	Saying Prayers (The Lord's Prayer)
	Theme How to worship God. Preparation Items for Focus Table An overhead projection sheet or flipchart with the version of The Lord's Prayer that you use A prayer box (a shoe box size with a slit in the top, decorated to look special) Prepared prayers (see Prayers section below). Focus Table Loaf Telephone 1 lollipop, 2 chocolate bars, 3 packets of crisps... (or any 'treat' food you can easily get) Introduction Remind the children about the previous Assembly on Praying. Discuss what William did when he went to Mr Robert's shop and got surrounded by the bulls. (Shouted for help!) Say that sometimes William went to the shop to buy things for himself as well as for Bear. One week his list was: (pick up the things as you slowly say the list) 1 lollipop 2 chocolate bars 3 packets of crisps Explain that today we are going to hear how a phone call from Gran helped William learn a bit more about praying. Story - Talking on the telephone At school, William said the 'Our Father' prayer. He had learnt it in his class and although he didn't understand it all, he liked the way it sort of had a rhythm, like a poem. William liked poems. This is how it went: (Put up the overhead or flipchart with the Lord's Prayer on.) (Ask the children to join in with you as you say and point.) "Why do we say it so often?" William asked Bear one day. "Can't God remember what we said? Aren't there different prayers to say?" "Because Jesus taught his friends to say it, I suppose," replied Bear who was making bread. And it's an everything prayer too." "What's that?" asked William. "Well," said Bear, stopping her kneading for a moment and thinking, "it reminds us we are talking to a Special Father, in a Special place, with a precious name - a holy name. We ask God for good things to happen on the earth, so there will be no more hurting and hitting and hating." "...or lying or stealing." added William, feeling pleased with himself. "We ask for food," Bear continued, kneading the bread, "and for the wrong things we do or think or say to be forgiven". "And to be helped not to do them again" chirped up William, who was enjoying this. "And then we tell God He is brilliant and He will always be in charge of everything for ever and ever." "Amen!" said William. "What's the 'amen' bit for Bear?" "That just means that we all agree with what we've just said!" answered Bear, popping the loaves into the tins to be baked. Just then, the phone rang. (Answer the toy phone.) "Hello, Oh yes, dear. Yes, he's here. I'm just doing the bread. William, it's Gran... for you." (Throughout the pretend phone call create pauses in William's conversations) " Hi, Gran - thanks for ringing, I need my money for the shop and my wellies are hurting. Can I have new ones? Black please! Oh... yes... it's brill... and we saw a fox today and she had two cubs with her, and Mr Roberts says that I can help in the shop... oh, and I climbed the oak tree you used to climb! Yes, she's OK... well I think so... No... Sorry Gran, I forgot to ask. Yes... I'll try. Thanks Gran... see you." William put the phone down. Bear smiled. "You know William, you can pray to God just like you talked to Gran on the phone. You told her: what you needed what you'd forgotten what was hurting what you had been doing you said thank you you said sorry and you talked about me not feeling well!" Suddenly Bear sat down. "Bear," asked William quietly, "aren't you very well?" "I am very tired, William," she said, "I suppose it's just old age!" "I could pray for you not to be so tired," said William, "would that help? "Thank you William," she said, "I think it would! And I'd like to have a rest now. Please play quietly on your own till the bread's cooked." (Take the loaf as you end) ...and later William ate fresh bread for tea. 'Daily bread' he thought, and was very glad that Bear made her own bread. It was delicious! Prayers Use the ideas which Bear mentions above to help children make up their own prayer ideas. Show the prayer box. As a way of praying, suggest how to put prayers into the prayer box, for example: Please God help Mrs Smith Thank you for bread Help me to do good work I am sorry Prayers to say (have these written on individual pieces of paper to be read out and popped into the prayer box). Thank you for good food Help us remember to be sorry for wrong things we do. Please God be near to people who are old and tired. I am sorry. Song Anytime Anywhere Children's Praise No.6, Marshall and Pickering
	A Primary Vision resource provided by the Stockport Christians in Schools Trust

Saying Prayers (The Lord's Prayer)

Theme

How to worship God.

