PRAYER

LESSON 2: GOD HEARS MY PRAYERS !Lessons in this series: 1 2 3 Overview

This Sunday school lesson will help the children understand that God really does hear our prayers, even when we don't know theright words to say.

TOPICSHannah, Prayer

AS KIDS ARRIVE (10 MINUTES)Praying Hands (Connect-the-Dots Coloring Activity) Click here

WORSHIP TIME (5 MINUTES)Further info? Click here

BIBLE VERSE (5 MINUTES)"You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:14 NIVThis verse will give children the assurance that God hears our prayers and answers them when they are in accordance with His Will.

BIBLE STORY (15 MINUTES)Gather the children around you in preparation for story time. After the introduction, read the story about Hannah praying to God right from theBible. If possible, use a Children's Bible so it will be easier for the kids to understand.

Introduction:Our story today takes place a long time ago, even before Jesus was born. It is about a woman named Hannah. She was one of two wives to aman named Elkanah. Hannah was very sad, because she was getting old, and still did not have any children. The other wife, named Peninnah,had both sons and daughters. To make matters even worse, whenever Hannah would go to the temple to worship God, Peninnah would teaseher about having no children. It even made Hannah cry. Then one day, she decided to pray.

Read 1 Samuel 1:10-17, 20 (Hannah Prays to God)

Discussion Questions:1. Why was Hannah so sad? (Because she did not have any children.) 2. How did Hannah ask for God's help? (She prayed.)3. What did Hannah pray for? (A son.)4. Do you think Hannah was happy that she prayed to God? (Yes, because God gave her a son.)5. Can you share a time that God answered a prayer for you? (Allow for answers.)

FUN TIME (10 MINUTES)Guess What You Hear (Activity) Click here

ALTERNATE FUN TIME (7 MINUTES)God Can Hear Me (Object Talk) Click here

PRAYER/SNACK (10 MINUTES)Further info? Click here For today's snack, bring Rice Krispy treats. Start by praying to God and thanking Him for hearing our prayers. As the children eat their snacks,ask them what other foods or snacks make noise when you eat them (apples, potato chips, raw carrots, etc.). What foods make hardly anynoise (Jell-O, pudding, cheese, etc.)? To some adults, young children's voices may seem tiny and childish, like the silly sounds made by somefoods, but to God the words spoken by children, especially in prayer are very important. God hears and answers those prayers the same as Hedoes for older people.

CLOSING ACTIVITY (5-10 MINUTES)Telephone (Game) Have the children sit in a circle, or around the table. Start with one child and whisper one of the phrases shown below into his or her ear. Havethat child whisper the same phrase into the ear of the child to his or her left, and continue around the circle until the last child is told thephrase. Then have the last child say what he or she heard out loud to see how close it was to the original phrase. As children leave, simplymake the circle smaller.

Phrases:God will always hear our prayers.It makes Jesus very happy when we pray.If we ask anything in Jesus' name, He will do it.We can pray anytime, morning, noon, or night.

Compare this game to how when we pray, God hears exactly what we mean to say, even when we don't say it exactly the way we want.

NEXT WEEK

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Come back next week to learn ways that we can worship God.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON TAKE HOME PAGEGive one copy to each child at the end of the class to take home [PDF]. Click here

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GUESS WHAT YOU HEAR? !In this free preschool activity, children guess which sounds are made by different items, and learn that Jesus knows exactly whowe are when we pray.

TOPICS:Listening, Prayer

MATERIALS:Whistle, Harmonica, Stapler, Bell, Baby rattleAny other familiar item that makes a nice sound

DURATION:Approximately 10 minutes

PREPARATION:Before class, find five or six familiar items that make an identifiable sound, such as the examples above. Put all of these items into a largepaper bag.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:You will go before the class, and have everyone close their eyes as you remove one item at a time from the bag, and make a noise with it. (Youwill also want to turn your back to the class, and hide the item you are using as best as possible so kids who are peeking will not see it.) Aftermaking the noise, place the item back into the bag, and then let the kids open their eyes. Then ask them if they know what the item was bythe sound they heard. Let them know if they were right or wrong before going to the next item in the bag.

