Scripture: Genesis 27-28
Learning Objectives:
- Students will review the story of Jacob’s blessing and dream.
- Students will learn Jacob had a very special dream given to him by God.
- Students will learn Jacob set up the rock he had used for a pillow the night he had the dream as a remembrance of God’s promise to him and his promise to God.
- Students will participate in an activity creating a prayer rock to help them remember to pray to God.
Guiding Question: What can you make that like Jacob’s stone pillow(pillar) can help you remember to talk to God?
Materials: large flat rocks (can be found in craft stores), permanent markers or paint
Procedure: Review the story of Jacob especially his dream. Point out to the students how in Bible times people often used hard objects as their pillows. It would not have been unusual for Jacob to choose a rock for a pillow. What was unusual was the dream he had that night. The Lord chose to come to Jacob in this dream and repeat the promise to Jacob He had made to Abraham. After he awoke, Jacob took the stone he had used as pillow and set it up as a pillar. Pillars were used in that time to help people remember important things. Tell your students that today they will take a rock and make something to remind them of something very important – to talk to God at least several times each day.
Give each student a rock. Tell them to write the word “Prayer” on it in large bubble letters (for young children you may want to have already written the outlines of the letters on the rocks for them). Have the students decorate their rocks using the markers or paints, but being very careful they can still read the word “prayer”. Tell them when they get home, they should place the prayer rock on their pillow on their bed. When they go to bed at night they will see the rock and it will remind them to pray. After praying they should be the rock on the floor near their bed. When they make up the bed in the morning, they will see the rock on the floor and remember to pray before they start their day. After they pray, the rock goes back on the pillow and the cycle repeats.
Additional Questions:
- What other “pillars” of remembrance can you place around your home to help you remember important things about God?
Supplemental Activity: Have more advanced students create other “pillars” of remembrance they can put around their house to remind them of important things about God and their relationship with Him.