When you Pray
Notes
Transcript
Game Ideas
Mallets Mallet - Babbling
Speak on the following topic for 1 minute without repetition, pause or hesitation
Welcome
Song x2
Reading
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
This week we’re thinking about prayer!
Particularly how Jesus teaches us to pray.
And as we do so, we’re going to be thinking about why prayer is such a good gift to us from God,
and along the way we’ll be understanding why we should, and how we should pray.
After-all, some of you here might never pray -becasue you don’t believe there is a God to pray to,
or becasue you don’t know why you need to,
or you don’t know how!
Or you’ve gotten out of the habit.
Well you’re in the right place this week!
So we need to listen car-fully at these session,
show respect to those speaking and those around you by not messing about, or talking.
And, but joining in with the games and activities!
This evening, just to kick us off, we’re going to quickly think about 2 ways we shouldn’t pray,
becasue that is how Jesus starts to teach his disciples to pray in the Bible.
Then after today we’ll look at the Lord’s Prayer bit by bit.
Before we look at todays verse we’re going to watch a clip:
People are awesome VIDEO
Which was your favourite?
What do we think of those people?
You know sometimes, especially in church, or on camp, or in youth group, we might be tempted to pray in a way that makes us look awesome!
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Jesus calls show-off prayer hypocrits!
Someone who does or says one thing, but is actually doing something else.
These guys in Jesus’ day were praying as if they really needed God’s approval, but really they were doing it so publically and loudly that they were actually after the apporoval of those around them.
The poeple in that video would get lots of praise from people, but not from God.
And praying could be the same.
If you pray in groups or in church just so people think you’re a good prayer, or so people think you’re a good Christian, then you’ve had your reward says Jesus.
Your reward is people thinking you’re great, but the real reward of God answering your prayers wont happen becasue you didn’t really pray it to and for Him!
You said it to other people and for yourself!
But says Jesus
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Most our praying should be done in secret. When no-one is looking to say well done, or what a good Christian you are.
But how much better is honest prayer in private becasue - God will reward us.
He’ll answer our prayers in a way that is good for us - amazing!
We’ll see what that looks like later in the week.
We can obviously also pray in groups and here on camp, but the reminder is to pray honest prayers to God, not just so you look good.
1 - Honest prayers to God
2 - Straight-forward Prayer to God
1 person from each team.
Talk for 1 minute on the following topics - if you hesitate or repeat, I’ll hit you on the head and the next person carries on - again they can’t repeat or hesitate.
When the minute is up, whoever is still talking wins a point!
The we’ll start the next round on the next person.
pet dogs
camp
football
britain
A bit like that game, we sometimes think that we have to babble, or talk loads and loads, and keep going on about something when we pray so that God will hear us,
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
There is no need to impress God when we pray, no need to go on and on about something so God will hear us.
instead
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Isn’t that amazing.
God our Father knows what we need before we ask him,
he still wants us to talk to him and pray, but we don’t need to convince, or pursued, or go on so long incase he didn’t listen!
He knows!
I think Jesus told his disciples this so they realised prayer is easier than we think.
You don’t need a big speech prepared for God,
You just need to talk to him simply and honestly.
Dear Father, I’ve had a really hard time at school this term, help next year to be better.
Dear Father, I’m not sure I believe in you, please show me how much you love me in Jesus.
Dear Father, thank you we can be in camp, help me to serve you by loving others.
Simples.
So, 2 things to remmeber this week when we learn and pray.
1 - Be honest and speak to God and for God alone,
2 - Keep it simple, just talk becasue God loves to hear you, and knows what you need.
Pray.
We’ll learn more about what we need later this week as well,
but for now,
let’s remember