WHAT YOU WILL SAY:Sometimes we can tell what something is just by the sound it makes. At other times, just hearing the sound is not enough. We need to see italso. But when we pray, we don't need to worry about how we sound, or if God will hear us. He will know who it is, because Jesus takes ourprayers to the Father. We can pray and be sure that God will hear and answer our prayers.

The Bible says, "And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us whenwe make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for." 1 John 5:14-15 NLT

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GOD CAN HEAR ME !Talking with God is easy!

TOPICS:Prayer

MATERIALS:2 Cans or paper cupsSmall nail and hammerLong piece of string

DURATION:Approximately 7 minutes

PREPARATION:Before class use the small nail and hammer to punch a hole in the bottom of each can or paper cup. The hole should be in the center. Push thestring through the hole in the first can and tie a knot at the end of the string so that it cannot pull through the hole in the can. Repeat thisprocess for the second can.

WHAT YOU WILL SAY:Begin by asking the children to name ways in which we can communicate over long distances. (The list may include letter, e-mail, phone) Tellthe children that long ago people used to send messages over something called a telegraph. A telegraph was a machine that would send aspecial code across wires. Telegraphs sent messages from one city to another.

Say, "I'll demonstrate this for you, but I need a volunteer to help me." Once you have selected your helper, ask the child to take one of thecans and walk away from you until the string is tight. Have the child hold the can up to their ear; let them know that you are going to pull thestring taunt so they need to have a good grip on the can. Once the child has the can up to his or her ear, whisper, "God loves you very much."into your can. The child should be able to hear the message loud and clear, if not, try repeating the message a bit louder.

Over the years, things have certainly changed. We went from the telegraphs to telephones and from telephones to cell phones. We can now callsomeone we know just about any place in the world and the devices we use do not have to be connected by wires.

Boys and girls did you know that there is even a better way to communicate? It is called prayer. Prayer is the most powerful form ofcommunication we have. When we pray, we talk directly to God. Prayer is the prefect way to communicate with God. Prayer will never change,it's the same today as it was hundred or thousands of years ago. We can talk to God anytime or any place by simply praying to Him.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TAKE HOME PAGE

To parents: This page lets you know what your child learned today in Sunday School. Included are

"Words to Remember" from the Bible, a suggested activity to reinforce the lesson, and a short prayer. Being involved and interacting with your child can be very rewarding for both of you.

© Kids Sunday School Place, Inc. Al l Rights Reserved. www.kidssundayschool.com

What We Learned: Today, your child learned about a woman named Hannah. She was a very sad woman because she thought she could not have any babies. However, she prayed repeatedly for a son and even promised to give him back to God! She was determined. After some time, God answered her prayer and gave her a son, whom she named Samuel. God always listens to our prayers and He wants us to pray to Him. Sometimes we don’t know what to say, but we can always ask for God's help. He hears our prayers. Like Hannah, we only need to pray continually to Him! (Scripture used: 1 Samuel 1:10-17, 20)

Words to Remember: (Bible versions used are selected to help young children learn and understand the meaning of scripture.) "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:14 NIV Practice this verse several times with your child during the week. This will help him or her remember the verse, and it will help to reinforce what he or she learned during class.

Suggested Parent/Child Activity: Ask your child if he or she has anything for which to be thankful. Find out if your child knows whom to thank for these things. Also, take this time to remind your child that if there is ever a need, we are always welcome to talk (pray) to God. He is always listening to our prayers. Then, take some time each day this week to pray with your child and thank God for at least one specific thing. Choose something different each day. Remind your child that what we need to be most thankful for is that God sent His Son for us.

