leader s guide Four missions experiences on prayer as an important part of spreading the gospel. Location: Israel Focus verse: I Pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. John 17:20 Overall message: People of all religions come to Israel because Jesus spent most of His life on earth there, ministering and sharing with others about God, His Father. It is customary for many to go to Israel to pray because they feel like they will be closer to Jesus, but the Bible says we can pray to God anytime, anywhere about anything. Prayer is a very important part of global missions. We can be a part of what God is doing all over the world through prayer. Before you begin: This resource is a collection of experiences to plug your kids into global missions. We hope you will take the ideas included here and expand your children s view of missions and their role in God s kingdom. This is a product of IMB, 3806 Monument Ave., Richmond, VA 23230. For comments or questions, contact Kids On Mission at IMB by calling (800) 999-3113 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture referenced is from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Experience 1 Prepare From the DVD-ROM or kidsonmission.org, download the Learning to pray video. Download and print the Keep Praying focus verse, and Israel map. Introduction We all have special traditions in our families. Ask the children in your group if they can think of something their family does often, every day or every year. Ask for volunteers to share the tradition that came to mind. We may also have special customs in our home. Customs are specific ways of doing something. Some of you may take your shoes off when you come inside or put up a Christmas tree at Christmas time. Explain that many people all over the world keep different traditions according to their culture, beliefs and religion. One religion with many customs and traditions is the Jewish religion. Show the Israel map and share that the Jewish people are considered the largest group of people in the country of Israel. Jews and people of all religions come to Israel because Jesus spent much of His life there, ministering to people and sharing with others about God, His Father. It is customary for many to go to Israel to pray because they feel like they will be closer to Jesus by being there. The right shoe Ask children to find a space on the floor to sit and remove their shoes. Explain that for many Jews it is the custom when putting on shoes to start with the right shoe. When tying shoes, the left is tied first. Instruct kids to follow Jewish custom by putting their right shoe on first then the left. If their shoes have shoestrings, make sure they tie their left shoe first and then the right. Explain that this custom is based on the belief that the right is more important than the left. Once kids are wearing their shoes again, ask them to sit in a chair. Continue to share that in the Jewish religion there are also many customary prayers and blessings that are said at various times. Some are traditionally said at specific places as well. Share that prayers are very good. It s important for us to talk with God, but the Bible tells us we can pray about anything, anytime and anywhere. Direct children s attention to the video screen and ask them to watch how Christians in Israel are teaching others what the Bible says about prayer. Play the Learning to pray video. continued on next page
Experience 1 continued from previous page Anytime, anywhere After the video, review what the Bible says about prayer by asking the following questions: When can followers of Jesus pray? (Anytime.) Where can followers of Jesus pray? (Anywhere.) What are some things for which followers of Jesus can pray? (Anything.) Share that guests visiting the center you saw in the video learn that praying can include praising God for who He is, that we can confess our sin in prayer and we can pray for other people. Share that while He was on earth, even Jesus prayed to God, His Father. Hold up the Keep Praying focus verse and read it together as a group. In this verse, Jesus is praying for others. He is praying for those who already believe in Him. Jesus is also praying for those who would hear about Him through those believers. Encourage your group that when they pray, to remember to ask that others will hear about Jesus and that those who hear would want to love and follow Him. Pray Pray that more people would hear about Jesus, especially those in Israel. Ask that they would learn what the Bible says about prayer and want to have a close relationship with Jesus.
Experience 2 Prepare Download and print the Keep Praying focus verse, and the Prayer everywhere handout. Recap People of all religions come to Israel because Jesus spent most of His life on earth there, ministering and sharing with others about God, His Father. It is customary for many to go to Israel to pray because they feel like they will be closer to Jesus, but the Bible says we can pray to God anytime, anywhere about anything. Prayer, prayer anywhere Remind kids that the Bible says followers of Jesus can pray to God anytime, anywhere about anything. Draw kids attention toward the Keep Praying focus verse and ask a volunteer to read the verse to the class. Remind them that Jesus is praying for those who already believed in Him and for those who would hear the gospel and believe in Him in the future. Share that Jesus understood the power of prayer. By His example, we know prayer is very important to the work of getting the gospel to every person around the world. Explain that we play a big part in helping people hear about Jesus in other parts of the world by praying for them. Your prayers matter! Give each child a copy of the Prayer everywhere handout. Explain that there are blanks next to pictures of common places in our homes, neighborhoods and schools. These are perfect places to stop and pray. Ask your group to fill in the blanks with a prayer for missionaries, for believers and for people who need to hear about Jesus in other parts of the world. Encourage them to think of a specific prayer for the people of Israel. For example, at school you could pray that school-aged children in Israel will have the opportunity to hear about Jesus and His love. Though we already know the Bible says we can pray anywhere, we can use these locations as a reminder to pray. Challenge your kids to pray about their requests in the various locations on the handout this week. continued on next page
Experience 2 continued from previous page Right here. Right now. Ask for a new volunteer to read the Keep Praying focus verse out loud to the group. Share that in this verse we also learn that Jesus prayed for the people in His life. When Jesus prays, I pray not only for these He is referring to His disciples His friends. Explain that we can pray for each other right here. Right now. If your group is big enough, split up into smaller groups of two or three. Have groups spend a few minutes sharing any specific requests they may have. Then spend a few minutes praying for one another. To conclude prayer time, voice a prayer for your children. Ask that they would each desire to want to know Jesus more.
