Prayer
 Prayers from children in Guantanamo Bay Methodist Church Cuba
(Translated from Spanish)
My name is Alexandro and I want to send you God's blessing. I also ask you that you share the word of God and the Christian faith as I do and keep faith forever. Amen
Here is my letter in the name of my salvation, care for it in your heart . You will see it each moment and you will remember God. I remember God when I look at my hand and it reminds me of Gods forgiveness.
I am Marnardo and with my drawing of a hand I want to say to you:
God forgives the sins of the whole world.
Ernesto - I send you this message, I am 10yrs old my Christian life is very beautiful because I know that God loves me.
Hector - I want to say that we are friends; I send you a hug of a warm Christian friend
Practical Prayer
Why not set aside a space for thinking or prayer in your bedroom. Or you could ask your leaders if there is a place in your Church where you could create a space where you can just sit and think or pray.
You will need:
Your imagination and be as creative as you like
- Pictures, photographs, drawings or paintings or craft you have created:
Some ideas - Pictures of friends, family, countries, the World, somewhere you have visited that you thought was a wonderful place, picture of your church, street, home, garden, favourite park, school.
- Newspaper or magazine clippings about events going on in the world or your local community
- A Bean Bag, cushion or Pillow to sit on, make it comfortable and cosy.
- Something to place your collection of items on a focal point eg. Stool, small table, desk, floor space. Or you could put your items into a scrap book, or Box
(look at how to make a memory box on the bulletin board)
- Something to hold eg stone, cross, favourite bear or cuddly toy
- A Bible open at a passage or story that you like, a favourite book, story or poem.
Once you have created your space spend a little time sitting in it.
You could also invite others to use the space
Prayer Bracelet
You will need - Cord, large beads different shapes, colours and sizes, scissors, paper clip
Wrap the cord around your wrist and measure the length for the bracelet, leave some slack for tying the bracelet together. Place the paper clip at one end of the cord to stop the beads falling off when you start to thread them. Choose one bead for every prayer topic you want to have eg. One for Family, friends, church, world issues, Thankfulness, for yourself ......
Now thread your chosen beads onto the cord, once the beads are on tie the two ends together to form your bracelet. Make sure you leave enough room to slip the bracelet on and off your wrist. When you wear the bracelet hold one of the beads on your bracelet and pray about the subject you picked for that bead.
Paper Towel Prayers
You will need 1 kitchen Roll (plain) and marker Pen
Read Mark ch 1 v 35
Jesus believed that his Father in heaven always heard him and always answered him. Jesus got his power to face each day because he first went to God in prayer.
We are going to Change the Kitchen Roll into a daily 'prayer roll'
Unroll your Kitchen Roll sheets, one sheet at a time (DO NOT TEAR A PIECE OFF) we will roll it back up when we have finished. On each sheet of kitchen roll write a prayer thought, to start with write 7 thoughts/prayers as you will be tearing one thought/prayer off each day.
Prayer Journal
You will need a small jotter pad or notebook
Each day take some time out to write or draw some reflections on your day in the notebook. Perhaps create a collage of different pictures and images or photos of friends and family
Write anything,
good things that have happened, things you want to say thank you for, things your are concerned about. Something you have learnt about at school or you have read or found on the internet or heard on the television.
You could simply write names of people you want to remember in prayer or countries you want to pray for.
You could write poetry or lyrics
Visit the journal each day and read through what you have written share with God your thoughts and prayers.
Daily Bible readings
Bible Snapshots
A unique books to help children understand what it means to follow Jesus. This book focuses on Mark's Gospel and includes Bible passages from Mark. It's fun to use and features children themselves. Deisgned for children to read alone or with personal adult guidance. A good, firm introduction to Bible reading for children aged 8 - 11 years
Available from Scripture Union www.scriptureunion.org.uk
Prayer Zone (cpas)
Energize your 11-14s to become a team that prays! Fifty-five creative, active, brain-buzzing Prayer Zone cards provide all you need for an action-packed journey into prayer. There's backup and guidance for leaders, ten Bible-based learning sessions and a continuous challenge for your youth group to get real with God.
Now try to think of things you would like to pray about ... I have listed some examples below, but I am sure you will think of a lot more:
Parents
Friends
Teachers
Church
Youth Leaders
Sunday morning leaders
The Minister
The Prime Minister and Government
World leaders
Homeless people
Refugees
School
Say thank you for something
Share something that is troubling you
The environment
Community
Your prayers may just be one word on the sheet or you may want to write lots of words on each sheet.
Once you have written a prayer on each sheet roll the sheets back up and place it somewhere in your bedroom.
Each day take your Prayer Kitchen roll and look at the first Sheet and tear it off the roll. Now read and think about what you have written on the sheet for a few minutes. Then once you have done this throw that sheet in the bin. Repeat this daily until your prayers run out. Then write some more and repeat again.
Prayer Circle
Turn to the person next to you ( on the left ) and introduce yourself share a little about yourself, perhaps discuss something you might like to be included in prayers. After a few minutes turn to the person on your right and repeat the excersise.
Hold hands and form a circle facing inwards close your eyes and turn to the left and silently pray for the person on your left. Then turn to the right and pray for the person on your right.
Now face outwards and hold hands and silently pray for your school, community and the world.
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