This step will help your students take a “motive inventory” about their approach to prayer. While you will want to emphasize that there is no wrong way to talk with God, it is also wise to identify the barriers to authentic, God-honoring prayer. If your class is meeting online, invite students bring supplies with them to class.
Ahead of time, make three signs for your classroom: 1) NO SPOTLIGHTS, 2) NO GOSSIP, and 3) NO MAGIC WANDS. Place these in different locations at the front of the room. If your class is meeting online, write these three Nos on a screenshared document.
God wants us to talk with Him any time, any place, for any reason! But sometimes without even realizing it, we can get caught up in our own flawed reasons to pray. Let’s talk about three NOs for prayer.
First of all, the spotlight should never be on us! If we’re using fancy phrases or using our prayer to make us look better than everyone else, then we’re not honoring Jesus.
The second “No” involves gossip. You know what this is about—it’s those prayers where we happen to share all the ugly details about someone’s issues. We are called to pray for each other, not to secretly delight in the personal failures of others.
Finally, we cannot view prayer as a secret incantation that will get us something we want. God is not a magician who is manipulated by our requests. We must pray with an honest, humble attitude of submission.
After you’ve explained the three “Nos,” divide students into three groups, placing each group underneath one of the signs. Distribute paper and pens/pencils. (If your class is meeting online, invite students to have supplies ready at home and to pick one of the three Nos to write about.) Allow them several minutes to write a prayer that models the wrong way to pray based on the sign they are sitting under. When each group is ready, allow one or two group members to read or recite their flawed prayer out loud to the rest of the class.
When you are finished, conclude class by discussing the following questions:
- When we pray out loud, we are often thinking more about how others perceive us than we are about communicating with God. How can we change this? (The more we pray, the more comfortable we become. We can also pray in the presence of people we trust. Also, knowing that God is not impressed by our words but by our heart can help us de-emphasize the style of our prayers.)
- It is natural for people to be self-conscious about public prayer. How can we de-emphasize ourselves and put the spotlight on Jesus? (Checking our own motives, asking God to help us, and admitting when we’re self-absorbed is a good first step toward humble submission. You might suggest that they try praying out loud during their own personal prayer times to get them used to speaking the words.)
- Most of us find it hard to create consistent prayer time when we’re alone. What are some good reminders to pray daily, even when we’re not in church? (We can leave reminders on our phone, in our bedrooms, and around our homes. We can write out prayers from the Bible and post them in open spaces. We can remember that prayer is not only formal, but also a mental “posture” throughout the day.)
Hand out half sheets of cardstock to your students (or invite students to have them ready at home) and have them duplicate the three “No” signs you posted in your classroom. Encourage your class this week at home to place these in their home as reminders to pray consistently to remember the three Nos when it comes to prayer.
Pray to close.
