Once all students have arrived, divide students into pairs or small groups. If possible, ensure at least one person in each pair or group has a pair of shoes that tie with laces.
Once students are in their small groups or pairs, instruct the students with laced shoes to untie their laces.
Today, we will pretend that the people with laced shoes have never learned how to tie them. It’s the job of their teammates to teach them to tie their shoes using only their words or hand motions. Give as many detailed instructions as possible, seeing if your teammate can tie their shoes in less than two minutes using only your instructions (and not their prior knowledge on how to do this task!)
If possible, model with another leader how this exercise will go. Then, give teams or small groups about two minutes to instruct their teammates on how to tie their shoes.
Ask the “teacher” of the group:
- What teaching tactics did you use to teach your teammate how to tie their shoes? (Answers will vary, but may include: I told them what to do. I showed them a part of the recipe. I modeled it for them.)
Ask the large group:
- Do you prefer to be a teacher or a learner? (Answers will vary.)
- What is your favorite way to learn something new? (Answers will vary.)
- What are some things we need to be taught to do—things that don’t just come naturally? (Answers will vary, but after some discussion, students will find that almost everything requires a teaching/learning process of some kind.)
Just as we learn practical life skills like how to tie our shoes, we can also learn spiritual skills, such as how to pray.
Popular Christian influencer and author, Ashley Hetherington, is passionate about helping other people grow in their prayer lives. Let’s take a look at some of her video clips offering different ways to pray:
Play the following video clips for your students:
Clip 1 [0:28]: Prayer closet tour
Clip 2 [0:29]: how to go on prayer walks!
- What stood out to you from these videos about different ways to grow your prayer life? Would you try making a prayer board or talking with God while you walk? (Accept all reasonable responses.)
Even if these ideas didn’t resonate with you, it’s always good to think about ways to incorporate more prayer into our lives. The Bible tells us to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But many of us just don’t think much about prayer. Good prayer habits are like anything else—they need to be taught. Today we are going to find out how to pray from the greatest Prayer Coach of all time! Let’s hear what He has to say.