Daily Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for this chance to spend some time with You. I am grateful for being able to sit here and talk about all the great things You have done. I am thankful for the opportunity to ask for Your help whenever I am in need. I am so glad that You are always right here to listen to what I have to say. Amen.

PRAYER

LESSON 1: WHY PRAY? !Lessons in this series: 1 2 3 Overview

This first Sunday school lesson of a series that will introduce children to the importance of prayer in their daily lives.

TOPICSChristian Living, Knowing God, Listening, Prayer, Relationships

AS KIDS ARRIVE (10 MINUTES)Display the following items on a table:

Telephone Newspaper Letters & Envelopes Road Map Radio

As the children arrive, give them a sheet of paper and ask them to list what they think the items on the table have in common. Just beforeclass starts let the kids know that all the things displayed on the table are used to communicate with each other. Today our lesson is aboutanother way we communicate. More specifically, it is about how we communicate with God.

OPENING PRAYER AND PRAISE (5 MINUTES)Further info? Click here

MEMORY WORK (12 MINUTES)"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" Jeremiah 29:13 NIVWrite the verse on the board. Say the verse together as a group several times. Then erase one word. Have the kids say the verse correctlyagain with the missing word. Then erase another word and say the verse again. Continue erasing words until the kids can say the entire versewithout seeing the words.

SCRIPTURE READING AND DISCUSSION (15 MINUTES)Introduction:Today we will learn that prayer is communicating or talking with God. We may not be able to call God on the telephone or send Him a letter, butprayer is just as real as e-mail or newspapers. Why should we pray? Because it makes our relationship with God stronger. Could you imaginetrying to have a best friend without communicating with them? Prayer is seeking God and His direction for our lives. Praying also helps keep usout of trouble. Jesus told us to pray, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." (Matthew 26:41)

Read James 5:13-16 (The Prayer of Faith)Have the kids find James 5:13-16 in their Bibles. Ask for a volunteer to read the passage, or if you prefer, read the passage to the childrenyourself.

Discussion Questions:1. What is prayer? (Prayer is spiritual communication between ourselves and God.)2. Can you pray when you are in trouble? (Yes.)3. Can you pray when you are happy? (Yes.)4. What is another name for happy prayers? (Praises.)5. What are some of the examples of why to pray mentioned in James 5:13-16? (When you are in trouble, when you are happy, when you aresick, to show faith, for confession of sin, and to pray for others.)6. What else can we pray for? (Some examples include: Guidance, Protection, Strength, Wisdom.)7. Is the prayer of a righteous man powerful? Is it effective? (Yes the Bible tells us in James 5:16b that the prayers of the righteous are bothpowerful and effective.)

CLASS EXERCISE (5 MINUTES)Answers Without Speaking (Activity) Click here

ALTERNATE CLASS EXERCISE (20 MINUTES)Jesus Pillow (Craft) Click here

APPLICATION (2 MINUTES)Why pray? It's simple, to talk with God and to get His direction for our lives. God is so good and will help us when we are happy, sad, sick oreven when we're in trouble. God will give us wisdom, strength and understanding if we only ask Him. In fact God is willing to give us manygood things as long as we ask for them in accordance to His Will. God answers our prayers with signs, the Holy Spirit and His Word, the Bible.When we pray our relationship with God grows.

NEXT WEEKDid you ever see a human that thought he was a robot? If not, be sure to come back next week.

CLOSING PRAYER (2 MINUTES)Further info? Click here

TAKE HOME PAGE

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Give one copy to each child at the end of the class to take home. Click here for NIV or KJV [PDF]

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ANSWERS WITHOUT SPEAKING !Through this Sunday school activity, Children learn that God can answer our prayers without speaking.

TOPICS:Guidance, Holy Spirit, Prayer

MATERIALS:Cup of water, piece of fruit, index cardsHand drawn map of the church,Picture of a stop sign [PDF] Click here

DURATION:Approximately 5 minutes

PREPARATIONHand draw a map of the church. Print the following questions on index cards: 1. I am hungry; can you help me? 2. I need water for my plant; can you help me? 3. I really like your church; can you tell me how to locate the sanctuary to attend the service? 4. I'm thinking about joining a gang; what do you think about that?

