Trail Life Troop
NC-613
Devotional – Prayer
Opening
- Today we learned a lot about Christian history and prayer, now let’s talk a bit more about prayer.
- Read, or someone read the Teaching verse. FYI: The memory verse is further down
Luke 6:27 Love your enemies, do good to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Devotional
Big picture Prayer is important!
- We all have had friends, or people we know, (maybe even brothers and sisters) who have hurt us by what they said or what they did. We hope that doesn’t happen often, but sometimes bad things happen to us.
- Q: Has anyone ever prayed for someone who was mean to you, or said bad things to you?
Give past example in your own life, if no child responds. - It seems pretty strange to pray for someone who is mean to you, doesn’t it?
- You may even be mad at that person for treating you so badly.
- Q: Then, why do you think today’s teaching verse tells us to pray for our enemies?
- Maybe another question will help us understand this hard verse about praying for people who hurt us.
- Q: Have YOU ever said something mean to someone else or maybe YOU did something to hurt someone else? We all have, because we all make mistakes and fall short of loving others all the time.
- Q: So, when you hurt someone else, wouldn’t you like that someone you hurt to be praying for you?
- We are to bless other people, and not curse them, even when we are mad and upset by being hurt.
- Because it’s easy to love others when they love you, right? Everyone does that. But as a Christian, Jesus holds us to a higher standard, His standard of who we should pray for.
- If you learn to pray like that, for everyone--even those who are mean to you--then Jesus says in Matt 6:35 “great will be your reward in Heaven.”
- Think about that. Jesus will GREATLY reward you in heaven for being the kind of Christian who prays for people who hurt you. But, please don’t misunderstand this teaching. Please, please tell your parents or someone if you are hurt so they can help protect you. Don’t hide bad things. Talk about them.
- But we are to forgive others who sin against us, right? (Lord’s prayer) And then pray for them.
- Jesus will reward you. He promises that. Maybe not today or tomorrow, maybe only when you get to heaven, but someday you will be rewarded for doing good to others even when others do bad.
- Let’s all make a prayer list of people or things you need to pray for over the next week.
Memory Verse #2
Ask if anybody knows it yet and can say it? Read it together 2X Consider having a memory verse pamphlet for kids take home.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Topical Questions
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Was there anything new today that you learned about our Christian Heritage or about prayer? What?
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Can you think of other things that Jesus taught that are similar to the command to pray for those who mistreat you?
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Does anyone have a favorite Bible verse they have memorized? If so, what verse is your favorite?
Closing Prayer
Dear Jesus, we thank You for showing us how to pray. We ask You for courage and wisdom to pray for others, even those who hurt us. We thank You for dying on the cross for us so we can be saved. You died for even those who killed you. What an amazing grace and love. The least we can do is do likewise and pray for those who persecute us. We love You Lord! And ask this in Your matchless name, Jesus. Amen!
