	Praying
	Theme How to worship God. Aim The next two assemblies help children to understand how to pray. Praying - introducing children to talking to God anywhere, anytime Saying prayers - the Lord's Prayer, and the use of formal written prayers. Preparation You will need items for Focus Table Prepare yourself for a spontaneous one-sided phone conversation! Numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 on separate large cards Focus table Mobile phone Toy telephone Envelope with letter and stamp Introduction Ask children how we can speak to someone we cannot see. Use the toy phone and pretend to have a conversation with someone. Let children suggest other ways, for example: text messages, email, letters. Say that we call talking to God 'praying'. What do you think we would call God when we talk to Him? When people speak to the Queen they say 'your majesty'. Jesus taught that we can call God 'Father'. Sometimes Jesus called him 'Holy Father' which means he is completely good. Another word to use is Lord, which means he is in charge of everything. Get some ideas from the children. For example, Hello God, Dear Lord, Creator God. Ask children when they think they could pray? (Special times, at church, when we're afraid, happy, thankful.) Jesus talked to God when he worked as a carpenter, or was by the sea, or in a boat, or out walking. He even cried once when he prayed to God at night when he was lonely and afraid. So its all right to pray at any time and about anything and anywhere. Story - William shouts for help! William wasn't allowed to go out on his own at Gran's house because they lived near a busy road. Gran's front door opened onto the pavement, so they usually went through the back door, through the yard and down the side passage. He was always with Gran. Never alone. He often went to stay with Bear who lived in the country. Bear was Gran's Mum. There was hardly any traffic where Bear lived and he used to go to the shop at the end of her lane to get things for her. Mr Roberts the shopkeeper knew William well and William liked to listen to his sing-song voice. It sounded like music the way he said his sentences. "2 apples, 4 muffins, 6 eggs," chanted William as he ran down the lane to the shop. "Please Mr Roberts, could Bear have 2 apples..." continue the list with the children joining in. Mr Roberts put the shopping in William's backpack and wrote down the order on his notepad so Bear could pay at the end of the week. "Its sort of like a present" said William as he unpacked the things later, on Bear's kitchen table. Bear laughed. "But you did have to go and to ask Mr Roberts" she said. "...and he did the rest!" Next week it was raining. William pulled on his wellies and put up his hood. "1 cucumber, 3 bananas, 5 tomatoes," he muttered as he splashed through the puddles in the lane. (The children could repeat - hold up the number cards.) Suddenly William stopped. There in front of him were some young bulls. They must have escaped from the field. They stood and stared at William. He thought the best thing to do was to go back, but when he turned round another bull had come up behind him! He was trapped, and terrified. What could he do? He could see the shop by now so he started to yell. "Mr Roberts, Mr Roberts! Help!" Mr Roberts appeared in the distance and waved to William. Then he disappeared into the shop and came out carrying a long pole which he used to pull down the blind over the shop window. He walked towards William, calling "Stand, still, I am coming!" As Mr Roberts came towards William, he raised the pole and shouted, "G'won, g'won," to the animals. They slowly walked back past William and into the field. Mr Roberts shut the gate properly. "See now William, you did well there. No need to be scared. They won't 'arm you." Mr Roberts put out a big hand for William to hold and they walked to the shop together. "I 'eard your voice shoutin' see, and I knew it was you! You tell me what 'appened, now?" William told him how frightened he was and then he started to cry. "I've forgotten what Bear wanted now," he sobbed. "Well we'll phone 'er up and ask shall we, and let 'er know you're OK too, see?" soothed Mr. Roberts. And he did. William could hear Bear's voice down the phone and he felt comfortable as he heard her talk to Mr Roberts. When everything was safely in his back-pack, William said 'thank you' and waved good-bye. In it were... (get the children to tell you as you hold up the numbers.) Reflection Ask the children to sit quietly and think about what they think Mr Roberts was like. Remind them that William felt safe with him, told him what he needed. He called to him for help, and he was protected by Mr Roberts. You could say that this is what God is like. Prayer Dear Father God Thank you that you are always watching over us. Thank you that you hear us when we talk to you. Thank you that we can talk to you about what we feel, about when we are scared, or we need your help. Song I can talk to God (Children's Praise No.71, Marshall and Pickering) Anytime, Anywhere (Children's Praise No.71)
	A Primary Vision resource provided by the Stockport Christians in Schools Trust

Praying

Theme

How to worship God.

