Jesus prays for others
key words
biblical reference
John 17:6-26
lesson objective
To help the children follow Jesus’ example and pray for others.
memory verse
“I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer” (Psalm 17:6, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
We must teach others to pray. Jesus' disciples were instructed to teach each of the following generations of disciples to pray. Christ-followers especially pray for personal needs, the salvation of others, and the consumation of God's kingdom. A good outline of Christian prayer appears in 1 Timothy 2:1-2:
Worship (or doxology)
Supplication (or petition)
Intercession (or invocation)
Thanksgiving (or benediction).
Elementary-aged children are increasingly interested in the people around them. It is the ideal time for them to learn to think about the needs of others and to pray for them.
Children have a lot of memory, as they demonstrate in learning the memory verses. This will help them remember that they should pray for others. Teach them to use their memory to develop an effective prayer ministry.
Your example regarding prayer is important for children. Include prayer for others as part of your sessions. Also, let your children know that you pray for them during the week, and encourage them to pray for each other.
biblical commentary
Read John 17:6-26. This passage is known as “Jesus’ prayer for his church.” It is the most extensive prayer of Jesus that appears in the Bible. He begins praying for himself, then he prays for his disciples, and in the end, for those who would believe in him through the message of his disciples. This includes us, so we can say that Jesus prayed for us.
This prayer shows the close relationship that existed between Jesus and his Father, and is a preamble to the final stage of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Although he was aware that the cross awaited him, in his prayer he expressed hope and joy, instead of despair. Jesus had his eyes fixed on the future, and he knew that his disciples would carry the message of salvation with boldness, surrendering their own lives out of love for him.
He also knew that many would believe because of the testimony of the apostles; that is why he prayed that they be protected in this world.
In that prayer, he included three specific requests: protection for believers, unity among them and their sanctification.
Jesus also prayed for his twelve disciples, whom he had chosen to represent him on earth. These men, after having left everything to follow Jesus, were willing to give their lives for him. And knowing that they would face opposition and danger in carrying the message of salvation, Jesus asked the Father to protect them from the evil one.
He also prayed for the unity of his followers. He knew that they would face divisions and that the enemy would try to destroy them, but he trusted that God could free them from all evil.
introduce the lesson
Prayer partners
In advance, make figures of different shapes on poster board. You will need two of each figure, and enough figures for all your children. Cut out the figures, and place them in a basket. Ask each child to take one. Then tell them that they should look for the person who has the matching figure of the one they picked.
When everyone has found their partner, ask them to stay together, because they will be prayer partners in the next activity. Each child should write their prayer request on the figure, and then give it to their partner to take home and pray for that request during the week.
My prayer book
Hand out prayer books, and give time for your children to make a list of the people they should pray for. Do not forget to include the pastor of the church and the missionaries.
Ask them to write as a title, “I must pray for ...”, and decorate the page to their liking.
teach the lesson
Read the following passages from John 17, and explain to the group that they are part of the prayer that Jesus prayed to God shortly before he died. If you wish, ask them to open their Bibles and follow the reading with their eyes, or if you have good readers in your group, assign them a part to read aloud.
Jesus prays for others
“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ... They believed that you sent me.
“I pray for them ... Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me....
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world...
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you...
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
connect the lesson
Why did Jesus pray?
Hand out the strip with the Prayer Hands found on Student Activity Sheet #192-A for this lesson.
Give the children time to write their names in the blank circle, and tell them: “A moment ago, we read in John 17 the prayer Jesus prayed for others. According to what you learned, stick prayer hands in each circle that represents the people Jesus prayed for.”
Instruct them to complete the sentence, “Jesus prayed for ...” Then, explain that Jesus prayed first for himself; later, for his disciples, and he concluded by praying for people all over the world who would become Christians.
Then tell them that John 17:20 says, “But I do not pray only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.”
Who do you think is included in this sentence? Allow them to respond, and let them know that Jesus prayed for all who believed, and would believe, in him as their Savior and Lord.
I will pray for my neighbor
Have the children find Student Activity Sheet #192-B entitled “I will pray for my neighbors.” Encourage them to use this sheet to pray for each other during the week. Remind them that Jesus prayed for his disciples and for all believers. Show them how to use this prayer sheet. Ask them to write the names of the people they will pray for. If they have difficulty choosing these people, suggest that they may be relatives, friends, the pastoral family, leaders, missionaries, etc.
Encourage them to pray each day for the people on their list, and draw a star in the box that corresponds to the date they prayed.
practice the memory verse
You might use a puppet to review the memory verse today. You can have the puppet talk with the children so that they have to say the verse to correct the puppet’s mistakes. For example, the puppet could say, “I do not remember the verse, can you help me?”
Another option is that the puppet says the verse incorrectly and then the group must correct its mistakes. When the puppet finally says the verse without errors, invite your children to repeat it with him.
wrap-up
Pray
Ask if it is better to pray long or short prayers. In our lesson today, we learned that Jesus prayed a long prayer, but sometimes he prayed short prayers. Do you think Jesus listens to us better when we pray long prayers? Explain that the length of our prayer does not matter. God always listens to us and understands our needs. Allow the children to give their prayer needs. Then ask two volunteers to lead the group in prayer before saying goodbye.
Encourage
Encourage the children to pray personal prayers and family prayers at home too.
Invite
Be sure to say something interesting about the next session so the children will want to attend.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™