Jesus Teaches Us How to Pray Matthew 6:5-13 up Large-Gron Lesso 1 W The Point X We pray as Jesus prayed. CHOOSE YOUR OPTIONS Key Verse Each option below is designed to last 10 minutes. The option used to tell the Bible story is designated with the Bible image. Always choose this option for your large-group time. Use the chart below to plan your large-group time in whatever order fits your needs. Check the options you want to use. Large Group Choose Your Options Welcome YOU’LL NEED i/FWFSTUPQQSBZJOHw —1 Thessalonians 5:17 LiÊUÊ/6ÊÀÊÛ`iÊ«ÀiVÌÊÕÌÊ6*1®ÊUÊ6Ê«>ÞiÀÊUÊ Ê«>ÞiÀÊ Get Your Supplies Planning Notes t -BSHF(SPVQ%7% iVÌÊ7ÌÊÀÕ«Ã Praise & Worship t -BSHF(SPVQ%7% -}ÊÌÊ"ÕÌ Tear off for easy planning. Game >}iÊÌÊ1« Interactive Story /Ü7>ÞÊ,i>Þ Response -iVÀiÌÊ*>Vi Skit *À>Þ}Ê ÌiÃÌÊ t -BSHF(SPVQ%7% t Colossal Crayon «ÀÛ`i`ÊÊÌ®Ê t -BSHF(SPVQ%7% t (SBGGJUJ#BMM«ÀÛ`i`ÊÊÌ® t Colossal Crayon «ÀÛ`i`ÊÊÌ® t -BSHF(SPVQ%7% t QBQFS t DSBZPOTPSNBSLFST t -BSHF(SPVQ%7% t QIPUPDPQJFTPGPraying Contest (p. 12) t TJHOUIBUTBZTi450.1:063'&&5w Teach the Key Verse anytime during large group. Small Group Preschool Supplies t UJNFS t XFUXJQFT WHAT GROUPS WILL NEED LiÃÊUÊLiÊiÀÞÊ>iÀÃÁÊUÊºÛ}ÊÃ`iÊ"ÕÌÊÛiÀÞÊ >Þt»Ê>`ÕÌÃÊ Lower Elementary Supplies t XFUXJQFT Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: The Art of Prayer granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. groupslivinginsideout.com Upper Elementary Supplies t XFUXJQFT Living Inside Out 5 «ÞÊÌÃÊ«>}i]Ê>`Ê`ÃÌÀLÕÌiÊÌÊÞÕÀÊi>`iÀÃ° Jesus Teaches Us How to Pray Matthew 6:5-13 LIVING INSIDE OUT Leader Insights CLEAN OUT THOSE EARS When Jesus speaks, we listen. When he hammers something hard, we SFBMMZMJTUFO8IFOIFCFHJOTUBMLJOHXJUIUIFXBSOJOHi8BUDIPVUwUIFO we know it’s time to sit up straight, clean out our ears, and really, really listen—Jesus is about to say something important. And that warning is FYBDUMZIPX+FTVTCFHBOIJTDIBMMFOHJOHUFBDIJOHBCPVUiTIPXZGBJUIw versus real faith in Matthew 6. 6 LOOK AT ME! The religious leaders of Jesus’ day got a lot of attention for their piety— and they loved it. They performed public acts of charity and vocal, TUSFFUDPSOFSQSBZFSTiUPCFBENJSFECZPUIFSTw.BUUIFX 'JSTU+FTVT slammed this look-at-me attitude about charity (Matthew 6:1-4); then he zeroed in on prayer. Rather than seeking attention by praying, Jesus urged his followers to pray to God in private. Rather than get caught up in using fancy, impressive words or long-winded soliloquies, Jesus urged his followers to be simple, honest, and direct. God has called you to minister to kids by leading them in prayer and providing an example of what prayer can be like. What an amazing opportunity! This week, as you minister to children, invite God to show you how your public prayer can naturally flow from your own vibrant, private prayer life. Regularly seek God in private moments. And as you pray publicly, be pure in your motives. A QUESTION OF MOTIVE Jesus wasn’t saying praying publicly was wrong; in fact, Scripture is full of examples of public prayers that honor God (such as Hannah’s public prayer in 1 Samuel 2, Jehoshaphat’s prayer for protection in war in 2 Chronicles 20, and Ezra’s public prayer of repentance on behalf of the people in Ezra 9-10). Jesus wasn’t saying that we can’t use repetition in prayer or worship either (see Psalm 136 as a great example of God-honoring repetition). Jesus’ focus here is on the motivation, not the form. Simply put, prayer isn’t about the public attention we can attract through praying—it’s to be entirely, 100 percent focused on God. TRY IT MY WAY Jesus provided a compelling example of how to pray. Jesus addressed God as Father, showing prayer to be intimate and close. He modeled how to recognize God’s holiness and sovereignty as we seek to align ourselves with God’s will. Jesus showed us that we can bring our needs to God and seek his help for our spiritual health. We can pray this same prayer Jesus prayed, and we can fashion our spontaneous prayers after the attitude and ideas Jesus modeled. Living Inside Out Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: The Art of Prayer granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. groupslivinginsideout.com Jesus Teaches Us How to Pray up Large-Gron Lesso 1 Matthew 6:5-13 Welcome Allow 5 minutes YOU’LL NEED /6ÊÀÊ6*1ÊUÊ6Ê«>ÞiÀÊUÊ>À}iÀÕ«Ê6 COUNT DOWN Play one of the countdowns. Have children get with their small groups, and get them excited to worship! GREET Have small-group leaders greet kids in their groups— especially guests. ANNOUNCE Make any announcements (including birthdays), and collect offerings. Praise & Worship YOU’LL NEED Allow 10 minutes /6ÊÀÊ6*1ÊUÊ6Ê«>ÞiÀÊUÊ>À}iÀÕ«Ê6 SING i-JWJOH*OTJEF0VUw(Song 1) Leader Tip i1SBZw5IFTTBMPOJBOT (Song 2) Easy Options: i)VNCMF:PVSTFMWFTw+BNFT (Song 3) t 4JOHBMPOHXJUI%7% lyrics and motions. i)JT(SFBU-PWFw3PNBOT (Song 7) PRAY Thank God for showing us through Jesus how we can pray, hearing us when we pray, and helping us keep our focus on him. t 4JOHBMPOHXJUIUIF$% t 4IPXNFEJBTMJEFT provided on the CD. MAKE THE CONNECTION Say: God wants us to talk to him just as we’d talk to a friend. But he doesn’t want us to talk only about ourselves all the time or make a big show of our prayers. Jesus taught his friends how to pray and what to pray for. When we follow his example, X we pray as Jesus prayed. Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: The Art of Prayer granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. groupslivinginsideout.com Living Inside Out 7 Allow 10 minutes *OUFSBDUJWF4UPSZ YOU’LL NEED ÊLiÊUÊ/6ÊÀÊ6*1ÊUÊ6Ê«>ÞiÀÊUÊ>À}iÀÕ«Ê6ÊUÊÀ>vvÌÊ>Ê«ÀÛ`i`ÊÊÌ®ÊUÊ ÃÃ>Ê À>ÞÊ «ÀÛ`i`ÊÊÌ® 5XP8BZ3FMBZ INTRODUCE Have the kids form two single-file lines. Give the head of one line the Colossal Crayon, and the head of the other line the Graffiti Ball. Say: Let’s see which team is faster, the Crayon Team or the Ball Team. Explain that the kids on each team will pass the ball or crayon to the people behind them, alternating between passing the object over their heads and under their legs with each pass. When the ball or crayon reaches the last person, teams will send it back through the line to the starting point. *OUFSBDUJWF4UPSZt-FTTPO Tell teams that on the return journey, they will have something more to do. Say: Crayon Team, whenever the crayon is passed over someone’s head on the way back, your job is to shout as loud as you can, “Crayons rule!” Ball Team, your job as the ball returns is to be as quiet as possible and to whisper, “Go, ball, go” the entire time. Ready? Go! PLAY Read aloud Matthew 6:5-6; then play the game one time. Have the Ball and Crayon Teams switch their objects and roles. Then read aloud Matthew 6:7-8. Play again, reminding teams that on the object’s return trip, the $SBZPO5FBNXJMMTIPVUi$SBZPOTSVMFwXIFOUIFZQBTTUIFJSPCKFDUBOE UIF#BMM5FBNXJMMTBZi(PCBMMHPwRVJFUMZBTUIFZQBTTUIFJST DISCUSS IN GROUPS DVD Two-Way Relay Questions Cue screens as kids answer each of the following: t8IBUXBTJUMJLFUPTIPXPõPSUPTFFPUIFSTTIPXPõ t)PXDBOQFPQMFTIPXPõXIFOUIFZQSBZ t8IZEPZPVUIJOL+FTVTDBSFTBCPVUIPXXFQSBZ MAKE THE CONNECTION Say: +FTVTUBMLFEBCPVUUXPXBZTUPQSBZ:PVDBOQSBZTIPXJOHPõ XJUIMPVECPBTUGVMXPSETMJLFUIFUFBNUIBUTIPVUFEi$SBZPOT SVMFwPSZPVDBOQSBZRVJFUMZXJUIGFXXPSETMJLFUIFUFBNUIBU passed the ball. Then Jesus showed people how to pray. Take time to read Matthew 6: 9-13 and pray with the kids. Say: The best example we have for prayer is seeing what Jesus did. When we don’t know what to say or how to pray, X we pray as Jesus prayed. Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: The Art of Prayer granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. groupslivinginsideout.com Living Inside Out 9