On Sundays I do the children's time or "sermon" during our worship service. Sometimes they come from an online source or something I have read about, but other times they just fall in my lap. Babyboy is almost 4 now. He and his mother have a habit of praying for anyone they see who might need it. They will be driving and he will see a car that had had a bump up or something and he will ask what happened and she says she doesn't know, but they can pray for the person. So you get the idea. Anyway, recently he noticed a report on TV about someone who had died and someone was crying. He asked what was wrong and his mom explained that someone had died. He doesn't understand death, but he knows the sign for it and that is how she explained it. So a few minutes later he was out of her sight and she started looking for him. She found him at the end of the hallway with his eyes closed and his hands folded. He was saying, " God is great, God is good...." So my idea for the children's sermon is to use that story as an example of children never being too young to pray. Babyboy didn't know exactly how to pray for the person on TV, but he knew what counted. God IS great and God IS good. He may only be nearly four years old, but I think he is on the right path. I think the kids will enjoy this and get the idea that I am building on. I want them to learn to pray now while they are little. Not just recite prayers but to talk to God. So what do you think? Is it to much for children 10 and under?
it is not to much for childern to understand, my kids pray all the time, when they were little they would get hurt and ask someone to pray for them. I was sick one day and my little one who was only 2 at the time saw that I was not feeling well asked me and when i told her i was sick she put her little hand on my head and prayed for God to make mommy better. they understand! I am a pastor's wife and believe that teaching young childern to pray is important. fishers for kids has some great puppet skits for prayer if you use puppets in your ministry. I would love to hear back and found out what the kids thought of your lesson.
I think it's great! I agree that children need to get the concept of prayer down. They can focus on improving their time with God as they get older-but just knowing to pray and seek God for guidance is a great thing to instill in them! I think your onto something here.
Thank you both. I think they will like it. I want them to "get it" that they are not too young to pray. I worry that some of our church kids feel like only the adults can pray. In my Sunday School class of 4th and 5th graders I always end up doing the prayer. I try to get the kids to pray but they never want to. Any ideas on getting them to do the prayer would be appreciated. We keep a class prayer journal and they all give me their prayer concerns and I write them in the book under the day's date. Then when we finish not one of them will ever lead the prayer time. It is a small class of no more than 8 kids who all know each other very well. Thanks, Beth
"Children are NOT the church of tomorrow, but the church of TODAY." Something I heard said a good number of years ago that I never forgot. I am blessed with a church that encourages its children and young people to take part. We often have people with needs to stand or raise their hands, and the pastor asks people around them to lay hands on them and pray. Phillip will go up to total strangers and pray for them! Isn't it great? Beth, you know God has His hand on Baby Boy in a special way! (Do you need to start calling him Preschool Boy now, lol!!!
NO! Jackie! Say it isn't so! I guess I have to deal with the fact that he really will be in preschool this fall. Where did the last four years go? He is getting so big now. He and his mother kept Emily at their house today while Crystal had her wisdom teeth taken out and he was so proud to get to take her to Olive Garden for lunch. Our youth kids are a huge part of our church activities. I consider our church family to be one of my biggest blessings. We have some great kids and youth that I have watched grow up. Sigh. The years go by so fast. Beth
What a great story. I think it would be perfect for your story time. In my class at church (ages 4-9) we sometimes have a prayer circle. We hold hands and go around the circle and each person has a chance to pray, just a quick prayer and then they squeeze the hand of the next person. If they don't want to pray they can just squeeze the next hand and we move on. It seems to make it a little less intimadating than just one person being asked to pray.
Our Sunday School lesson was on prayer so the children's story fit in with it great. I told them the story about Babyboy and how he prayed God is great God is good when he heard someone had died, then I talked about how some of the kids in my SS class had just told me they worried about praying aloud because they were afraid they would say the wrong thing and it made them nervous for people to hear them. I told them that we do often get nervous about talking to God in front of others but that we needed to be like my little friend. Even though he prayed the wrong prayer for that particular situation he had the most important thing correct, God IS great and God IS good and we can go to him in prayer whenever we feel the need. You could have heard a pin drop and the kids loved it. I really think even the younger ones got it. Beth
Beth, that is so sweet, what a wonderful story. Babyboy is so lucky to have you all in your life. Yes, I agree with Jackie he is a preschool babyboy. So, sad. Seems like we all know him her too, it's hard to believe he is in preschool, now Beth, slow him down. LOL thanks for sharing.
Beth, just read this thread. What a beautifully sweet picture you paint of "babyboy" praying. How precious are children! I can only imagine how that prayer touched Jesus. Out of the mouth of babes..... Jackie, you are so right, our children are the church of today. Beth, keep up the good work that you're doing with the little ones in your church. It's an important ministry! LR
