Jesus Makes Time to Pray
Luke 5:15-16
Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called the Gospel of Luke. Luke loved Jesus and wanted others to know and love Jesus, too. And the word gospel means “good news!”
Jesus loved people. Everywhere Jesus went, people wanted to see Him. They wanted to hear Him teach about God. People who were sick came to Jesus because they hoped He would help them. Soon, more and more people heard about Jesus. Big crowds came to see Him! Jesus was very busy teaching people, helping people, and caring for them. But even when Jesus was busy, He remembered something very important. Jesus made time to pray.
Sometimes Jesus would leave the busy crowds and go to a quiet place. There, Jesus could spend time talking with God.
Jesus loved His Father, and prayer was an important part of His life.
We can make time to talk with God, too.
We can pray when we wake up in the morning.
We can pray before we eat our food.
We can pray while we are outside enjoying God's beautiful world.
We can pray when we are happy, sad, worried, or afraid.
We can pray before we go to sleep at night.
We don't need to find the same kind of quiet place Jesus found. We can talk with God almost anywhere!
And our prayers don't have to be long.
We might simply say, “Thank You, God.”
Or, “Please help me, God.”
Or, “God, please take care of my friend.”
Or even, “I love You, God.”
Jesus made time to talk with God. We can make time to talk with God every day, too.
And whenever we pray, we can remember: God hears me when I pray.
Key Takeaway for Preschoolers
Jesus made time to pray. We can make time to talk with God every day.
Dear God,
Thank You for always being ready to hear us. Jesus made time to pray and talk with You. Help us remember to make time to talk with You, too. We can pray when we wake up, when we eat, when we play, and before we go to sleep. Help us remember that we can talk with You anytime and anywhere. Thank You for loving us and hearing us whenever we pray. We love You, God.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Bible Verse: “With God all things are possible.” — Matthew 19:26b, BSB
Paraphrase: “God can do anything.”
Activities
These activities help preschoolers engage with the story through movement, crafts, music, and storytelling, making the lesson fun and memorable.
1. When Can I Pray?
Objective: To help children understand that they can make time to talk with God throughout the day.
Materials: Picture cards showing different times and activities, such as waking up, eating breakfast, playing outside, riding in a car, being at church, eating dinner, and going to bed; Small basket or bag
Activity: Place the picture cards in the basket. Invite each child to choose one. Look at the picture together and ask, “Can we talk with God at this time?” For every picture, the answer is “Yes!”
Help the children think of something they might say to God at that time.
Morning: “Thank You, God, for a new day.”
Mealtime: “Thank You, God, for our food.”
Outside: “Thank You, God, for Your beautiful world.”
When something is hard: “Please help me, God.”
Bedtime: “Thank You, God, for taking care of me today.”
After each example, have everyone say: “I can talk with God anytime!”
Talk About It: “Jesus was very busy helping people, but He still made time to pray. We can make time to talk with God during our day, too. We can pray in the morning, while we play, before meals, at bedtime, and many other times.”
2. Finding a Quiet Place
Objective: To help children experience a brief period of quiet and understand why Jesus sometimes went to a quiet place to pray.
Materials: Small rug or blanket, Several cushions, if available, Optional battery-operated candle or lantern
Activity: Create a simple quiet area in the classroom. Explain that many people wanted to see Jesus, but sometimes Jesus went away from the crowds to a quiet place where He could pray. Invite the children to sit quietly for a very short time—perhaps 20 or 30 seconds for younger children and slightly longer for older preschoolers. Say softly: “Let's become very quiet. Think of something you would like to tell God.”
After a brief silence, offer prompts with pauses between them:
“Think of something you want to thank God for.”
“Think of someone you want God to help.”
“Think of something you want God's help with.”
Conclude together with: “Thank You, God, for hearing us when we pray. Amen.” Emphasize that a quiet place can help us pay attention to God, but we do not have to be somewhere quiet before God will hear us.
Talk About It: “Jesus sometimes went to a quiet place to pray. Quiet can help us think about God and what we want to say to Him. But we can talk with God anywhere.”
3. I Can Pray Every Day (Musical Activity)
Tune: The Farmer in the Dell (Public Domain)
Objective: To reinforce through music that prayer can become a natural part of every day.
Materials: None
Activity: Invite the children to stand in a circle and sing with simple motions. Stretch arms as though waking for “morning,” pretend to eat for “mealtime,” place hands beside the cheek for “bedtime,” and loosely hold hands together for “pray.”
Song Lyrics:
I can pray each day,
I can pray each day.
I can talk with God each day.
I can pray each day.
I can pray when I wake,
I can pray when I wake.
Thank You, God, for this new day.
I can pray when I wake.
I can pray when I eat,
I can pray when I eat.
Thank You, God, for food to eat.
I can pray when I eat.
I can pray before bed,
I can pray before bed.
Thank You, God, for loving me.
I can pray before bed.
Finish by having everyone say together: “God hears me when I pray!”
Talk About It: “Jesus made time to pray. We can make prayer part of our day, too. We don't have to use lots of words. Even a little prayer like ‘Thank You, God’ is a way of talking with God.”
4. My Prayer-Time Clock
Objective: To give children a visual reminder that there are many opportunities throughout the day to talk with God.
Materials: Paper plates or large paper circles, Crayons or washable markers, Four simple prepared picture symbols: sunrise, food, child playing, moon and stars; Glue sticks; Optional paper clock hands and brass fasteners, prepared and attached by an adult
Activity: Give each child a paper circle divided into four large sections. Help the children place or draw one simple picture in each section:
Sunrise — Morning: “Thank You, God, for a new day.”
Food — Mealtime: “Thank You, God, for my food.”
Playing — Daytime: “God, please be with me today.”
Moon and stars — Bedtime: “Thank You, God, for taking care of me.”
Children can color and decorate their prayer-time clocks. If movable clock hands are used, let the children point the hand toward different pictures while everyone practices a short prayer. Explain that the clock does not mean we can pray only at these four times. The pictures simply help us remember to make time for God throughout our day. Finish by moving the clock hand around the circle and asking: “When can we talk with God?”
Encourage the children to answer: “Anytime!”
Talk About It: “Jesus made time to talk with God even when He was busy. We can make time for God, too. We can pray for a long time or a very short time. We can pray in a quiet place or while we are doing other things. God is always ready to hear us.”
These final activities bring the collection together especially well. By Lesson 5, the children have learned a simple but substantial introduction to prayer: We can talk with God. We can thank and praise God. We can ask God for help. We can pray for other people. And we can make time to talk with God every day. Above all, they can carry with them the collection's simple memory-verse paraphrase: “God hears me when I pray.”
-
Story illustrations are the copyright of James M. Thomas. All rights reserved.
-
Comments
Post a Comment