WHAT YOU WILL DO:Place the first four objects on a table and ask for two volunteers. Give the index cards to the first volunteer and he or she will verbally ask thequestions to the second volunteer. The second volunteer may use any of the objects on the table to answer the questions, but may not speak.See how many of the questions can be answered. If time permits, allow other volunteers to play the two roles.

WHAT YOU WILL SAY:(After the questions have been asked and answered to the best of the student's ability, say the following:)

The cup of water and the piece of fruit represent how God answers our prayers for our physical needs. By supplying food, drink, homes andmedicine, He shows that He cares for us.

The map and picture of the stop sign represent how God speaks to us through His written word—the Bible. The Bible is similar to a map, orowner's manual, for our lives.

God also speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, which is the part of us that feels guilty or bad when we know in our hearts that we didsomething wrong. In addition, this part of us feels happy and joyful when we worship and praise God.

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JESUS PILLOW !As children drift off to sleep, they think about Jesus. Then in the morning, they thank Him for a new day.

TOPICS:Prayer, Protection, Thankfulness

MATERIALS:White pillow case for each childColored Permanent MarkersCardboard insert for each childBlank sheets of 8 1/2 X 11 paper

DURATION:Approximately 20 minutes

PREPARATION:Depending on the age of the children, you may want to draw the picture on the pillowcase and have them color it in. Older children can do theentire project by themselves.

Insert the piece of cardboard into the pillowcase; this will keep the marker from going through to the other side of the pillow. You may want tohave the children practice their designs on a blank sheet of paper first.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:Give each of the children in your class a pillowcase (and cardboard insert). On one side, have the children draw a large picture of a smilingsunrise. Have the kids write the words "Rise and shine, give God the glory, glory, children of the Lord." around the smiling sunrise.

Once complete, flip the pillowcase over and draw a picture of a rainbow. Have the children write, "Watch over me as I sleep, sweet Lord Jesus."

WHAT YOU WILL SAY:Each morning when you wake up, turn your pillow over to the side that says "Rise and shine, give God the glory, glory, children of the Lord."This will remind us to give God thanks for each day. When you get ready to go to sleep turn the pillow over to the side that says, "Watch overme as I sleep, sweet Lord Jesus." with God watching over us, we know we willl have a good night's sleep.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TAKE HOME PAGE

To parents: This page lets you know what your child learned in Sunday school today. In addition, you will

find this week's memory verse, a suggested activity, and a short prayer to reinforce the lesson. Being involved and interacting with your child can be very rewarding for both of you.

© Kids Sunday School Place, Inc. Al l Rights Reserved. www.kidssundayschool.com

What we learned: Today, we learned why we pray. It's simple, to talk with God and to get His direction for our lives. God is so good and will help us when we are happy, sad, sick or even when we're in trouble. God will give us wisdom, strength and understanding if we only ask Him. In fact God is willing to give us many good things as long as we ask for them in accordance to His will. (Scripture used: James 5:13-16)

Memory Verse: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 NIV Practice this verse with your child during the week. This will not only help him or her remember the verse, but it will also help give your child a desire to commune with God on a regular basis.

Suggested Parent/Child Activity: 1) Ask your child if he or she could become close friends to someone if he or she never communicated with the other person. 2) Ask your child how much he or she would learn at school if he or she never opened the books or listened to the teacher. Take time to explain the points above are also true with our relationship with God. We must take time to communicate with God through prayer. We can listen to God and learn many important truths by reading God's Word, the Bible.

Daily Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for hearing our voices and turning Your ear to us.We thank You for hearing our prayers and for acting on our behalf. We thank You and are grateful for all that You provide. May we have the wisdom to seek You each and every day. Amen