Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James 3:13 ESV
** First, I would like to thank you for your prayers this past week and beyond. My immediate family had a stressful week….my son-in-law had a bad bicycle accident (he is an avid biker). He is now recovering from surgery to his right elbow and all the bumps and bruise that he had from the accident. The financial aspect of someone being unable to perform their jobs bring hardship to the family at large. We know that God is control and have worked that out with HIM. Just know that you cared meant a lot to me. So when I read this devotion this week I thought of you and the importance of teaching our children to pray for others and rely on HIS strength in their own world. We must teach them to care about the big and little things that come their way.
Praying With Others
Mar 07, 2017 06:00 am
Don’t be afraid to pray with people. I know praying out loud scares a lot of people – we become self-conscious about our words – but God has a way of translating our prayers into something beautiful in the ears of those we’re praying with. You don’t have to pray long. Just pray specifically. And if you don’t know what to pray, say, God, I really don’t know how to pray here, but I know You love my friend, and I ask that Your will be done.
Remember that God invites us to pray. He wants us to talk to Him. Prayer is more than just praying for a list of things and people. It is a way of deepening our relationship with God.
Prayer Ideas & Activities:
*Five Finger Prayer Game
This game and the following ACTS Prayer were recommended by Children’s Pastor Julie Scheibe, who says that young children are accustomed to learning through games that help them remember facts and concepts.
To do the Five Finger Prayer Game, have the kids hold their hands together in prayer, using each finger as a guide:
Thumb: Say a prayer for those closest to you.
Pointer: Say a prayer for school teachers and Sabbath School teachers.
Middle: Say a prayer for the president.
Ring: Say a prayer for the sick.
Pinky: Say a prayer for yourself.
*ACTS Prayer for Children
The ACTS method of prayer involves four steps: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. When this method is used by adults, it results in a lengthier prayer time, as several moments are spent in reflection on Bible verses that support each part of the prayer.
Most young children won’t understand what each letter of the ACTS acronym means, so instead, use it as a guide to take them through the prayer time as follows, pausing after each step for a minute or so to allow time for prayer. This is another activity that is easy to use at home or in Sabbath School.
Adoration: First, tell God how much you love him.
Confession: Then, tell God about what you have done wrong and tell him you are sorry. He will forgive you, but he asks that you don’t do this thing again.
Thanksgiving: Think about all the good things in your life and thank God for these blessings.
Supplication: Pray \PRAYER-O-METER: Children can draw a long Meter on their own piece of paper or a very LONG meter on the classroom wall on a poster board. Title the meter, PRAYER-O-METER. Add lines to the meter for every prayer and begin to fill in the lines as children say who they have prayed for or for the number of children who pray during class time in a prayer circle. Each week, the lines can be colored in as the children share who they have been praying for. This will encourage the children to pray for others and to see how many weeks it will take to have their PRAYER-O-METER reach the top!
DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!
VBS Showcase: Please plan to come and view the 2017 VBS Programs. I know we will have one that your church can use this summer. There will be lots of “Freebies”… even VBS Kits etc,
March 11 VBS 2017 Showcase @ Fla Conference Community Room
Florida Conference address: 351 S State Road 434 Altamonte Springs Florida 32714
Looking forward to SEEING you there. Questions? Just ask!
Don’t forget set your clocks back this coming weekend. Remember “Fall Back” and you may get an extra hour of sleep.
Praying for each of you and your families. Be safe in all you do. Keep Smiling and know that God cares and loves YOU.