The disciples tarried in prayer before the Day of Pentecost. Prayer meeting preceded the Azusa outpouring in 1906. The concept of Prayer was chosen as the first of three keys in our mission statement. It reads: “We make prayer the basis of every ministry and encourage communion with God as the way we grow to spiritual maturity in Him.” Prayer has been a vital part of the Apostolic Faith work from the beginning. Workers gather in a prayer room before services; prayer is made during every service; altar services conclude the meetings. The headquarters office staff prays over outgoing literature and correspondence. We have seen wonderful answers to prayer over the years.
Ask your students to write the initials of a person they most enjoy talking with. Then list as many reasons as they can why talking with that person is so enjoyable. After a few minutes, ask why they enjoy talking with the person they selected. On a dry erase board note their answers. Then discuss which of the reasons given apply to talking to God.
Bring to class a long piece of adding machine tape. Tell how Brother Norman Allen used adding machine tape for his prayer list. He wrote names in small letters on a long piece of this. He would go down the list each day—maybe more than once. When the list was worn out, he would make a new one. Do you have a prayer list?
Tract 36 – Prayer: Communication With God
“Taking Time to Pray” from Higher Way 94-1
“Our Role in Reaching the World” from Higher Way 94-4
“How To Take the Yawn Out of Your Devotions” from Higher Way 98-3
Create a “prayer chain” using boxes of jumbo paper clips linked together. Cut out a large paper cross and post it on a board or wall. Make available a supply of index cards and encourage your students to write their prayer requests on the cards, and attach the cards to the chain.
Form groups of no more than four and give each group a newspaper section filled with world news. Say: “Your group has five minutes to search your newspaper for one situation you want us to pray for, such as gang violence, drugs, famine, floods, or earthquakes.” After five minutes, gather groups and have them describe their situation. Close by praying for each world need.
Create a “World Prayer Needs” bulletin board. Throughout the quarter have kids cut out magazine or newspaper articles containing world needs they want the group to pray for. Have them tack the articles to the bulletin board as visual prayer reminders.
Share answers to prayer—either personal experiences or accounts they know of. Be prepared to start things going with a personal example of your own.
Print out the following “one-liner” excuses for not taking time to pray. Cut them into strips and distribute among your students. Have them go around the circle reading the excuses. Then discuss how the devil would put all kinds of reasons into our minds to avoid praying. Ask: Why does he try so hard to hinder our prayers?
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