24 July 2022

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Bible readings for today

• Hosea 1:2-10
• Psalm 85 
• Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)
• Luke 11:1-13

Today is also Social Services Sunday

Collect

Provident Father, 
you grant the Holy Spirit to all who call upon you; 
may we so ask that we joyfully receive, 
search that we may fully find, 
and knock that the door of compassion is opened; 
through Christ our Mediator, 
who is alive and reigns with you, 
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and for ever. 
Amen.

Prayer (Luke 11:1-13)

In today's gospel passage, a disciple asks Jesus about prayer. 

Prayer ideas

Today is a great day to not only great to teach our kids and church about prayer, but to provide an opportunity for them to pray. Learning about prayer is about information, whilst learning to pray is about experience. 

We have some fun prayer activities over on our Strandz website. 

Lord's Prayer Talk

Well today’s reading was all about one thing, do you remember what it was? (Pause for answers). That’s right, Prayer. Can anyone tell me what they think prayer is? (Pause). Well I think of prayer as a conversation with Jesus or God. It’s a chance for me to tell God about what I’ve been doing, all the things that have been really good and not so good. I can even ask God to help me or other people just as I would if I was talking to one of my friends.

So, why should we pray do you think? (Pause) Well, how often do you see your friends? Do you talk to them much? I know I do. And for my good friends, I like spending lots of time with them. Well Jesus is our friend and he likes talking to us and listening to us just as any of our other friends do, and that is why we pray.
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What are some ways that we can pray? (Pause). Well, we can talk out loud to Jesus, or write him a letter, or sing him a song, draw a picture, even just think our prayers in our heads. Prayer is really exciting, don’t you think?!!!

Prayer ideas

• Prayer Origami - download our prayer foldable resource to get kids playing and praying
• Paper Chain Prayers (Flame Creative)
• Road Sign prayers (instructions and signs)
• Make a Calm Jar
• How to run a leavers service for school children
• Foil Prayers
• Alarm Clock Prayers (Psalm 5:3)
• The best 5 Finger Prayers
• My Little Prayer book - printable resource from Strandz
• The Lord's Prayer / Te Karakia O Te Atua Koru - a printable spiral activity.​​​

Visio Lectio

Another great illustration from Rev. Sarah West from Visio Lectio, part of the Auckland Diocese. Shared with permission
​PNG Download
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Quick Questions

• What is prayer?
• Why do we pray?
• Will my prayers be answered? (Yes, but not always in the way you expect or want.  Remember, ‘No’ is an answer to prayer too!)

Jigsaw prayer hunt

Preparation: On a large piece of card write the Lord’s prayer. Cut it up into about sixteen pieces. In the room that you do children’s ministry, put bluetack on the back of each puzzle piece and hide them around the room.
Instructions:Tell the children that there are sixteen puzzle pieces hidden around the room. Get them to find the pieces and put the puzzle together.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Supplies:
Whiteboard

Instructions:
Divide the children into two teams. On the whiteboard, write one of the children's names down the side of the whiteboard. With each team taking turns, get the children to create a line for each letter of the person's name that "gives thanks" for something about that person.  
Doesn't give up
Awesome friend
Very good baker!
Incredible Illustrator
Dedicated

Repeat for each person if you have time, or make it a feature of the beginning of the lesson for the rest of the term.

Gospel Conversations

Another Gospel Conversations from Dunedin Diocese. Who could have guessed there could be so much joy in prayer? Alec, Peg and Anne unpack Luke's version of Jesus teaching about prayer and about who it is we are praying to, and discover some unexpected joys along the way.

Media