1. Hands Are for Praying
God gave us our hands to pray. Children will learn about why we pray and how to pray with the 5 finger prayer!
“Hands for Praying” Unit: Getting a Sense of God
LESSON PURPOSE: God gave me hands so I can pray.
EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK: Heart for God
MATERIALS: Fingerprint forensics: pencils, index cards, wipes, Fingerprint Patterns worksheet, transparent tape, magnifying glass, 5 Finger Prayer: the Prayer poster or printout, blank worksheets, pencils.
SONG IDEAS: Hokey Pokey, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes
PICTURE BOOKS: “Every Which Way to Pray” by Joyce Meyer
SCRIPTURE:
“As you walk, pray that you may be able to live according to God’s words.” Rev. Moon
“Do not pass by a man in need, for you may be the hand of God to him.” Proverbs 3:27
AS CHILDREN ARRIVE: Choose 1:
Hand Tracing Art by 5-minute Crafts: Set out pencils, paper and crayons and challenge the children to draw an animal by first tracing their hands. Use the video as reference.
Building blocks: Allow children to either build on their own or together!
All About Me Worksheet by Teachers Pay Teachers: Leave one out for each child to fill out as they come in.
INTRODUCE the Lesson (Engage)
WELCOME: SONG, PRAYER, TP Greeting
REVIEW & TRANSITION:
Welcome back to Sunday School! I want you to think of one exciting thing you did over the summer that you can share with our class. (Give each child a minute to share.) Well, it sounds like you all had so much fun over the summer! I’m so happy to start the new year of Sunday School with you. This month, we are going to learn how our bodies were created by God. First, let’s look at our hands.
ATTENTION GRABBER:
Fingerprint Forensics by Cub Scout Ideas: God made everyone’s fingerprints unique. Not even identical twins have the same fingerprints! Let’s take a closer look at what our fingerprints look like. (Teacher may need to assist children with taking their fingerprints using pencil graphite. Once the fingerprints are taken, allow children to observe their fingerprints with magnifying glasses and discuss differences.)
INTRO: Let’s learn more about why God made our hands.
ACTIVITY: choose 1:
VIDEO:
Can't Stop the Feeling - Dance Movement Video by GoNoodle
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands - Sing-Along Video by iCharacter
READ ALOUD STORY:
“Every Which Way to Pray” by Joyce Meyers
TEACH the Lesson (Explain/Explore)
*TEACHING POINT 1: God gave me hands to pray. WHY Pray?
INTERACTIVE LESSON:
God gave us hands so we can experience the world around us. Some things that I use my hands for are greeting people (shaking hands), waving hello, and giving hugs. Share with a partner: What are some things you do with your hands? (High fives, hugs, eat, get dressed, etc…)
God also gave us hands so we can pray. Prayer is one way we are able to communicate or talk with God, our Heavenly Parent. God cares about us so much, and he wants to hear everything we have to say. But what are some things we can talk to Him about?!
We can talk to God when we’re happy. My family prays before we eat to say thank you for the delicious food. Also, when it’s nice and warm outside, I like to thank God for the beautiful weather. Can you think of some things that make you happy and you can thank God for? (family, friends, a warm home, etc.)
We can talk to God when we do something wrong. It’s important that we always tell our parents when we do something wrong, and it’s just as important to tell God, our Heavenly Parent. Tell Him you’re sorry and why you feel bad. God will always love you no matter what.
We can talk to God when we need help. Whether we’re scared or sick, we need to take time to ask God for help. When we trust in God to help us in difficult situations, we make our relationship with Him stronger.
When we talk to God every day, we are growing closer to Him. It’s just like with your friends- the more time you spend with them and the more memories you make together- you grow closer together. It’s the same with building a relationship with God. Through prayer, we can experience all of the love our Heavenly Parent has for us!
*TEACHING POINT 2: The Five Finger Prayer- HOW to pray
INTERACTIVE LESSON:
Show me what it looks like when we’re ready to pray. (fold our hands, bow our heads, close our eyes). Very good! Remember, when we pray, what we look like doesn’t matter as much as what we say. In our prayers, we’re sharing a story with God.
Can I teach you a secret trick that will turn you into the best prayer?! My secret trick is in… your fingers!
Each finger represents one thing you can say to God in your prayer. (Print out or create a poster of the 5 Finger Prayer for Unificationists.) Discuss each one together!
Thumb - Say thanks.
Just like I said earlier, we should talk to God when we’re happy. Tell Him thank you for the beautiful weather or your silly friends.
Second (pointer) finger - Say what happened.
When I look at this finger, I want to tell God about something that happened today. If I went to school, I might say, “Today I went to school.” If I played at the park, I might say, “Today I went to the park.”
Middle finger - Say more; add more detail.
I shouldn’t just stop at one sentence about today! I want to share more with God! I might say, “I really liked music class because we got to dance” or “I met a new friend named Kenny at the park.”
Ring finger - Reflect about yourself.
This finger is a little tricky, but we should also tell God about what we learned from today. We can start with “I want to….” So I might say, “I want to enjoy school every day” or “I want to get to know Kenny better.”
Pinky - Say please.
To close our prayer, let’s ask God to help us during the week. I might close my prayer by saying “Please help me grow in school” or “Please help me be a good friend to others.”
Discussion:
What can we use our hands for?
Why is it important to pray?
What are some things you like to pray about?
When do you pray?
Do you have any questions about prayer?
Let’s review the 5 fingers for prayer!
APPLY the Lesson Evaluate
GROUP ACTIVITIES: Choose 1 or 2:
5 Finger Prayer- Using the blank hand template, have each child complete a prayer. The teacher must lead the group, going one finger at a time.
Prayer Buddy: Pair children up and have them practice their five finger prayers taking turns one at a time and praying together.
SNACK IDEA:
Bugles
Lady fingers
CONCLUDE the Lesson
CONCLUSION:
God gave us our hands so we can feel and experience everything around us. He also gave us hands so we can pray and talk to our Heavenly Parent. Let’s be grateful for our hands this week and practice using them to pray!
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Parent, thank you for giving us our hands. We can feel, touch and experience your love through all the wonderful things you created in this world. When we put our hands together, we are talking directly to you. Let us practice praying this week so we can be closer to you. Amen. Aju.
