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Suffice to say that "prayer" is a topic and habit that deserves a church's full attention at every level of its life and program. This article addresses some key issues and techniques particular to prayer in the Sunday School classroom. It also has suggestions for our computer lab customers who are using their software as one of their tools to teach about prayer. This article also includes techniques for using our Galilee Flyer CD, Let's Talk CD, and Say Your Prayers CD. Hope this helps! <>< Neil

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Prayer Goals for Sunday School:

We need to teach "about" prayer, -what it is, why we pray, and the power of prayer.

We need to demonstrate how to pray, -the posture, the language, the subject matter.

We need to practice praying with children, not just for them.

And we need to teach them not only how to pray with us, --but on their own.

I've been teaching Sunday School since 1977, seen a lot of curriculum, worked to rebuild Sunday Schools in several churches as a volunteer and as a pastor. I've also been a leader in the Workshop Rotation movement (rotation.org) and through my Sunday Software work.  What I've seen and experienced is that "About Prayer" often gets left out of curriculum and/or left un-discussed with our teachers. 

Many falsely assume that "because we pray with them" --then the kids must know what prayer is. Somehow it must be rubbing off. But in fact, because of the way most teachers incorporate prayer in their lessons, our students are exposed to a limited understanding and practice.

Some wrong ways to teach about prayer...

Wrong Way #1:  
Always leave it to "the last thing". It sends the wrong message when we save prayer to the end, and the kids are looking at the clock, mom is at the door, people are getting their coats on, and of the sudden somebody says, "let's pray!"  It teaches that prayer is an interruption, ...an after-thought, something to quickly "tack on". --and that's wrong.

Wrong Way #2:
Many teachers use prayer to "summarize the lesson", or slip in content they forgot to include earlier. Pastors make this same mistake in worship, --repeating their sermon points. Rather than conversation with God, we turn prayer into our "conclusion" or "the teacher's final comments" ...and that's wrong.

Wrong Way #3:
Because the teacher is rushed, or because they are trying to summarize, or because the kids don't feel comfortable joining in, the teacher prays and the kids merely listen, --and that's wrong too because prayer is something you do, not just listen to.

You and I could add more to this list, but let's move on.

Here's a Starter List of Guidelines for Classroom Prayer...

  Prayer in the Sunday School should not be left to the very end of every lesson.

  It should be participatory, -without putting students on the spot.

  It should feature age-appropriate language and concerns.

  Prayer should include time for personal silent reflection. (After all, that's how most of us pray)

  Prayers should be offered through a variety of creative approaches and expressions. (see my techniques below for ideas about this)

  Prayer should be prepared for and discussed. This includes pre-prayer briefing and de-briefing the prayer. (ex. "What should we pray for today?" "How would you say that in a prayer?" and "I noticed in your prayer that you said....")

Below you will find some techniques and ideas that address these guidelines.

A Few More Tips on Teaching Kids to Pray

1.  Kids Need Prompts

Sound Familiar #1:

Teacher: "Jenny, would you like to start us off with prayer?"
Jenny: "No."

Look Familiar #2:

Teacher: "Let's hold hands, I'll start, and then we'll go around the room and each of you can add to the prayer."
Students: (collectively) "Gulp!"

Fear of speaking in public is very common, that's why traditional group praying often fails with children (and many adults). Rather than stumble over their worst fears, create "prayer prompts" and give kids a moment to prepare what they're going to say.

A "Prayer Prompt" can as simple as a stack of 3x5 cards you pull out during each lesson on which you've fill-in-the-blank statements, such as,

"Today, I'd like to thank God for __________, because, ___________."
"Dear God, help me to be more like ___________ in today's lesson. Help me to be more ________."

Kids like to pull slips out of a jar or hat too. Create a positive air of anticipation, not an expectation of dread.

Some teachers verbally prompt by calling out a child's name and asking them "what are you thankful for?" Such verbal shout-outs put kids on the spot, and make most uncomfortable.

Prayer Prompts can also include open-ended statements, followed by a moment of silence. (Just don't rush the silence.)

Teacher Prompt:  Lord, in a moment you will hear each of us pray silently for some trouble we have been in this past week. Someone we have hurt with our words, or been mean to. Hear us now as we silently say the name of the person we have hurt or been mean to this past week. (silence)  Next time we see them Lord, help us to be kind and forgiving.

(I once had my kids "whisper" the person's name they were having trouble with. It was a powerful moment, and I believe that hearing each other confess, -even in a whisper, was a great teaching moment.) 

From time to time I've had kids create their own "silent prayer prompts" to be spoken out loud on the computer. They type in a sentence about something to pray for, and include a stock prompt phrase, for example..."Lord hear us silently say the name of the person who hurt us".  When each computer station is ready, we assume a prayer posture (eyes attentive, but posture relaxed) and I point at a station to have them play their prayer line. Then we pause for a moment of silence for the kids to complete their thought, and I finish with, "Lord hear our prayer" --which signals everyone to look up for the next computer to press their play button.

