Prayer
We are all connected
Materials:
A variety of beads or buttons with two or four holes (not shanks) and a long piece of cord or string. With a group. With a group of children, use individual strings, or each child could add beads to one very long string.
Lesson:
In this lesson the cord represents Spirit or God, the beads out are individuality, or our individualization of Spirits and the colors, shapes, and textures represent our personalities and appearances.
Have the children choose the beads or buttons to place on the string and a person who each bead represents, such as Dad, Uncle Charlie, Nana, baby sister, teacher, mail carrier, and themselves. Each bead or button should have a different feel and look, just as each person does.
Lead the children to see that all these people have something in common-a common thread at the center of their being. This cord, which connects us like a string connects all the buttons or beads, could be called Spirit. People have many names for it, and it is at the center of everyone. Make sure they know you are not talking about the center of the physical body.
“it is good to look beyond the beads’ colors and shapes or beyond people’s different appearances and personalities and to know that way inside, at the center or core of us, we are all the same. This core is perfect and is the most important part of us. If we look at people as if they are like the beads with different colors and shapes, we can feel very separate and different from others. But if we remember that we are all connected by the cord of Spirit, we can feel close to others. We can choose to look for this center of perfection within people rather than looking at just the outer person.”
Suggested Affirmation:
I look for the perfection in others.
Our Connection with the Creator and with Each Other
Materials:
An apple cutter. If this is not available, a picture or sketch of a bicycle wheel will do nicely. (an apple is not needed.)
Lesson:
The wheel shape, illustrated by the apple cutter, graphically shows our connection with each other and the Creator.
“The hub of the wheel [or the center of the apple slicer] represents the Creator. We are the spokes. The closer we get to the Creator, the closer we get to one another. This works the other way around, too, because as we get closer to one another, we get closer to God.
“When we’re feeling really loving toward someone, we are kind, generous, and thoughtful. We are expressing spiritual qualities. When we are angry and hateful toward someone, we put ourselves farther away from an awareness of the Creator. We can see [point to the outer edge of the cutter] that the farther we are from one another, the farther we are from exhibiting the loving attributes of the Creator.”
Ask for examples of how people separate themselves from one another, such as blaming, name-calling, and deceiving. “That is why forgiveness is such an important step in healing our relationships. Such feelings separate us from others and, therefore, from the Creator, which is total, unconditional love. In fact, many people think that the only problem which exists is separation.
“The more we work to express all the qualities that are spiritual, such as peace, love, harmony, and order, the closer we’ll feel to other people. Other people will feel these qualities and will want to be closer to us. Together we will move closer to complete spiritual awareness.” Encourage a discussion of the ways we can express spiritual qualities in our everyday lives. Start with an example from your own life.
Suggested Affirmation:
The closer I grow to people, the closer I feel to the Spirit within me.
Materials:
An apple cutter. If this is not available, a picture or sketch of a bicycle wheel will do nicely. (an apple is not needed.)
Lesson:
The wheel shape, illustrated by the apple cutter, graphically shows our connection with each other and the Creator.
“The hub of the wheel [or the center of the apple slicer] represents the Creator. We are the spokes. The closer we get to the Creator, the closer we get to one another. This works the other way around, too, because as we get closer to one another, we get closer to God.
“When we’re feeling really loving toward someone, we are kind, generous, and thoughtful. We are expressing spiritual qualities. When we are angry and hateful toward someone, we put ourselves farther away from an awareness of the Creator. We can see [point to the outer edge of the cutter] that the farther we are from one another, the farther we are from exhibiting the loving attributes of the Creator.”
Ask for examples of how people separate themselves from one another, such as blaming, name-calling, and deceiving. “That is why forgiveness is such an important step in healing our relationships. Such feelings separate us from others and, therefore, from the Creator, which is total, unconditional love. In fact, many people think that the only problem which exists is separation.
