Prayer
| Session | Focus | Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| 0. Christmas: Waiting on God | Simeon and Anna illustrate how in prayer we are waiting for God's help and salvation | Luke 2:22-38 |
| 1. Who's Listening? | Although we don't always understand the way God answers prayer, we can trust God's goodness and purpose. | Matthew 26:36-41; Luke 11:11-13; Psalm 13; 2 Corinthians 12:6-10 |
| 2. Praying Our Emotions | God knows us through and through, so we can tell him everything. | 1 Kings 19:1-18; portions of Psalm 63; portions of Psalm 56 |
| 3. Praying Anywhere, Anytime | God invites us to talk to him anywhere and anytime. | 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Colossians 1:3-14; Philippians 1:3 |
| 4. Praying for Others | God calls us to pray for others and for the world. | Philippians 1:3, 9-11; Colossians 1:3, 9-12; 1 Timothy 2:1-3 |
| 5. Stories of the Transforming Power of Prayer | The Holy Spirit transforms our lives and the lives of others through prayer. | Acts 12:1-19; Acts 4:23-31 |
Dear Family Text
During the next six weeks we’ll be taking an in-depth look at the topic and practice of prayer. Here’s a summary of what your young teen will be exploring in this Dive unit:
Christmas Session: Waiting on God. Luke 2:22-38 (Simeon and Anna)
Week 1: Who’s Listening? Matthew 26:36-41; Luke 11:11-13; Psalm 13; 2 Corinthians 12:6-10 (Jesus praying at Gethsemane)
Week 2: Praying Our Emotions. 1 Kings 19:1-18; portions of Psalm 63 and 56 (Elijah on Mount Carmel)
Week 3: Praying Anywhere, Anytime. 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Colossians 1:3-14; Philippians 1:3 (Paul on prayer)
Week 4: Praying for Others. Philippians 1:3, 9-11; Colossians 1:3, 9-12; 1 Timothy 2:1-3 (Paul prays for others)
Week 5: Stories of the Transforming Power of Prayer. Acts 12:1-9; 4:23-31 (Peter and John before the Sanhedrin)
Pass It On
Here are some ideas for how you might incorporate prayer experiences into the life of your family:
- Each time your family gathers together for a meal, make a point of praying together. This may be a simple prayer, such as saying “grace” or offering a word of thanks to God for the meal. You may vary this prayer by inviting each person to share a highlight and/or low point of his or her day, then praying about these together.
- As a family, brainstorm different feeling words. Write each word on a separate slip of paper. Fold the papers and place them in a bowl. Keep the bowl on your kitchen table or in a central place in your home. Have family members take turns drawing a word each day. Notice the times you experience this word throughout the day, and offer a brief prayer about your feelings and the situations that cause these feelings to come out.
- Commit to saying the Lord’s Prayer each day before leaving the house, or before going to bed. The prayer can be said by individuals at their different bedtimes, or as a family before everyone heads to bed for the night.
- Take a prayer walk around your neighborhood. Pause along the walk and pray for what you see around you.
- Bring home the bulletin from a worship service, or note the Scripture focus of a recent service. Choose one evening in your week to gather as a family and pray with the Scripture. Select one person to read the Scripture aloud. Have other family members sit quietly, with eyes closed, and listen as the passage is read. Try to imagine the Scripture coming to life, see the people talking and interacting together as the Scripture is read. Following the reading, rest for a short time in silence. Talk with one another about what you saw and heard from the Scripture.