ “You Raise Me Up”- Josh Groban
o Music for Middle School Classrooms
§ “Wake Up Call” -Relient K
§ Casting Crowns
§ Chris Tomlin
§ 33 Days
§ Third Day
§ Mercy Me
· After listening to a song let the students sit in silence for a moment, and then begin a reflection session in which they can discuss what the song made them feel or think about. After a session of sharing intentions could be offered that correspond to the previously discussed thoughts or to anything students may want to pray about.
Approach Four-
· Allow students to create a Web Memorial for someone that they have lost in their lives.
o If students have not lost anyone close to them allow that student to pick a member of the church community who has recently been deceased
§ The student could use obituaries to find out about that person, the life they led, and the family they left behind.
· Their soul and the consolation of their family could become a focus of that student’s prayers.
Approach Five-
· Use Gospel passages to begin the conversation. Allow students to think about how the words speak to them, and what it encourages them to do.
o "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." -1 Timothy 4:12.
o “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” - Proverbs 3:5-6
o “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his son,
Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” -1 John 3:23
Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.” -1 John 3:23
o “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matt. 11:28-30
o “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3
o “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you: He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22
Approach Six-
o Get students to learn about social justice causes around the world, and how they themselves could get involved.These activities are geared toward middle school students.
o Stones Into Schools
o Toms Shoes
o Fair Trade
o Habitat for Humanity
o Invisible Children
o Doctors Without Borders
o Homeboy Industries
o Students Without Borders
o KIVA
o SPCA
o Amnesty International
o GOAL
o Pennies for Peace
o Students could also be given the opportunity to read books about social justice for the reading requirements, these books could be tied into social studies or English classes- or could just be a form of extra credit projects for any class. By Reading these books the students will have become aware of many of the problems of the world, and can see how through the power of prayer they can find the strength and guidance from God to make a difference.
o Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson
o Tattoos on the Heart, Gregory Boyle
o Half the Sky, Nicholas D. Kristof
o Stones Into Schools, Greg Mortenson
o Mountains Beyond Mountains: the Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World, Tracy Kidder
o The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, Shane Claiborne
o They Cage the Animals at Night, Jennings Michael Burch
o Three Little Words: A Memoir , Ashley Rhodes-Courter
o Street of Crocodiles, Bruno Schulz
o The Good News about Injustice: A Witness to Courage in a Hurting World,Gary Haugen
o Another Place at the Table, Kathy Harrison
o On Foot to the Golden Horn, Jason Godwin