This week's theme: Jesus teaches the disciples about prayer.

From the desk of Ms. Kathleen Cook, Director of Religious Education

Theme: Jesus teaches the disciples about prayer.

Summary: The disciples approach Jesus and ask him to teach them to pray and so begins the long tradition of praying what is k as The Lord’s Prayer. Notice that this prayer gives us a framework for our own personal prayer. The first part of the prayer is to give praise and honor to God, then to seek God’s will in our lives, then forgiveness and our daily needs. Jesus encourages the disciples to remain persistent in prayer by telling the story of one friend seeking the aid of another friend at an inconvenient hour and even though the friend does not want to respond, he does so because of the person’s persistence.
Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3): Support younger children in developing deep and consistent prayer lives.  Help them know that God lovingly calls us into relationship with him and always hears our prayers. 
 
Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6): Children at this age desire to experience prayer that is focused on emotionally confusing issues and conflicts. Help the children know that they can find guidance during the turbulent times of their lives by praying the Lord's Prayer.
 
Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8): Young people at this age are experiencing rapid change and need to embrace their religious heritage and tradition to find stability. Helping them focus on the Lord's Prayer, a prayer they learned when they were young, can help reinforce this stability.
 
Scripture: Luke 11:1-13 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Luke 11:2-4
 
One day Jesus went to a quiet place to pray. When he had finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray."
Jesus answered, "When you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."
That is a beautiful prayer. It isn't a very long prayer, but there are three things in this short prayer that every prayer should include. First of all, it praises God, our heavenly Father. Second, it asks God to provide for what we need for each day. Finally, it asks for God's forgiveness for the times that we fall short of what he expects of us.
After 2000 years, we still pray the way that Jesus taught us.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
My Promise to Jesus: My God, every day I will pray to you, saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”
 
Reflect: If a word or phrase from the Gospel captures your heart, sit quietly for several minutes, repeating it to yourself and asking God to show you how it applies to your life.
Or reflect and possibly journal on the following question: Can you remember a time you were inspired to help someone after praying for him or her?
 
Suggested book that compliments today’s Gospel:
http://scu.edu/character/build-plant-grow/
All the Way to Lhasa
Written by Barbara Helen Berger
ISBN: 13:978-0399233876
 
Family Discussion: When someone in our family is going through a hard time, we can't just sit by and watch. We try to do everything we can to let him or her know that he or she is not alone. Sometimes we even try to find a special gift for him or her—something that will help that person to understand how important he or she is to us. Talk about times in your family when this has happened.
Like a good father, God saw that his children needed help. He decided to offer his beloved children a special gift to reveal his love. What did God give us? Not a thing, but a person—the Father's beloved Son, Jesus. Jesus, in turn, taught us to approach God as we would approach a loving father. He gave us the words of a prayer that we call the Our Father, or the Lord's Prayer.

Read aloud Luke 11:1-13. Talk about how Jesus teaches us to be persistent in prayer. Think of times when family members were persistent about something until they were able to achieve a goal or receive what they sought. Talk about what it means to be persistent in prayer. Help your children understand that prayer is not like sitting on Santa Claus's lap, asking for what we want until we get it. Emphasize that prayer is a way of striving to recognize how God is reaching out to us in love and responding by presenting him with our needs.

Conclude this time together by joining hands and praying the Lord's Prayer.