2.  Kids need simple language

Prayer doesn't have to sound professorial, or theological, or even somber. When you set the standard too high for the average person, you are not giving them a tool, you are giving them a speech impediment!

If you're going to use theological language, unpack it with the kids before the prayer. Invite them to come up with alternative words.

3.  Kids Need Different Ways to Share

Prayer is sometimes too deep for words. A drawing can be a prayer. So can sharing a posture or hand position or facial expression.  Prayer is sometimes better without words, or just a few words, rather than too many. (I've even had kids go around and just pray "just three words" about how today's lesson made them feel. After about three kids have done this, they'll rest will tend to start using the same words, so challenge them to use new words. Sometimes, just by creating a bit of a 'game' about the responses helps take the nervousness out of the moment). 

Example of a Posture Prayer from one of my classrooms:

Teacher:
Show me with your arms how you feel about God.
Show me with your facial expression how you think God feels about you.
Show me with a sound how you are feeling about your life right now.
Show me with your hands how you feel about how much God cares for you.
Show me with your whole body what kind of life you think God wants you to live for him.

The first time through it took a bit for the kids to get the hang of this, but they catch on.

Praying through the use of typed content is another way to pray. It gives them composition time, removes the pressure of having to come up with something in front of their peers, and when the computer plays the prayer, it allows everyone to hear what people have to pray.

One creative teacher of mine created "Prayer Dice". She had two large boxes decorated with Prayer Starter Sentences on each face. The kids would role the dice and get to choose which starter sentence they wanted to finish. The teacher would occasionally changed the statements. Starter statement examples: "Thank God for something you are really happy about right now."  "Turn to the person on your right and whisper the name of someone you have been mean to recently and need their forgiveness."

4. Prompting Children to Pray for Themselves

Prayers should not be generic or merely focused on the day's lesson. Prayer is primarily personal, and we need to encourage children to pray for themselves and those they are closed to.

Prompted Public Prayer Example:

Teacher: In a moment, I'm going to have you repeat after me. When I get to the part where I say "put in a name" I want you to put in the name of someone you are not getting along with. You can say that person's name as quietly or as loudly as you want to. I'm also going to list on the board several things God could help us with, and when I get to that place in the prayer where you ask God for help, say out loud the thing on the board which you want to ask God for. (examples of "things to ask God for" on the board could include:  listen better, have more patience, work harder, forgive, spend more time with, stay away from, pray for strength).

Prompted Silent Prayer Example:

Teacher: "I want you to think of a problem you're having right now at home (with a friend, at school). Close your eyes and think of it. Now repeat after me:  God, help me to solve my problem. Help me to not worry about it so much. Help me to heal the problem by being more loving and forgiving. And even if the problem doesn't get better, let me know that you still love me, and will help me get through it."

Prompted Prayer Slips Example:

Write down several prompts on prayer slips and hand them out randomly prior to the prayer.

Example of Prayer Slip:

The problem in my life that I'm most worried about right now is....

Lord, I ask prayers for ___________ who is having a problem.

MIX IT UP: At times you can help children verbalize this in front of others, but this can also be something between them and God. You can have them verbalize their concern to a friend in the group. And you can from time to time ask them to share a concern with the whole group. Teaching our children to share their concerns with others is part of prayer instruction, but some will come to it more quickly than others.

5. Prayer That Goes Home

We all need reminders. Most of us respond to visual cues. Thus, in the rest of your teaching about prayer, you'll want to have students regularly create things that remind them to pray. The younger they are, the easier it is to come up with ideas. The older they are, the "cooler" your ideas need to be. In one church where I served, we had families create colorful plastic prayer jars filled with all sorts of prayers, including prayers from other families in the church. These were very popular at the dinner table. Wall hanging, "Disturb Me...I'm always up! ~God" doorknob hangers were fun for the older kids (we bought the plastic and the kids cut it with scissors). Prayer "Mezuzahs" on doorposts were popular. They had a small slot for special prayers. As privacy was a big issue with older kids, you have to think creatively about that one. Prayer rocks that the kids wrote "hopes" on, then buried at the church in the "prayer rock garden" were really popular (every time they walked by they remembered).

6. Teach How Prayers are Answered

Children do not intuitively understand how we "listen" for God's "voice" inside us, or through others, or how we hear him amidst the daily events of our lives. They don't yet understand how we hear God talking to us in a baby's cry, or in a sunset. They don't yet comprehend how a feeling of confirmation after prayer and reflection can be interpreted as God's answer to prayer. They are focused on the "concrete" things ...the asking for, -which often reflects the "my will" instead of the "thy will" be done, which Jesus spoke about.