Preparation

Items for Focus Table
An overhead projection sheet or flipchart with the version of The Lord's Prayer that you use
A prayer box (a shoe box size with a slit in the top, decorated to look special)
Prepared prayers (see Prayers section below).

Focus Table

Loaf
Telephone
1 lollipop, 2 chocolate bars, 3 packets of crisps... (or any 'treat' food you can easily get)

Introduction

Remind the children about the previous Assembly on Praying.

Discuss what William did when he went to Mr Robert's shop and got surrounded by the bulls. (Shouted for help!)

Say that sometimes William went to the shop to buy things for himself as well as for Bear.

One week his list was: (pick up the things as you slowly say the list)

1 lollipop
2 chocolate bars
3 packets of crisps

Explain that today we are going to hear how a phone call from Gran helped William learn a bit more about praying.

Story - Talking on the telephone

At school, William said the 'Our Father' prayer. He had learnt it in his class and although he didn't understand it all, he liked the way it sort of had a rhythm, like a poem. William liked poems.

This is how it went:

(Put up the overhead or flipchart with the Lord's Prayer on.)

(Ask the children to join in with you as you say and point.)

"Why do we say it so often?" William asked Bear one day. "Can't God remember what we said? Aren't there different prayers to say?"

"Because Jesus taught his friends to say it, I suppose," replied Bear who was making bread. And it's an everything prayer too."

"What's that?" asked William.

"Well," said Bear, stopping her kneading for a moment and thinking, "it reminds us we are talking to a Special Father, in a Special place, with a precious name - a holy name. We ask God for good things to happen on the earth, so there will be no more hurting and hitting and hating."

"...or lying or stealing." added William, feeling pleased with himself.

"We ask for food," Bear continued, kneading the bread, "and for the wrong things we do or think or say to be forgiven".

"And to be helped not to do them again" chirped up William, who was enjoying this.

"And then we tell God He is brilliant and He will always be in charge of everything for ever and ever."

"Amen!" said William. "What's the 'amen' bit for Bear?"

"That just means that we all agree with what we've just said!" answered Bear, popping the loaves into the tins to be baked.

Just then, the phone rang. (Answer the toy phone.)

"Hello, Oh yes, dear. Yes, he's here. I'm just doing the bread. William, it's Gran... for you." (Throughout the pretend phone call create pauses in William's conversations)

" Hi, Gran - thanks for ringing, I need my money for the shop and my wellies are hurting. Can I have new ones? Black please! Oh... yes... it's brill... and we saw a fox today and she had two cubs with her, and Mr Roberts says that I can help in the shop... oh, and I climbed the oak tree you used to climb! Yes, she's OK... well I think so... No... Sorry Gran, I forgot to ask. Yes... I'll try. Thanks Gran... see you."

William put the phone down.

Bear smiled.

"You know William, you can pray to God just like you talked to Gran on the phone. You told her:

what you needed
what you'd forgotten
what was hurting
what you had been doing
you said thank you
you said sorry
and you talked about me not feeling well!"

Suddenly Bear sat down.

"Bear," asked William quietly, "aren't you very well?"

"I am very tired, William," she said, "I suppose it's just old age!"

"I could pray for you not to be so tired," said William, "would that help?

"Thank you William," she said, "I think it would! And I'd like to have a rest now. Please play quietly on your own till the bread's cooked."

(Take the loaf as you end) ...and later William ate fresh bread for tea. 'Daily bread' he thought, and was very glad that Bear made her own bread. It was delicious!

Prayers

Use the ideas which Bear mentions above to help children make up their own prayer ideas.

Show the prayer box. As a way of praying, suggest how to put prayers into the prayer box, for example:

Please God help Mrs Smith
Thank you for bread
Help me to do good work
I am sorry

Prayers to say (have these written on individual pieces of paper to be read out and popped into the prayer box).

Thank you for good food
Help us remember to be sorry for wrong things we do.
Please God be near to people who are old and tired.
I am sorry.

Song

Anytime Anywhere Children's Praise No.6, Marshall and Pickering