Experience 3 Prepare From the DVD-ROM or kidsonmission.org, prepare to show the Prayers for Jerusalem video. Download and print a copy of the Which one s right? game guide and the Going to Jerusalem handout, one for each child. Recap People of all religions come to Israel because Jesus spent most of His life on earth there, ministering and sharing with others about God, His Father. It is customary for many to go to Israel to pray because they feel like they will be closer to Jesus, but the Bible says we can pray to God anytime, anywhere about anything. Know where you go Ask kids to raise their hands if they ve ever traveled to Israel. (If a child raises her hand, ask them if they would like to share some of their experiences.) Share that now you will all get to visit Jerusalem, Israel. First, you will spend time learning about the city. Ask kids to stand side-by-side in a line and then spread out enough to extend both arms. Remind kids that it is Jewish tradition to prefer the right over the left. Explain that you are going to play a true or false game to learn a few fun facts about Jerusalem before you go. If you think a statement is true, take one step to the right. If you think a statement is false, take one step the left. But watch out! If someone answers incorrectly you may get stepped on! Play the game by reading the facts listed on the Which one s right? game guide. Pray as you go Share that now we re ready to go to Jerusalem. Ask kids to sit down and turn their attention to the video screen. You will go to Jerusalem by watching scenes from Jerusalem in the video. Many of these scenes are what you would see if you were visiting this ancient city today. Instruct them to listen carefully to the music. This is like music you might hear if you visited Jerusalem. Play the Prayers for Jerusalem video. continued on next page
Experience 3 continued from previous page After the video give each child a copy of the Going to Jerusalem handout. Tell your group you are going to watch the video one more time, but this time you will watch it through the eyes of missionaries. Explain that before short or long-term missionaries begin working in a city, they take time to prayerwalk. Prayerwalking is exactly as it sounds. You pray as you walk. You can pray for people or situations that you see. You can pray about anything God brings to your mind. Ask kids to watch the Prayers for Jerusalem video again, but this time jot down one or two prayer requests you see in the city. There is an example on the handout that might help boost some thoughts as well. After the video ask kids to share their prayers with the class. Remind kids that they already know they can pray to God anytime, anywhere. Let s spend time praying for the city of Jerusalem. Spend time in prayer, asking God to answer the prayers of your group.
