Prayer

by Lara Goold

Materials needed: tape, magnet or flannel board, scriptures

Purpose: To understand the power and importance of prayer

Scripture: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it
shall be given him.” James 1:5

Songs: “A Child’s Prayer”, Children’s Songbook page 12

“Choose the Right Way”, Children’s Songbook, page 160
“Did You Think To Pray?” Hymns, page 140

Opening song and prayer:

Opening Discussion: When you need to know an answer to a question, whom do you ask? When you are hurt, who can
help you? When you are sad, who can comfort you? In the scriptures, we read of men, women, and
children who pray to Heavenly Father when they had questions or needed help. They believe, just like
the people in the stories we read, that no matter where you are or what time of day it is, Heavenly Father
can hear your prayer. The scriptures tell us that Heavenly Father does hear our prayers and that He
answers them.

Lesson: Esther Saves Her People (with flannel board figures): Using the flannel board figures and the enclosed
summary (or your own words) tell the story of Esther and how fasting and prayer helped her save her
people. Emphasize the strength and power the people’s prayers gave to her.

Going to the Father For Help Story (with flannel board figures): Read or summarize in your own
words this story about a little boy who is camping and gets scared and remembers to pray. Remind them
how they can pray whenever, wherever they want and Heavenly Father is always there and wants to help
us and comfort us.

Activity: House of Prayer: put together the prayer house (with Velcro or tape) and have it standing on the table.
Ask the children about different times that we can/should pray. Have them move the people from place to
place in the house as you talk about the different times/places. You may want to take this opportunity to
read Alma 37:37 (Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings…) and to bear your testimony or share
personal experiences about prayer.

Closing song and prayer:

Refreshments: see recipe on next page

Ice Cream in a Bag
1 cup half and half
2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
ice
rock salt
quart size ziploc bags
gallon size ziploc bags

Pour half and half, sugar, and vanilla into quart size ziploc bag. Seal.

Meanwhile place 4-6 cups ice and 1/2 cup rock salt into the gallon size bag.

Place sealed half and half mixture into the bag filled with ice and salt. Seal.
Toss, knead, wiggle, and whatever else you can think to keep the bags in motion for about 5 minutes (they used hot pad
holders to keep their fingers from getting too frosty).

Half and half mixture will thicken into ice cream consistency after about five minutes.

Remove from bag, add desired toppings, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

“Esther Saves Her

People”
King
Ahasuerus

Print onto heavy

cardstock and
laminate. Mount with
magnets, Velcro, or
popsicle sticks
“Esther Saves Her People”--Print onto heavy cardstock and laminate. Mount with
magnets, Velcro, or popsicle sticks PART 2
Haman

Esther
Esther Saves Her People”--Print onto heavy cardstock and laminate. Mount with
magnets, Velcro, or popsicle sticks PART 3
Mordecai

Group of Jews
“Esther Saves Her People,” Friend, Sep 1998, 39

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall
be given him (James 1:5).

When King Ahasuerus of Persia was looking for a new queen, he asked that all the fair young women of the
kingdom come to the palace. Mordecai, a Jew who served in the palace, brought his niece, Esther. She was
beautiful, and “the king loved Esther above all the women” (Esth. 2:17). She became his new queen.

The king placed a man named Haman over all the princes in his kingdom and ordered all the servants to bow
before Haman. Mordecai refused to bow. This angered Haman, and when he discovered that Mordecai was a
Jew, he decided to destroy all of the Jews.

Haman told the king that there was a people in his land who would not obey the laws and who, therefore, should
be destroyed. The king agreed and offered a reward to those who would kill the Jews.

Esther and Mordecai realized that to save their people, Esther would have to go before the king and plead for
them. This was a dangerous thing to do, because no one was to go before the king without being called. Esther
asked that her people fast and pray for three days for her.

The fasting and prayers of her people gave the queen the courage to do what she needed to do. When she told
the king of the wickedness of Haman, the king had him destroyed instead of Esther and her people.

You, too, can pray to Father in Heaven for the strength to do those things that are good and great. He loves you
and will listen to your prayers, just as He did to Queen Esther’s.
Going to the Father for Help—print onto heavy cardstock and laminate. PART 1
Going to the Father for Help—print onto heavy cardstock and laminate. Affix with tape the praying Richie
onto each scene as it is read in the story. Emphasize that we can pray ANY time and ANY where and Heavenly
Father can always hear us. PART 2

Richie while camping Richie at home

Going to the Father for Help—(read or tell in your own words using flannel board visual aids)
Rebecca Todd, “Going to Father for Help,” Friend, Sep 1998, 9

(Based on a true incident)

Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing (D&C 19:38).

