We’ve all heard the acronyms, FROG and PUSH (that’s Fully Rely on God and Pray Until Something Happens.) These might motivate teens and adults to pray but kids need something more. Prayer isn’t a natural impulse but once kids get the power of prayer, they will want to participate.
Let me say this, when parents teach their children to pray, they team them a spiritual life skill that will provide them with comfort and hope for the rest of their lives. However, the truth is, some parents aren’t that comfortable teaching prayer because they don’t have the confidence or in some case, the know-how. Here’s where you and I come in! We get to teach kids prayer too only we can use the flashing light prayer object lesson.
Red Light Prayer Alert
For this object lesson, you’ll need a flashing red light, like the kind you get from a party store. You can find some online too for under $20. It’s worth the investment because after this object lesson, you can use it for other things like praise and worship. Set the light on a table in the teaching area. Flip the light on and ask the kids what it means. “That’s right! It means there’s any emergency–get out of the way! Help is on the way! When we pray, our words are like this red light! It flashes and God sees it! Then help is on its way!”
Now turn the light off. Say, “See these are my regular words. I am talking to you and you and you. No red lights on my words. But now look,” flip the light on, “Lord I pray to you for all my friends… See God knows when I am talking to Him and when I am talking to others. When I’m talking to God, He listens and sends help when I need it. He will send peace, forgiveness, love and sometimes He even talks back, when I listen carefully. Are you ready to pray?”
As always, send home a snippet of what you taught in your weekly bulletin. It helps parents so many ways!
Read more from Mimi by following her blog at Tools for Kids Church.
- 5 Flashlight Object Lessons about God’s Light
- Talking to God: Object Lessons on Prayer
- Breaking the Law Object Lesson from 1 John 3:4-5