Ask: What prayers do you first remember learning as a child? After responses, point out that many of the themes of these prayers are also themes in the Lord’s Prayer (such as: “God is Great, God is Good” gives thanks for God’s daily provision of food). Call attention to the words of the children’s prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
Share that the prayer was first published in 1727. Ask: Why do you think this prayer has remained in use for so many years? After responses, share that these prayers are simple Christian prayers that teach children that they can depend upon God and go to Him in prayer.
Discuss: How does prayer express things that are simple and things that are difficult to grasp?
How does pursuing God through prayer help make the things that are difficult to grasp more understandable?
Say: In Pursuing PRAYER, Penny Cooke described the purpose of prayer this way: “Prayer is a privileged invitation from a Holy God We get to crawl up in His lap and talk to Him. How awesome is that? He wants to have a relationship with us. As a result, He meets our spiritual and emotional needs. Isn’t that precisely what we’re all looking for? We often look for people and things to meet those needs, but we were made to need Him. He is our Creator and the greatest satisfaction for our longing souls. He fills the God-shaped hole in all our hearts” (p. 9).
Discuss: Is your prayer life where you want it to be? Why? Do you feel inadequate when you pray? Why? Think about the prayers of children and Penny’s words. How could your prayers begin to show the heart of who you are in Christ? Close by offering simple, heart-felt prayers to God.