Aim

The next two assemblies help children to understand how to pray.

Praying - introducing children to talking to God anywhere, anytime
Saying prayers - the Lord's Prayer, and the use of formal written prayers.

Preparation

You will need items for Focus Table
Prepare yourself for a spontaneous one-sided phone conversation!
Numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 on separate large cards

Focus table

Mobile phone
Toy telephone
Envelope with letter and stamp

Introduction

Ask children how we can speak to someone we cannot see.

Use the toy phone and pretend to have a conversation with someone.

Let children suggest other ways, for example: text messages, email, letters.

Say that we call talking to God 'praying'. What do you think we would call God when we talk to Him? When people speak to the Queen they say 'your majesty'.

Jesus taught that we can call God 'Father'. Sometimes Jesus called him 'Holy Father' which means he is completely good. Another word to use is Lord, which means he is in charge of everything.

Get some ideas from the children. For example, Hello God, Dear Lord, Creator God.

Ask children when they think they could pray? (Special times, at church, when we're afraid, happy, thankful.)

Jesus talked to God when he worked as a carpenter, or was by the sea, or in a boat, or out walking. He even cried once when he prayed to God at night when he was lonely and afraid.

So its all right to pray at any time and about anything and anywhere.

Story - William shouts for help!

William wasn't allowed to go out on his own at Gran's house because they lived near a busy road. Gran's front door opened onto the pavement, so they usually went through the back door, through the yard and down the side passage. He was always with Gran. Never alone.

He often went to stay with Bear who lived in the country. Bear was Gran's Mum. There was hardly any traffic where Bear lived and he used to go to the shop at the end of her lane to get things for her.

Mr Roberts the shopkeeper knew William well and William liked to listen to his sing-song voice. It sounded like music the way he said his sentences.

"2 apples, 4 muffins, 6 eggs," chanted William as he ran down the lane to the shop.

"Please Mr Roberts, could Bear have 2 apples..." continue the list with the children joining in.

Mr Roberts put the shopping in William's backpack and wrote down the order on his notepad so Bear could pay at the end of the week.

"Its sort of like a present" said William as he unpacked the things later, on Bear's kitchen table.

Bear laughed. "But you did have to go and to ask Mr Roberts" she said. "...and he did the rest!"

Next week it was raining. William pulled on his wellies and put up his hood.

"1 cucumber, 3 bananas, 5 tomatoes," he muttered as he splashed through the puddles in the lane. (The children could repeat - hold up the number cards.)

Suddenly William stopped. There in front of him were some young bulls. They must have escaped from the field. They stood and stared at William. He thought the best thing to do was to go back, but when he turned round another bull had come up behind him! He was trapped, and terrified. What could he do? He could see the shop by now so he started to yell.

"Mr Roberts, Mr Roberts! Help!"

Mr Roberts appeared in the distance and waved to William. Then he disappeared into the shop and came out carrying a long pole which he used to pull down the blind over the shop window.

He walked towards William, calling "Stand, still, I am coming!"

As Mr Roberts came towards William, he raised the pole and shouted, "G'won, g'won," to the animals. They slowly walked back past William and into the field. Mr Roberts shut the gate properly.

"See now William, you did well there. No need to be scared. They won't 'arm you."

Mr Roberts put out a big hand for William to hold and they walked to the shop together.

"I 'eard your voice shoutin' see, and I knew it was you! You tell me what 'appened, now?"

William told him how frightened he was and then he started to cry. "I've forgotten what Bear wanted now," he sobbed.

"Well we'll phone 'er up and ask shall we, and let 'er know you're OK too, see?" soothed Mr. Roberts.

And he did. William could hear Bear's voice down the phone and he felt comfortable as he heard her talk to Mr Roberts.

When everything was safely in his back-pack, William said 'thank you' and waved good-bye. In it were... (get the children to tell you as you hold up the numbers.)

Reflection

Ask the children to sit quietly and think about what they think Mr Roberts was like.

Remind them that William felt safe with him, told him what he needed. He called to him for help, and he was protected by Mr Roberts.

You could say that this is what God is like.

Prayer

Dear Father God

Thank you that you are always watching over us.

Thank you that you hear us when we talk to you.

Thank you that we can talk to you about what we feel, about when we are scared, or we need your help.

Song

I can talk to God (Children's Praise No.71, Marshall and Pickering)

Anytime, Anywhere (Children's Praise No.71)