How can we use prayer?

In this reflection ‘One human family, values and worship’, students explore the importance of prayer in the UK and Mozambique.

Key Questions

How can we use prayer?

Learning objectives

• To understand the purpose of prayer for individuals
• To reflect on what we feel it is important to pray for

Starter

Students mind-map as many reasons as they can for why people pray. They must come up with at least five reasons and discuss with each other  which one is most important to them. The class views the Prayer Powerpoint Prayer U3L2

Main Activity 1

Students answer the challenging question: Can people on different sides of the world feel connected by prayer? They must argue their own opinion and then reasons why some people may disagree with them as well.

Main Activity 2

Students come up with a list of five issues that both Maciene and their school – or your school and a partner school – they would want to pray for. They rank them in order of importance and justify their reasoning for the most important. The class is then split into halves. One half writes a prayer that a Maciene student might say for a student at their school and the other half write a prayer that the student at their school might say for pupils at Maciene.

Main Activity 3

Students must then start to consider ideas for the perfect service on the worksheet provided. The Perfect Service They fill in at least the first two rows on a worksheet with ideas of what they would do and why they would do it. They consider the different benefits of the service.

Plenary

Students share ideas of what they would include in their service and what the benefits would be.

Learning outcomes

• All pupils will be able to give a reason that people pray
• Most pupils will be able to explain why community prayer is important
• Some pupils will have reflected on ways to unite Twyford and Maciene through prayer

Resources and Points to note

• Prayer PPT Prayer U3L2
• Perfect service worksheet The Perfect Service

Theology

• Exhortations to pray are found at 1 Timothy 2.8; with the rationale of seeking peace for all (i.e. including a global neighbour) at 1 Timothy 2.1-4; and Colossians 4.2.
• James 5.13-16 lauds the power of prayer in various situations. The story of the persistent widow (Luke 18.1-8) advocates continuing to pray for a desired outcome. Jesus teaches his disciples to pray using the form of the Lord’s prayer – i.e. giving worship to God; asking for the arrival of God’s kingdom (see Unit 1 Lesson 3 above for the characteristics of the Kingdom); for deliverance from evil and trial; and for forgiveness of others. (cf. Matthew 6.9-15)
• Christians understand themselves as joined as one – this unity having both spiritual and practical dimensions. John 17.20-21 – Christians are united together in God, just as Jesus and his Father are one. 1 Corinthians 12.12-13ff.; Romans 12.4-5 – Christians are joined together as one body by the Holy Spirit, as is manifest at baptism, which leads to an imperative that the diverse gifts present are used together and seen in relation to each other. Expectations follow on how to treat each other, including praying for one another (cf. Romans 12.4-13)
• Worship content is also given in the references above

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