Free Sunday School lesson for pre-teens on the importance of prayer using the King James Bible.
(Begin the lesson with icebreaker, such as hangman to the word “prayer.” Then, have kids list things that they think we should pray for.)
We all know that prayer is important. It’s one of the 3 steps in developing a relationship with God, along with going to church and reading the Bible.
Prayer is something that you probably already do. However, the problem is – are you only praying when you are in trouble?
Imagine having a “friend” who only talks to you when they’re in trouble – when they don’t have enough money for a snack, when they don’t understand the homework, or when they don’t have the new game that you have. The rest of the time, they ignore you.
That’s how a lot of us are with God.
Before we get into what we should actually pray for, let’s talk about the importance of prayer.
Prayer is actually a command.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV tells us to pray without ceasing.
This doesn’t mean that we are praying 24/7, but rather, we always have an open line of communication to God. There is nothing getting in the way of us talking to God.
Prayer is our way of talking to God. God already knows everything, but he wants us to talk to him anyway.
How should we pray?
You guys have already come up with a good list of things we should pray for. How did you come up with this list?
Did you know that God also gives us an example of prayer? In fact, he gives us several examples.
(Look up and read both passages.)
Matthew 6:13-19 KJV
Luke 11:1-4 KJV
These prayers are a little different because they are coming from two different perspectives: one as Jesus being king (the gospel of Matthew), and the other as Jesus being a man (the gospel of Luke).
Some people actually use the Lord’s prayer as a means of talking to God. They simply repeat it.
That isn’t how prayer works.
Matthew 6:7 KJV – But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
We aren’t simply supposed to repeat prayers. Instead, we should be speaking to God from the heart. That doesn’t mean there isn’t something we could learn from “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Although both of these prayers are kingdom-related, they give us some insight into how we should approach God.
1. Give God praise.
There are lots of Psalms to help you do this. Praise is one of the reasons David was so close to God. He saw God the way God sees himself, and it’s the reason that God refers to David as a man after his own heart.
2. Ask forgiveness of sins.
If you want God to hear your prayers. You need to approach him with a clean heart.
Once again, you can look at a lot of Psalms. David is all the time asking for forgiveness, asking for God to create in him a clean heart. This isn’t related to salvation. You’re already saved, but you are in the world. So, you are going to get dirty. It is necessary to get cleaned up before approaching God.
(Look up, and read both passages.)
John 13:4-10 KJV – Jesus washes the disciples’ feet, and only the feet.
Psalm 66:18-20 KJV
3. Pray for others.
God wants us to pray for others.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 KJV – This verse tells us to pray for our leaders. God knows the mess we are in, but he also wants us to talk to him on their behalf.
Leaders can mean more than just the leaders of our country, but also our parents. (Ephesians 6:2 KJV – Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise)
Leaders also include our teachers, our pastors, and others. Paul asks for prayer several times, specifically that he could maintain his relationship with God, stay encouraged, stay bold, and be able to witness to others (Ephesians 6:19 KJV).
Paul also asks the church to pray for all laborers of the Gospel. This includes missionaries (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 KJV).
The Bible also commands us to pray for Israel (Psalm 122:6 KJV).
Also, we need to pray for lost people who have never accepted Christ as their Savior. This can include people that you may know and have witnessed to, or it can include people who have never heard.
Why is praying for others important?
Exodus 32:7-14 KJV (and several other places as well) – God was ready to destroy Israel, and he let Moses know for the sole purpose of Moses asking God not to do it.
Mark 2: 3-5 KJV – In this familiar story, these men brought their friend in need to Jesus, who rewarded them for their faith. This is an example of praying for your lost friends, or friends who are saved but not serving God. Sometimes, people get convicted and get right due to the prayers of others.
4. Pray for ourselves.
We need prayer.
Not only do we need God’s guidance and strength, but we also need wisdom. There are some things that God wants us to pray for regarding ourselves, and these examples can be found all throughout the Bible:
- Wisdom – James 1:5 KJV
- Boldness – Ephesians 6:19 KJV (same as Paul) to be a better witness. To not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
- A desire to read the Bible. This is the way to increase faith (Romans 10:17 KJV). Psalms 119 KJV is the longest chapter in the Bible, and nearly every verse has to do with God’s words.
- Guidance on what you need to do with your life. God has given us all different gifts that we ought to use for him (Romans 12:6-16 KJV).
- A burden for souls (Romans 9:1-5 KJV).
There are so many things for you to pray for. But, we need to just get started by establishing a prayer life.
Establishing a prayer life.
In today’s world, it is so easy to get distracted while trying to pray. For this reason, I suggest having a prayer journal or making a prayer list.
A Prayer Journal – This could be an old notebook you have at home, or any type of book you can write in. You just need to sit down everyday and start writing out prayers to God. it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just write them like you would a letter. Get in the habit of talking to God before you start going through all the different steps Jesus outlines in the Lord’s Prayer. The Christian walk is all about growth. It’s okay to start small. I still write out prayers on post-it notes or scraps of paper throughout my day with I’m frustrated, having a hard time, or even happy and just want to share something with God.
A Prayer List – An easy way to remember everything to prayer for is to make a list. Write down all the things you need, your parents need, and things that your church needs. These lists are especially good, because they help you keep track of answered prayers. I usually start with a list of things I want to thank and praise God for, such as a good church, my family, my health, my Bible, and so on. This prayer list can be kept in your Bible to remind you to pray every time you open them. This list is between you and God, but there’s nothing wrong with asking God or others what you should pray for if you don’t know where to get started.
(If time allows, hand out paper, and have the kids begin writing a prayer list.)
When you pray, you can talk to God about anything, but keep in mind that God isn’t obligated to answer all of our prayers, especially if it’s something the world values and can distract us from our relationship with God (James 4:2-3 KJV). Remember, God knows what is best for us. His timing is perfect, and it’s important that we trust him. Having a good prayer life helps us establish this.
If you enjoyed this Bible lesson about having a relationship with God, be sure to check out other lessons here.