Look Who's Talking

To explore the idea that prayer is more than just asking God for things.

by Andrew Saunders

Suitable for Key Stage 2

Aims

To explore the idea that prayer is more than just asking God for things.

Preparation and materials

• You will need a walkie-talkie and an accomplice (caretaker?) with the other walkie-talkie - everyone will need to hear both sides of the conversation. This could however work equally well with a pretend or non-working device, although your accomplice will need to be somewhere where the assembled children can hear their voice.
• Flip-chart or OHP showing:
  A doration
  C onfession
  T hanks
  S upplication

Assembly

1. Begin by trying to get hold of someone on the walkie-talkie - it doesn't seem to work. Fiddle with the buttons, etc. for a while, then eventually get through. Enact the following script with your accomplice - you take the role of the 'Pray-er'.
   
   Pray-er: Hello?
   
   Listener: Hello!?
   
   (Pause)
   
   Pray-er: Are you there?
   
   Listener: Yes.
   
   (Pause)
   
   Pray-er: Is that _________?
   
   Listener: Yes.
   
   Pray-er: Oh, good. Do you think you could help me?
   
   Listener: That depends on what you want.
   
   Pray-er: Well, I need some more chairs brought to the assembly hall for assembly, and it would be helpful if you could get the screen down for me, and I'd like to have the piano moved nearer to the front, please ...
   
   Listener: Okay, that seems all right.
   
   Pray-er: I'd also like the cupboard door unlocking, and I need the flip-chart set up with a pad on it, and could you please help Mr/s _______ bring his/her class down to assembly?
   
   Listener: Okay, I'll get onto it.
   
   Pray-er: Thanks, _________. Speak to you later.
   
   Turn off the walkie-talkie.
   
   
2. Explain that this gives us a picture of how we pray sometimes. We only pray when we need some help, need something done.
   
   Explain that Christians believe that God is like a parent, and wants us to do more than just ask for help when we have a problem. God also wants us to pray when things are going well, or when we are feeling good.
   
   
3. Explain that you have a way to help us remember to talk to God in more ways than just asking. It starts with the name of a book of the Bible where we hear about lots of people who prayed - ACTS.
   
   Adoration - telling God that we can recognize how great he is, thinking about his power, love and joy in making the world - it's like saying we really like you.
   
   Confession - saying 'sorry' for the things we have done wrong. It may be something nasty we have said to someone, or perhaps something we could have done to help someone but didn't bother, or perhaps it was something we thought in our minds that wasn't very kind. All of these are things that we need to say sorry to God for doing.
   
   Thanks - for all that God has already done for us, our home, family, nature around us, etc. There are loads of things - as you walk around the playground, on your way home, going on a journey, you can be looking at the world to see things that we should be thankful for.
   
   Supplication - this is a very big word, but it means asking for the things we (and other people) need.

Time for reflection

Dear God,
Thank you that we can speak to you,
wherever we are and whenever we want to.

Adoration:
We can imagine some of how wonderful and powerful you are
as we think about our world and as we read about you in the Bible.

Confession:
We are sorry for the times we have done things
that we should not have done.
For saying things to other people that are unkind or nasty.
We are also sorry for the times we have seen things that we could do
to help others but couldn't be bothered;
we are sorry for the things we have thought about
that have not been very pleasant.
Forgive us for these things.

Thanks:
We have so many things to be grateful for -
our warm beds at night,
parents and family who love us,
those who look after us,
the chance to learn,
food to eat
and many other things that we can enjoy, like games and toys.
Thank you for all these things.

Supplication:
We will spend a few moments in quiet
as we think about people who may need our prayers,
who may be ill or finding life difficult at the moment.

(Silence)

We pray for all these people.
Amen.

Song/music

'Father, hear the prayer we offer' (Come and Praise, 48)