Prayer is a time to talk with God and build a relationship with Him. Teach your preschoolers why prayer is important with these ideas and suggestions for a bible lesson.

The ideas below may help you when teaching your preschoolers a lesson about the importance of prayer in a Christian life. Feel free to use these ideas to supplement your current curriculum or to make your own lesson.

Story Suggestions

• Matthew 6:5-14 - Lord's Prayer
• Philippians 4:4-7

Game Ideas

God Hears Me

Directions: To teach your children that God hears our prayers, play this game. Gather items and place them in a bag. You might choose things such as:

• Harmonica
• Whistle
• Baby crying doll
• Bell

Stand up and have the children close their eyes. Pick an item from the bag and play it for the children. Be sure to turn your back so that peeking eyes will not wander. Place the item back in the bag and ask the class if they can guess what they heard. If they were wrong, play it again. If they were right, move on to the next object.

Prayer Circle Time

Directions: Have the children sit in a circle on the floor or on chairs. Explain to them that prayer is about talking with God. Encourage each child to go around the circle and say one thing they are thankful for. That is generally the easiest way to teach a child how to prayer through thanksgiving. Teach them how to fold their hands, bow their heads, and close their eyes while they are listening to the other children, and when they say their prayer. If a child does not want to say anything, do not force him or her.

Snacks

A good snack for this lesson would be:

Large sourdough pretzels and a juice box. While the children are eating their pretzels, you can explain to them how the pretzel is a symbol of praying children. The story can be found here.

Another good snack idea for this lesson would be:

Cinnamon Sticky Buns - "...Give us this day our daily bread..."

Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 large tubes (17.3 oz. each) refrigerated biscuits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in the pecans.
4. Spoon into a greased baking pan.
5. In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
6. Cut each biscuit in half. Dip in the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place cut side down on top of the brown sugar mixture in the baking pan.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove biscuits from the oven, invert onto a serving plate, and serve warm.

Art Center Ideas

Praying Hands Craft

Materials:

• Tissue paper of various colors, ripped into small pieces
• Glue sticks
• Template of Praying Hands
• White cardstock paper
• Crayons
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Print out the template above of the Praying Hands. Cut out around the praying hands and discard the scrap paper.
2. Give each child a piece of white cardstock paper and a Praying Hands template. Have them glue the hands to the cardstock paper in the center of the paper.
3. Have them color the Praying Hands picture with crayons.
4. Next, the children will take the pieces of tissue paper and glue them around the hands to create a mosaic picture.

Pocket Prayer (Prayer in Your Pocket)

Materials:

• Colored construction paper
• Toilet paper tube
• Wrapping paper
• Stapler
• Markers
• Scissors
• Crayons
• Glue

Directions:

1. Cut the wrapping paper into a size that fits the tube.
2. Cut the construction paper in half lengthwise. Fold these pieces in half, and place one inside the other.
3. Staple along the fold to form a book.
4. Write "I pray for my church, my friends, and my family" on the booklet.
5. Give each child a piece of wrapping paper and a tube.
6. Have them glue the paper to the tube. Set them out to dry.
7. Have them draw a picture of their church, friends, and family on each page of their book.
8. Roll up the books and place them in the tube.
9. Have the children slip these in their pocket to take home.

(Found at: Sunday School Crafts)

Suggested Prayer (or use your own)

God, I've come to talk to you through prayer and my heart. I want to know you better, and prayer is the place to start. Fill me with your lasting love and peace that I might find, the strength to tell others of your love so divine. Amen.

See the full list of Sunday School lesson ideas on both the Old Testament and the New Testament!