Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn prayer is our way of communicating with God.
- Students will learn God wants us to pray about certain things, including praising Him, asking for forgiveness of our sins, asking Him to help us avoid temptation and asking for the things we need.
- Students will learn prayer is not about putting on a show, but about our personal relationship with God.
- Students will learn the Lord’s Prayer in ASL and use ASL to help them remember how to pray.
Guiding Question: How does prayer strengthen our relationship with God?
Materials: Computer, ASL Lord’s Prayer teaching video
Procedure: Share the Lord’s Prayer with the students from the scriptures above. Explain to the students that prayer is used to communicate with God and help us have a closer relationship with Him. God wants us to use prayer to come to Him about anything and as a way for Him to give us guidance and wisdom. God values genuine prayer and communication that helps us grow our personal relationship with Him. Use the verses in the Lord’s prayer to show that God wants us to pray about praising him, forgiveness, to avoid temptation, and to help us with certain things in our life.
Ask the students if they know any sign language. Explain that sign language is a way that people who are hard of hearing and/or deaf communicate with others. Show the students a video of someone teaching ASL through the Lord’s prayer. Have the students practice the sign language and review what each sign means and how it can help them remember the Lord’s prayer.
Additional Questions: How can prayer build community between Christians and a closer relationship with God?
Supplemental Activity: Have the students sit in a circle and share something that they would like others to pray about. After sharing, give each student and index card to write down their prayer request. Have all students pass their card to the left and then have each student take a turn praying out loud and including the other person’s prayer request.