The Lord's Prayer

Art Workshop for Preschooler-K

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will decorate journal books with pages representing colors and words to the Lord’s Prayer.

Scripture Reference: 

Matthew 6:5-15

Memory Verse: 

Matthew 6:9-13 NIV  "This, then, is how you should pray: 

" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, 
    your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 
  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

Workshop Objectives:

At the end of the Rotation, the students will

• remember the Lord’s Prayer.
• deepen their understanding of the Lord’s Prayer through the definitions provided with the different colors.
• use scrapbooks to help understand different types of prayers.

Teacher preparation in advance:

• Read background notes
• Pre-lace journals for younger class*
• Assemble materials in supply list:  #1, #2, and #3.
• Copies of the Lord’s Prayer on sticker paper, cut into appropriate strips.
• (*To save time you may want to pre-lace or even staple journals for all classes and just let them decorate the pages and cover.)

Supply List:

• *(I used ‘Prayer Journal Craft Kit’ from www.orientaltrading.com)
• 1 sheet of foam 8 1/2” x 11”, cut in half; hole punched; per child
• Set of at least 6 sheets of white paper, cut in half; hole punched; one per child
• Sets of items each representing the following colors – (enough for one set per child) White, Blue, Green, Purple, Brown, Yellow, Silver, Pink, Black, Red, Gold, Orange (Option: use color stickers, or crayons or markers)
• Lord’s Prayer on printed on sticker paper that can be cut into strips to put on appropriate page of journal. (You can have older kids write them.)
• Glue, scissors
• Fabric, felt, yarn, googly eyes, other misc. supplies you can find in the craft closet.
• Ribbon or string

*If using craft kit, tell the kids they can use the extra pages to write down their prayers; who and what they pray for and answers to those prayers.

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Introductions:

Welcome kids.

Ask: Do you ever see your mommy or daddy write down important things so they can remember them? Maybe they make a ‘to do’ list, or grocery list, or appointments. Lots of times, we can write things down to help us remember. The Bible was written to help us remember how much God loves us. There is a place in the Bible that has the way we should pray written in it.

Read the scripture:

Have the kids turn to Matthew 6:5-15. Read up to verse 9.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Application:

Say: This is called “The Lord’s Prayer”. God used Matthew to write it down so that we can remember the way Jesus taught us to pray and to include the things that are important when we pray.

Read the rest of the verses. You may want to read a more traditional version (KJV or NKJV) and compare the wording.

Activity:
Tell the kids that today we are going to create and decorate prayer journals to help them remember the Lord’s Prayer.

Give children the Prayer Journal craft or foam sheets, white paper and string.

Have them lace the journals together.

Tell them to write (or stick) the Lord’s Prayer separated on pages. (Put the memory book and verse on same sheet. Matthew 6:9-13.)

Next have them glue something on each page that represents the appropriate color. (Optional: Decorate pages using watercolors, markers, or crayons.)

Pass out the handout with the following information: (this is the NIV)

1. Our Father (white, means God who is light)
2. In Heaven (Blue, blue heavens)
3. Hallowed be thy Name (green, enduring, everlasting color like pine trees)
4. Your kingdom come (purple, royal color)
5. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (brown, color of the earth)
6. Give us today our daily bread (yellow, color of grain)
7. Forgive us our debts (silver, we pay for debts with silver coins)
8. As we also have forgiven our debtors (pink, love – pink. Forgiveness is key in showing love to our neighbor.
9. And lead us not into temptation (black, represents sin)
10. But deliver us from evil (red, blood of Jesus)
    Matthew (gold, God’s word is the most valuable thing to know)
    6:9-13 (orange, remembering scripture makes an impact on our memories like a beautiful sunset)

Discussion:

Explain to the kids how important it is to have a prayer routine. They need to have a set time of day to pray and a special place where they won’t be interrupted.

Discuss the different parts of prayer (A.C.T.S. - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) Explain that when we pray to help someone else, when we step in to tell God about another person’s need, that is a prayer called intercessory prayer. Like when we pray for our mommy to have a good day or for our daddy to be safe at work, that is an intercessory prayer.

Say: Today we are going to say an intercessory prayer. It will be a “squeeze prayer.” Begin by having each child choose one of their rock people and place it in front of them. Then hold hands. Have each child say a prayer, then when they are finished, squeeze the hand of the person next to them, signaling it is the next person’s prayer. When it gets back to you, add your own prayer, then join in saying the Lord’s Prayer as a group.

Note: Speaking aloud, rather than silent prayer is important because it moves children a step closer to being comfortable praying in public. Silent prayer is an option in some other rotations, but here we want children to practice praying in front of others.

Before beginning, explain that this is an activity to be taken seriously. If any children don’t think they can do this or be respectful of others ask them to excuse themselves now.

Reflection:
Explain the meaning behind the journals:

This prayer journal will have a double meaning.
First, it will help us remember the Lord’s Prayer.
(Go through the meaning of each color.)

Second, it will help us pray for people who need our prayers or situations we need God to help us with.

At night, take out your prayer journal. Write down who and what you are praying about. Remember to write down times that God answered your prayers so you can thank Him. Then read the Lord’s Pray.

Clean Up:
Have the kids help clean up.

Journal Time:
Have kids reflect on where and when they can take time to pray and talk to God. Let them write it or draw them praying in their special place.

Optional: use an activity page.

A lesson written by Lisa Saliga for: Life Community Church,

Shippensburg, PA

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

NOTE: I have revised Lisa Martin's Prayer Rock lesson using the NIV Bible scripture and making Prayer Journals instead.