Our Father


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K/1st Grade

Teach Us to Pray  Lesson 2

Our Father Bible Verse You are God’s children, and you will be given what he has promised. (Galatians 4:7)

Teacher Enrichment This lesson is the second in the Teach Us to Pray series which emphasizes the practice of prayer using The Lord’s Prayer. Each week will examine a stanza of The Lord’s Prayer, what it tells us about God and how it directs our prayer life. Today’s lesson explores “Our Father.” When we begin The Lord’s Prayer with the words “Our Father” we are defining our relationship with God. We are acknowledging God’s fatherly love for and unconditional acceptance of us as His children. We are acknowledging that God created us and that He knows what is best for our lives. We are acknowledging that God wants a close and continuing relationship with us – just as a father does. Children who know the love of an earthly father can easily comprehend God as their loving Father. For children who do not have a healthy relationship with a father, it can be harder to understand. This lesson will explain that while earthly fathers are human and sometimes make mistakes, God is a perfect father who always listens to us and loves us unconditionally. Just as we strive to tell our earthly fathers how much we love them and are thankful for having them in our lives, we should tell God the same about Him when we pray. As you teach this lesson, be mindful of children who may not have a traditional father in their home. Use inclusive language that considers all father figures – grandparents, uncles, step-parents, etc. Be particularly sensitive to children whose father may have passed Beforeaway. the Lesson  Place sign in sheet and pen where parents see it upon arrival. Before Class Begins  Place the Sign In sheet and a pen where parents can see it upon arrival.

 Place the Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards and pens where students can see them upon arrival.  Check that you have supplies for this lesson: - Arrival Activity, Our Father Coloring Sheet – 1 per child - Construction paper, crayons, markers  Place an arrival activity at each place on the table.

Welcome SUPPLIES: Sign In sheet, Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards, Attendance chart, stickers, pens, Our Father Coloring Sheet  Greet each child individually as they arrive. Introduce yourself by name.  Help children find or add their name on the attendance chart. Provide each child  

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with a sticker to place in today’s column on the attendance chart. Encourage children to complete a Joy or Concern card if they have a particular joy or concern they would like to express. Collect completed Joy & Concern cards. Encourage children to complete a Time or Talent offering card if they gave their time to God or used their talents to serve God or others during the previous week. Children should keep their own completed Time and Talent cards. If children bring monetary offering, they should keep it with them. Direct children to color the Our Father Coloring Sheet. Encourage conversation among the children and with you! Get to know the children in your classroom by asking about their week including school, activities and families. Introduce new children to each other and encourage friendships.

Children’s Worship SUPPLIES: Sign In sheet, Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards  Arrive at Ruth Hall at 9:20 or 11:05.  Bring the Sign In sheet and completed Joy & Concern cards to Ruth Hall. Hand the

Joy & Concern cards to the Children’s Worship leader as you arrive.

Teach Us to Pray  Lesson 2

 Have children bring their completed Time & Talent cards and any monetary    

offering. If additional children arrive while in Ruth Hall, have parents complete the Sign In sheet and remind parents that pickup is in Room 107. Encourage children to participate in Children’s Worship and provide re-direction if necessary. Assist the Children’s Worship leader as needed. At the conclusion of Children’s Worship, have children line up and return to Room 107.

The Lesson SUPPLIES: Construction paper, Markers, Crayons  Gather all the children in a circle on the carpet. As you are able, sit on the floor

with them or use a chair as part of the circle. ASK: We have been learning about prayer today. What is prayer? (Talking to God) SAY: Today we started to learn a prayer called The Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer comes from the Bible. Jesus’ friends, the disciples, asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus’s answer was the words of The Lord’s Prayer. Does anyone remember the first two words of The Lord’s Prayer that we learned in Children’s Worship? (Our Father) ASK: When we say “Our Father,” are we talking about our dad here on earth? (No) SAY: No, we are talking about God. The Bible tells us that God is our Father up in heaven and God is the perfect Father!  Read Galatians 4:4-7 from the CEV Bible provided in

the classroom. The text is provided below for reference.

Teacher Tip When children see you reading scripture from a Bible (instead of from a piece of paper) they begin to understand that these are God’s words and they come from a special book.

Teach Us to Pray  Lesson 2

Galatians 4:4-7 4

But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, 5 so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God’s children. 6 Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. 7 You are no longer slaves. You are God’s children, and you will be given what he has promised.

SAY: The Bible tells us we are God’s children. God is our Father! ASK: When Father’s Day comes around, we like to tell our dads here on earth how much we love them and how thankful we are for them. Sometimes we give them cards. What do those cards usually say? Allow children to provide answers – e.g. Thank you Dad, why Dad is great, I love you SAY: It sounds like those Father’s Day cards say a lot of nice things about your dads. Do you think God might like to hear nice things about Him? (Yes) How can we tell Him? How do we talk to God? (Prayer) SAY: When we pray, we can tell God how wonderful He is. When we pray, we can tell God what a great Father He is. When we pray, we can thank God. Praying and telling God these things is like a Father’s Day card for God. But we shouldn’t wait until Father’s Day to give God our “card.” We can pray all the time, every day! Today, to help you think of a prayer, you are each going to make a Father’s Day card for God.  Show children the example card.  Have the children move from the carpet to seats at the tables.  Give each child a piece of construction paper. Provide markers and crayons for the

group.  While the children are creating their cards, encourage them to talk about what they are writing. Remind them they can use these cards as a prayer.

Teach Us to Pray  Lesson 2

Tips for the Discussion  Ask why they love God. What things about God make them happiest?  If a child is writing generic statements such as “Thank you” or “You’re great,”

encourage them to add “because…” and think of a specific example.  If a child seems reluctant to share, encourage them, but never force an answer. Keep in mind that fathers may be a sensitive topic for some children.

 As children complete their Father’s Day card for God, encourage them to return to

their Our Father Coloring Page if they did not complete it.

Closing  Lead the children in a closing prayer. You may say your own prayer, ask one of the

children to say a prayer or use the one below. God, Thank you for listening to us when we pray. We love you. You are the perfect Father. Amen  If time remains before parents arrive, encourage children to return to their Our Father coloring sheets if they did not complete it. Also encourage conversation between children and with you. This is another opportunity to build relationships with the children in your classroom!

Teach Us to Pray  Lesson 2