Scripture: Acts 12:1-19, Acts 9:19-25, Matthew 25:35
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn that God can provide protection for missionaries.
- Students will learn how the Apostles had to escape to continue to share the Gospel.
- Students will learn the importance of prayer and trusting God in how he answers the prayer.
Guiding Question: How can students learn to keep track of prayers and answered prayers?
Materials: Paper hearts, markers, pens, pencils
Procedure: Review Matthew 25:35 to the students and explain to the students how prayer can provide protection to missionaries. We can support missionaries who are going through danger by praying for them and their work. Explain that sometimes we pray either without really believing God is hearing our prayers or totally forgetting what we prayed about when God gives His answer. Then we forget to thank Him for hearing and answering our prayers.
Give the students lots of hearts and have them write their prayer requests – one per heart. As the class prays for each heart, put the hearts on one side of a line. Each week go have students move their hearts as they know God answered that prayer to the other side of the line. Remind students that God answers “no” and “wait” as well as “yes”. Remind them we need to trust that God knows what is best when He answers “no” or “wait” even if we can’t always understand it. Label the side for answered prayer hearts “Thank You God for Loving Us”. Each week remember to thank God for answered prayers
Additional Questions: How can students learn to pray regularly?
Supplemental Activity: Have the students create a prayer journal for the upcoming month. Have them journal their prayers each day and leave a space to go back and write how the prayer was answered.