To pray is to ask for protection
key words
biblical reference
Matthew 6:13, John 16-17
lesson objective
To help the children learn to give thanks to God for his care and ask for protection through prayer
memory verse
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’” (Matthew 6:9-13, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
In these chapters (John 16 and 17), Jesus knew that he was soon going to die. Chapter 16 contains one of his final conversations with his disciples.
At the time John was writing this Gospel (book), they had already faced persecution, and Jesus’ words resounded in his ears. The time of Jesus’ death was approaching and they must be ready. In this passage, Jesus warned it would not be easy to follow him; the Christian way was going to have a very high cost. Their expulsion from synagogues was something very hard for them; Jesus’ good name, influence and everything needed in life was at stake.
Jesus explained that his departure was necessary to allow the arrival of salvation and comfort from the Holy Spirit. Pain and suffering would be great, but it would pass. The joy that would come afterwards would be great.
Chapter 17 is Jesus’ prayer. It begins by asking to be glorified. With the term “glorification,” Jesus was asking God for Jews and Gentiles to understand that he was the Messiah and his mission was to save the world from sin.
Jesus prayed for himself, for his disciples, as well as for future generations of disciples. Similarly, he referred to events that had not yet happened, as if they had already passed (vv. 10-11).
In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus prays again. Jesus is teaching us to ask God to save us when we are going through difficult tests, and power to defeat the enemy.
Was it necessary that Christ die? What would have happened if he had not died?
Yes, it was necessary for Jesus to die for salvation and to make it possible for us to be in his presence. When he died, this became real through the Holy Spirit.
In our time, do we go through difficult situations?
Is there persecution in your country? Do you know someone who has been forbidden to attend school or work for being a Christian, or perhaps someone who is in jail for preaching Christ?
Perhaps in the place where you live there is a certain degree of religious freedom, but in many places, persecution for religious reasons is a reality. Many people are still dying for witnessing for Jesus Christ and preaching his message.
More Christians have died in the recent century than in the other centuries since the coming of Christ. In some countries hundreds of Christians have been killed.
In some countries, the church is hidden. Christians must hide to praise God. In some places, terrorists kidnap and kill Christians. (see International Mission Education Guide, Volume XVI, Year 2002).
How does Jesus’ prayer help us get through these situations? Through prayer. Jesus teaches us to pray to God for protection in each of our difficulties.
In the Lord’s Prayer, he teaches us to ask God for help in times of temptation, tests, or difficulties we may be experiencing. We must bring before God all our concerns, doubts and problems.
God can help us in the midst of difficulty.
introduce the lesson
Activity: Our best defense
Ask group to look at Student Activity Sheet #295-A and ask: “What do all the objects in each category have in common?” Have them write the answers in the spaces. (They are used for protection. They are used to increase strength.) Ask: “In which category does prayer belong? Why?” (Prayer belongs to both categories, because when we pray, God can give us both protection and strength.)
teach the lesson
Jesus prays for his disciples
Read the story simultaneously with the children. While you are reading, stop wherever it is marked. Ask the question and let the children talk about it.
“Where is Judas going?” asked one disciple to the other.
“Since he handles our money, maybe he is running an errand for Jesus,” said the second disciple.
After Judas left, Jesus spoke to the disciples about what they would face in the future. He predicted his death and spoke about his resurrection.
“I’ve said all this so you would not stop trusting in me. You will be expelled from the synagogue; and the day will come when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor.”
Then Jesus began to pray, saying, “My Father, the time has come for you to show people how powerful I am. Thus, I also have shown them how great and wonderful you are. To everyone I showed how great and powerful you are, because I did everything you commanded me.”
“Why does this prayer sound like his last?” some asked.
The disciples heard Jesus talking to God about them. “I have shown who you are to the followers you gave me. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed all I commanded them. I pray for them. I am not praying for the people who do not accept me and just think about the things of this world. Instead, I pray for the followers who you gave me and they are yours. Heavenly Father, soon I will not be in the world, because I will go where you are. But my followers will remain in this world. So I ask that you take care of them. While I was with them, I took care of them with the power that you gave me, and none stopped trusting me except Judas. I do not ask you to take them out of the world but that you protect them from Satan. I am not of this world, and neither are they. Your message is true. Help them to listen and surrender completely to you.”
Say: In the Lord’s Prayer he taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:13).
Was Jesus asking God to keep the Christians from hearing or seeing the evil of this world? (No) He knew that his disciples would have to be in the world, and listen and see the evil around them to avoid it. If we know Jesus today, we are those disciples.
The disciples thought about Jesus’ words: “I do not pray only for them but also for those who will believe in me when they hear your message.”
They must have thought to themselves, “I wonder how many will believe us if Jesus is not here!” “Who will believe in our message? Not the religious leaders who are here!”
Who would be those who would believe through the disciples? (All the people of his time.) Who today believes through us? (Those that we know who testify.)
Shortly after Jesus said this prayer, he and his disciples left the place where they had been. They went to an olive orchard. There, a band of soldiers led by Judas arrested Jesus and took him.
connect the lesson
Ask the group: “Is there persecution in your country today?” (yes/ no) Then ask: “How can we help in these situations?” Have the children respond. You can tell the children some countries where there is persecution and have each of them pray during the week for a different country.
God’s protection
Ask the children to think of situations in which they have had the protection of God, and write a prayer of praise for the care of the Lord. Help them remember the four lessons that speak about prayer.
Help them write some of their personal prayer requests. Ask, “Have you had prayer requests answered?” (These should be noted.)
practice the memory verse
This is the last session of the Lord’s Prayer as a memory verse, so children should have it already memorized.
If there are many children, divide them into two groups. Write the Lord’s Prayer in paragraphs and distribute them among the children (without seeing what they have). They have to read (individual or as a group) the paragraph that you gave them, and say the words that are before or after (as you indicate).
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #295-B, #295-C and #295-D. Help the group remember the four lessons in which they have talked about prayer. Encourage them to write down some personal prayer requests. Ask: “Have you received an answer from God about one of your prayer requests?” Encourage them to write down some of these as praises to God.
Remind them to put a star on their Verse of the Month Club certificate. The certificates can be given to those who have learned all the memory verses. Put them in a visible place in the room.
wrap-up
Pray
At the end of the session, pray the Lord’s Prayer with the group.
Encourage
Thank your students for their attendance and encourage them not to forget what they learned.
Invite
Announce that in the next session the group will begin a new series of lessons. Say something about it to increase the group’s interest, and tell them this is a good time to bring friends.
* 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.™