Experience 4 Prepare Download and print the Keep Praying focus verse. Bring supplies for making cards, (construction paper, blank note cards, markers, pens, stickers ) Recap People of all religions come to Israel because Jesus spent most of His life on earth there, ministering and sharing with others about God, His Father. It is customary for many to go to Israel to pray because they feel like they will be closer to Jesus, but the Bible says we can pray to God anytime, anywhere about anything. Others focused Ask for a third volunteer to read (or say by memory) the Keep Praying focus verse again. Discuss the verse further by asking the following questions: Who is Jesus praying for? (Jesus disciples and future believers.) How will there be future believers according to Jesus? (Others will believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior if they hear about Him and His Good News!) Explain that we can pray for opportunities to tell people about Jesus, and we can pray for others sharing the gospel as well. Share that missionaries are taking the gospel to all parts of the world. Many of these missionaries have families with children. We can pray for missionary kids as they live in places that are a little different than what we are used to as well as pray that they will have opportunities to share the gospel with their friends. Share that you would like to read a letter from Melissa. She is a 13-year-old missionary kid living in the North Africa and Middle East region, where Israel is also located. Read the following letter: continued on next page
Experience 4 continued from previous page I live in a huge city in North Africa. You are probably wondering if I ride a camel to school every day. I live in a city with people, cars, electricity, and houses. I have lived here since I was 3 so what may seem like an adventure to you is an average day for me. Then again, going to America is an adventure for me! I live in an apartment. My brother and I walk to school every day. We have a lot more freedoms here than we do in America so we love that! Our school is small, only six kids in each class. Every time we go back to America, kids tell me they have a small class of 30 kids. I almost die of laughter! I love doing ministry here. I get to go to clinics. Please pray for my family as we serve. I love this country and would not trade it for the world! Remember you can tell people about Jesus where you live. It does not have to be somewhere else. Please pray for me and my family as we continue our work to make Jesus famous. Ask a volunteer to pray for Melissa. Encouraging word Remind kids that prayer is a super important part of others hearing about Jesus. Like Jesus we can pray for those taking His Good News to others. Share that knowing someone is praying for you is important and encouraging, too. Explain that many missionary families take a short break from wherever they are living and return to the United States. They will rest and then return to their work in other parts of the world. Your kids will be making cards for the missionary kids who are back in the states for a short visit. Provide supplies to make cards for missionary kids like Melissa. Remind children to let the missionary kids know they are being prayed for. Don t forget to follow through by remembering to pray for missionary kids all over the world! You can send the cards to the following address: IMB Kids On Mission P.O. Box 6767 Richmond, VA 23230
Going Further More ideas using this theme Download and print the Keep Praying parent letter. Give to parents so they can help kids extend their missions experiences through family activities. Sign up to pray for missionary kids by subscribing to the weekly KOMPray e-newsletter. You can subscribe by going to www.kidsonmission.org/prayer. Discover the power of prayer by downloading the Prayer Power PDF. You can find this resource by clicking the Pray for the nations button at www.kidsonmission.org/prayer. Learn about unreached people groups and choose to pray for that group on an ongoing basis. Check out more prayer resources for global mission by visiting www.imb.org/pray. Don t forget to visit kidsonmission.org for more activities and KOM experiences you might have missed. Also, like us on Facebook and see how other churches are using KOM.
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Keep Praying focus verse I Pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. John 17:20
Prayer everywhere We can pray for missionaries and for people around the world from wherever we are! Directions: Fill in the blanks with a specific prayer request for more people to hear about Jesus and for more people to go tell them. The next time you stop by these places, remember to talk to God about your request.
Which one s right? Directions: Read the following facts. Encourage your children to choose True (step to the right) and False (step to the left). A lion is the national symbol of the city of Jerusalem. (TRUE-RIGHT) The Jewish people make up a small portion of the population of Jerusalem. (FALSE-LEFT; The Jewish people make up more than half the population) Jesus died on a cross, rose from the dead, and went up to heaven. All of these events happened in Jerusalem. (TRUE-RIGHT) King David built the temple that housed the ark of the covenant in Jerusalem. (FALSE-LEFT; King Solomon built the temple.) Falafel, a popular food in Jerusalem, is made of waffle. (FALSE-LEFT; Falafel is made of chickpeas and spices.) Jerusalem is a holy city for three of the worlds main religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. (TRUE-RIGHT) It snows in Jerusalem (TRUE-RIGHT; Jerusalem is located in the Judean mountains. In the winter it can get cold enough to snow!) Everything in the city of Jerusalem is new and modern. (FALSE-LEFT; Jerusalem is one of the most ancient cities in the world.)
Going to Jerusalem Directions: Watch the Prayers for Jerusalem video through the eyes of a missionary. Can you list a couple of prayer requests based on the things you see in this ancient city? Example! Dear Jesus, I pray that these boys will hear about you someday soon and that they would want to follow you.
parent letter Dear Parents, During our Kids On Mission time, your kids have been visiting Israel. People of all religions come to Israel because Jesus spent most of His life on earth there, ministering and sharing with others about God, His Father. It is customary for many to go to Israel to pray because they feel like they will be closer to Jesus, but the Bible says we can pray to God anytime, anywhere about anything. Prayer is a very important part of global missions. We can be a part of what God is doing all over the world, through prayer. Go to www.kidsonmission.org/prayer to find updated prayer requests and stories from missionary kids serving all over the world. As a family, make it a daily routine to lift up those who are telling people about Jesus all over the world. It s pretty cool to play such an important part in what God is doing in other countries from our own homes! Visit kidsonmission.org to watch videos from the Keep Praying mission s experiences. These are free to watch from the website. Thanks for being a family on mission!