“Daddy,” Richie whispered into the darkness. “Daddy, are you awake?” The bedroom was silent. “Daddy!” he
whispered fiercely.

Dad awakened with a jump. The small figure in the darkness startled him. “Oh, Richie,” he said. “What’s the
matter?”

“Daddy, I had a scary dream,” Richie said, his bottom lip trembling.

Dad got out of bed quietly so that he wouldn’t wake Mom. He took Richie’s hand and led him down the hall.
After flipping the light on in Richie’s room, he sat down and lifted Richie onto his lap.

“Now, tell me about your dream. What scared you?” Richie told the dream to his dad. He felt safe and warm in
his father’s arms.

“I can see why you were scared, Son. But it was just a dream. You’re safe, and Mom and I are just down the
hall. Let’s say a little prayer so that you’ll feel better.”

Richie knelt next to his father and buried his eyes in his arms. He quietly asked Heavenly Father to keep him
safe and to help him feel better.

When Richie finished his prayer, Dad got up and gave him another hug. Richie smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

Dad tucked him into bed. “I love you, Richie. Good night.”

Richie snuggled into his covers and fell asleep.

A few days later Richie loaded up his pillow and sleeping bag into the backseat of the station wagon. He ran
into the house. “Come on, Mom. It’s time!”

“Just a minute, honey.”

“Mom, Uncle Dave said five thirty, and it’s five twenty-seven now. Let’s go!”

“OK!” Mom smiled. “I think someone is excited about his first camping trip.”

Mom dropped Richie off at his cousins’ house and gave him a hug and kiss good-bye. “Now, be sure to tell
Uncle Dave thank you for letting you join them. Dress warm tonight, and be careful.”

Richie waved good-bye, anxious to leave for the camp-out. Soon he and his cousins were traveling up the
narrow road that wound through the green canyon. Once they reached the camping ground, they all worked
together to set up the tent and build a fire.
Going to the Father for Help (Page 2)

Richie marveled at the green fir trees that reached up into the sky. The sky grew dark, and twinkling stars
appeared. “I’ve never seen so many stars,” he told his cousin Todd. “It’s like I just took a pair of dark glasses
off and can really see what’s in the sky.”

“You can see so many stars now because we’re away from the lights of the city,” Todd explained. “City lights
usually drown out most of the stars.”

After a tinfoil dinner of hamburgers and potatoes, everyone gathered to sing around the fire while Uncle Dave
played his guitar. The smell from the campfire clung to Richie’s sweatshirt. The soothing sound of the music
and a full stomach made it difficult for him to stay awake. He had to fight to keep his eyes open.

“It looks like you are all having a hard time staying awake,” Uncle Dave said. “Let’s call it a night.”

“Come on, Richie, let’s hit the sack,” Todd called. Richie followed him and Douglas into the tent. He snuggled
into his fluffy red sleeping bag and quickly fell asleep.

A few hours later Richie awoke with a start. He blinked to adjust his eyes to the darkness, then remembered that
he wasn’t in his bedroom but in a tent. The only sound was the steady hum of the crickets outside. His stomach
felt queasy as the dream he had just had came back to him. I wish I was home, he thought. I wish I was in my
own bed and that I could go get Dad.

He looked around. No one else in the tent was awake. Richie shivered. He didn’t want to wake Todd or
Douglas. They were older, and he didn’t want them to think he was a crybaby. Still, the gnawing in his stomach
didn’t go away, and the darkness seemed to surround him.

Thoughts of black bears and hungry mountain lions with fiery eyes filled his mind and added to the fear he
already felt from his dream. If Dad were here, we could …

Richie quietly pulled himself onto his knees. “Heavenly Father,” he whispered into the darkness, “please help
me to not be afraid. …”

When he finished his prayer, he felt warm and safe. As he climbed back into his cozy sleeping bag, he thought,
I’m so glad that even if Dad isn’t here, I have another Father who can help, a Father who is always just a
prayer away.
“Prayer House”—print onto heavy cardstock, laminate, fold, and tape or Velcro together so it is standing.
PART 1
Prayer House”—print onto heavy cardstock, laminate, fold, and tape or Velcro together so it is standing.
PART 2