“The more we work to express all the qualities that are spiritual, such as peace, love, harmony, and order, the closer we’ll feel to other people. Other people will feel these qualities and will want to be closer to us. Together we will move closer to complete spiritual awareness.” Encourage a discussion of the ways we can express spiritual qualities in our everyday lives. Start with an example from your own life.
Suggested Affirmation:
The closer I grow to people, the closer I feel to the Spirit within me.
Prayer Makes the Day
Materials:
A loosely woven piece of fabric about six inches square or larger. One edge should be hemmed and the opposite edge fringed a bit. Optional: an unhemmed piece of cloth and a needle and thread for each child.
Lesson:
This lesson is based on a quote from an unknown author: “A day hemmed with prayer is less likely to unravel.”
Point out how the hem is preventing the edge of the cloth from unravelling. Pull a loose thread from the opposite to show what can happen to a cloth without a hem. You might even compare a fully hemmed piece of fabric with a completely unhemmed piece after each has gone through the washing machine.
The hem represents prayer, especially early morning prayer. The fabric is our day, and the unraveled edge of the fabric represents the troubles, irritants, and mistakes that can occur in our day. The children can offer examples of a day that is full of “goofs.”
Offer examples of prayer that can be used to start a day on the right footing, including asking for guidance through the day, affirming divine order for the day, affirming to be of help to others, and affirming a state of peace and love no matter what occurs. With needle and thread the children could hem their pieces of cloth while they contribute affirmative prayer thoughts. Or the children could memorize a short prayer appropriate for their age, such as “I am a Spirit in action in all I think, say, and do today,” or “Spirit in me thinks through me, feels through me, and acts through me today.”
Here you could discuss the powerful technique of visualizing a happy day. Practice it together on a simple specific thought.
Here are some other ideas you could use with older children:
- Because a thought joined with a feeling has creative power, maybe we’re praying all day long.
- This is a free-will planet, so we have to ask for what we want. The spiritual realm can’t interfere with our free will.
- Prayer is often thought as talking to Spirit, meditation as listening to Spirit.
- If we are asking for spiritual guidance, how foolish it would be not to take time to quite our minds and listen for an answer.
Suggested Affirmation: Prayer stars my day, and I let Spirit lead the way.
Materials:
A loosely woven piece of fabric about six inches square or larger. One edge should be hemmed and the opposite edge fringed a bit. Optional: an unhemmed piece of cloth and a needle and thread for each child.
Lesson:
This lesson is based on a quote from an unknown author: “A day hemmed with prayer is less likely to unravel.”
Point out how the hem is preventing the edge of the cloth from unravelling. Pull a loose thread from the opposite to show what can happen to a cloth without a hem. You might even compare a fully hemmed piece of fabric with a completely unhemmed piece after each has gone through the washing machine.
The hem represents prayer, especially early morning prayer. The fabric is our day, and the unraveled edge of the fabric represents the troubles, irritants, and mistakes that can occur in our day. The children can offer examples of a day that is full of “goofs.”
Offer examples of prayer that can be used to start a day on the right footing, including asking for guidance through the day, affirming divine order for the day, affirming to be of help to others, and affirming a state of peace and love no matter what occurs. With needle and thread the children could hem their pieces of cloth while they contribute affirmative prayer thoughts. Or the children could memorize a short prayer appropriate for their age, such as “I am a Spirit in action in all I think, say, and do today,” or “Spirit in me thinks through me, feels through me, and acts through me today.”
Here you could discuss the powerful technique of visualizing a happy day. Practice it together on a simple specific thought.
Here are some other ideas you could use with older children:
- Because a thought joined with a feeling has creative power, maybe we’re praying all day long.
- This is a free-will planet, so we have to ask for what we want. The spiritual realm can’t interfere with our free will.
- Prayer is often thought as talking to Spirit, meditation as listening to Spirit.
- If we are asking for spiritual guidance, how foolish it would be not to take time to quite our minds and listen for an answer.
Suggested Affirmation: Prayer stars my day, and I let Spirit lead the way.
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by Esther Estrella
Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten |