=================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, May 24, 1997 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: April 30, 1997 Length: Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, JESUS PRAYS FOR HELP ===================================================== Lesson Aim: Prayer gives me the power to live as Jesus wants me to live. Memory Verse: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." Matt. 26:41, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION CALL FOR HELP [Materials needed: None] [Directions: Explain to the children that you will ask them some questions. They will have three answers to choose from. If they agree with answer #1, they are to hold up one finger. If they agree with answer #2, they hold up two fingers, for answer #3, three fingers. When you read the answers, hold up your finger to help them remember which number goes with which answer.] A. If your house caught on fire what would you do first? 1. Call the fire department 2. Begin saving your belongings 3. Start looking for a new place to live B. If you saw someone prowling around the outside of your home what would you do first? 1. Wake your parents up so they could call the police 2. Go outside and see if you could scare him off 3. Begin hiding your valuables C. If a pit bull or other mean dog began to come after you what would you do first? 1. Run, calling for help 2. Play dead 3. Try to fight him off D. If you got lost in a large amusement park, what would you do first? 1. Go to the security office and ask for help 2. Keep wandering around hoping to spot your family 3. Try and make friends with someone you think might help you Most of the answers will be #1's. Explain to the children that frequently the first thing we need to do when we have a problem is to call for help. In our story today Jesus calls for help as His crucifixion draws closer. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE MAZE [Materials needed: 4 large appliance-type boxes; (4) flashlights; pictures of the following: Jesus praying in Gethsemane; Peter, James and John asleep on the ground; Jesus being arrested or Judas kissing Jesus; Jesus healing Malchus' ear] [Directions: Before Sabbath school prepare the appliance boxes by taping them together to form a maze. Do not cut any windows and make sure each end can be closed so the maze is dark inside. On the inside wall of each of the four boxes tape one of the pictures suggested above. Send the children through the maze with a flashlight, four at a time. If your Sabbath School is larger than 12 children, make more than one maze. Explain to the children that the time spent in the Garden of Gethsemane was a very dark and difficult time for Jesus and the disciples. As they go through the maze they are to look for pictures that tell why. When all groups have gone through the maze ask the following discussion questions: 1. What were some of the dark things that happened to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? (Unsure of His Father's presence; No support from his earthly friends; Betrayal by one of His disciples; Disciples deserting Him) 2. What gave Him strength during this dark time in Gethsemane? (Prayer) 3. What is available to you during your dark and sad times as well as the good times? WATCH AND PRAY REMINDERS [Materials needed: 5-6 small post-it papers for each child; Bible; pencil or pen] [Directions: Have the children look up the memory verse, Matt. 26:41 in their Bibles and read it together. Have the older Primaries copy the verse onto the 5-6 post it papers. Younger Primaries may need to have the verse already pre-printed with blanks left for them to fill in. Example: "___________and_________so that ________will not ________into _____________." Up in the left-hand corner of the paper instruct the children to write the name of a place where they can stick the post-it to help them remember. Help them think of places where they spend a lot of time such as on a bedpost, on the TV, on the refrigerator, etc. (Put the post-its in a bag for safe-keeping until they go home.) Encourage them to stop and pray whenever they see the post-its. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE MOVING CLOSER TO JESUS [Materials needed: None] [Directions: The purpose of the game is to help the children see the importance of prayer as a tool to drawing closer to Jesus. Have all the children place their chairs in one horizontal row approximately 10-12 feet back from the front of the room where you are standing. Place a nice picture of Jesus at the front where you are. (You may need several pictures for a large Sabbath school.) Ask them if they would like to know Jesus better and feel closer to Him? You are going to ask them some questions. If they answer "no" to the question, their chair remains where it is. If they answer "yes" to the question, they may move their chair forward one foot.] 1. Have you ever prayed up on top your roof? (Who did?) 2. Have you ever prayed from a prison cell? (Who did?) 3. Have you ever prayed in the car? 4. Have you ever prayed at the dinner table? 5. Have you ever prayed from inside a whale? (Who did?) 6. Have you ever prayed while you were doing one of your chores? 7. Have you ever prayed in the shower or the bathtub? 8. Have you ever prayed before a fight? (Who did? - Joshua) 9. Have you ever prayed while you were playing at recess time? 10.Have you ever prayed before a test at school? 11.Have you ever prayed while you were riding your bike? 12. Have you ever prayed when you spent the night at someone else's house? 13. Have you ever prayed when you were listening to the radio? 14. Have you ever prayed from down in a well? (Who did?) 15. Have you ever prayed right after you were punished? Some children may have reached the Jesus picture by now. Others will not have. Encourage the remaining children to think of times they can pray and have them continue moving up until all children are at the front. Close with the following discussion questions: 1. What helps us to know Jesus better and draw closer to Him? (Prayer) 2. What makes prayer hard? (Not being able to see Jesus) What makes prayer easy? (Anyone can do it, anytime, anywhere)