Jesus says, "ask and you will receive." But he also taught us to ask for what we "truly" need, and not for something ridiculous. God answers us by giving us what we need (bread) rather than stones (things that we really don't need). Part of prayer instruction is helping kids decipher what it is we really need to ask for, versus what we "think" we need. The teacher can discuss some options of "what to ask for" prior to the group's prayer.

Jesus also taught us that WE were part of God's answer to other people's prayers, --this is why God commissions us to care for others.

Prompted Prayers-Answered Examples:

Example:  
The teacher says: "During our prayer, I'm going to stop so you can mention the name of someone who needs your help. Maybe its a brother or sister, or parent, or neighbor, or friend at school. Say their name silently when I prompt you to." The teacher continues... "Lord, each of us now is thinking of a person at our school who needs a friend, listen to us as we silently speak their name (silence, and then...)  God remind us to go to this person the next time we see them. And help us to be a friend to all, and not be bullies or talk bad about others. (etc)."

Teaching "About" Prayer with software

Many of us use The Lord's Prayer as an opportunity to formally teach our kids "about prayer." And while you certainly don't want to limit your "about prayer" teaching to just this time and story, it's a great opportunity, in part, because this prayer is central to Christian worship. Thus, any lessons we can "hang on it" in the learner's memory, will get recall. (see my personal note about recall below)

The Lord's Prayer was Jesus' response to the Disciple's request that he teach them how to pray. It's a "template" that teaches us what our priorities in prayer should be, what we should ask for, the kind of language we should use, and the personal nature ("Abba") of prayer.

We have a fun game called "Galilee Flyer" CD which teaches the Lord's Prayer, and also "About Prayer".  Not only does the game teach the Lord's Prayer into memory, but it has many Q & A pop-ups and Comment pop-ups that illuminate the topic of prayer. View the CD's description and content for more details. www.sundaysoftware.com/flyer.htm

It takes about 35 minutes to play the Lord's Prayer in Galilee Flyer. Younger children will need navigational help.

Galilee Flyer is good for ages 9 to 17, and it also has three other "Jesus subject" games that cover important Jesus teachings.

A Lord's Prayer Lesson I've Never Forgotten I don't remember a lot of what Irv Tingley, my old Sunday School teacher taught us, (Irv was so old! --he was probably at least as old as I am now, hahaha), but I have never forgotten "the trick" Irv taught me about praying the Lord's Prayer. We were complaining about how "BORING" it was to say the same thing over and over again. And that's when he taught us his trick: He emphasized different words each time he said it. Example: One week he'd emphasize, "Our FATHER who art in heaven". and the next he'd emphasize, "OUR Father who art in heaven". And then he said the most amazing thing. He said, "Your mind can think amazing thoughts in the blink of an eye, right in the middle of that prayer before you get to the next word." It can think about what your new emphasis might mean. It's like slowing down time."  We started practicing it, and Irv Tingley was right!  And ever since then, when I pray the Lord's Prayer and consciously emphasize different words and phrases, I can hear my mind conversing with those different emphases in that moment of frozen time.  "OUR" Father ...not just my, we are all God's children. "Hallowed be THY name ...and my own not so much!"  "THY will be done... not MY will."  To this day, I still say Lord's Prayer this way. GIVE us this day  ~   Give US this day   ~  Give us this DAY Give us this day OUR daily bread Give us this day our daily BREAD. I've adapted Irv's lesson on the computer too.  I've had my kids type lines of the Lord's Prayer emphasizing different words, and include their thoughts on what the new meaning of their emphasis might be. We'd hear each computer speak it out loud, then discuss it. I have taught Irv's technique to a dozen Confirmation classes, as well. Here's how we'd do it:  I'd speak a line of the Lord's Prayer in a flat monotone, then point to someone who would repeat it with one word emphasized. then I'd point to another student who would have to emphasize it differently. Then another. Then another.  Then we'd backtrack and I'd ask the kids to chime in with what they thought the new spoken emphasis brought to the Prayer. It was powerful stuff. Thanks Irv!

Learn more about Galilee Flyer CD

We also have a very cute Preschooler software program about prayer. It's called "Say Your Prayers with Lil Angelina". It features 21 familiar traditional children's prayer in a fun interactive environment.

 

A Few Last Suggestions:

The children's sermon is a natural place to regularly model and discuss prayer. See my 7 Tips to Better Children's Sermons article at www.sundaysoftware.com/articles/chsermons.htm

I'm a BIG believe in SHARING the prayer responsibilities in worship. Expose your congregation to a wide variety of voices, rather than the monotone of the pastor.

Study the Psalms with your older children. They reveal the language and tone of prayer better than any other scriptures. Lines from various psalms also make good artistic teaching wall displays. Post them in your classrooms and have kids incorporate them into take-home projects.

I have written a post for preacher about Suggestions for the Pastoral Prayer over in my Sunday Resources.net blog, http://sundayresources.net/neil/2011/07/05/the-problem-with-prayer-in-church/

If you have questions, email me at neil@sundaysoftware.com  <>< Neil