One challenge I face with our Youth Group is getting the kids to understand the importance of a daily prayer life. They understand praying for their food, praying for their family, and praying when they need God's help when times are tough.
What I wanted to get them to learn through this Youth Group activity is that God is always there waiting for us to talk to him. It is us that are too busy to take the time to stop what we are doing and just 'spend time with God'.
I came up with this youth group activity to help the kids learn more about daily prayer and the other children that attend our Youth Group. While I'm sure prayer partners are not new, it is new to our kids as we have never did anything like this before.
What you'll need:
Divide the kids into groups of two. If you have an extra child, have one group of three.
Have the children talk amongst themselves. They are to be talking about their most important prayer request. It can be a prayer request for themselves or about someone they love or know -- whatever is important to them.
Ask the Youth Group, "Do you know what the other person's most important prayer request is?"
They don't have to say them out loud, just nod or raise their hands.
Use the paper and pencil to write down any requests that you wish to remember and pray with them during the week. Praying is something we all need to do more of.
Explain to the kids that the person in their group will be their prayer partner for the week. They are to pray for each other's prayer request.
To help them remember, have each one tie a piece of yarn around the other one's wrist.
Tell the kids, "This piece of yarn will serve as a reminder. Every time you see the yarn around your wrist, it will remind you to pray for your prayer partner.
During the week, they will pray for you and you will pray for them.
If you think about the piece of yarn ten times a day, pray for your partner's prayer request ten times. If you think of it more, pray more.
For older kids in Youth Group, have them also tell each other one person in their family or a friend who doesn't know the Lord as their savior. Have them pray for that person, as well.
What I wanted to get them to learn through this Youth Group activity is that God is always there waiting for us to talk to him. It is us that are too busy to take the time to stop what we are doing and just 'spend time with God'.
Prayer Partners Youth Group Activity Photo: Quinn.anya (flickr) |
Daily Prayer
I came up with this youth group activity to help the kids learn more about daily prayer and the other children that attend our Youth Group. While I'm sure prayer partners are not new, it is new to our kids as we have never did anything like this before.
What you'll need:
- 1 piece of yarn for every child
- scissors for cutting yarn
- piece of paper
- pen or pencil
Divide the kids into groups of two. If you have an extra child, have one group of three.
Have the children talk amongst themselves. They are to be talking about their most important prayer request. It can be a prayer request for themselves or about someone they love or know -- whatever is important to them.
Ask the Youth Group, "Do you know what the other person's most important prayer request is?"
They don't have to say them out loud, just nod or raise their hands.
Use the paper and pencil to write down any requests that you wish to remember and pray with them during the week. Praying is something we all need to do more of.
Prayer Partners
Explain to the kids that the person in their group will be their prayer partner for the week. They are to pray for each other's prayer request.
To help them remember, have each one tie a piece of yarn around the other one's wrist.
Tell the kids, "This piece of yarn will serve as a reminder. Every time you see the yarn around your wrist, it will remind you to pray for your prayer partner.
During the week, they will pray for you and you will pray for them.
If you think about the piece of yarn ten times a day, pray for your partner's prayer request ten times. If you think of it more, pray more.
Extra Tip:
For older kids in Youth Group, have them also tell each other one person in their family or a friend who doesn't know the Lord as their savior. Have them pray for that person, as well.