Prayer in the Classroom

1. Investigating Prayer in the Classroom A Helping Hand for Students

2. Some Questions • What is your own personal experience of prayer? • How does prayer fit into your classroom? What role does it take in classroom life? • What makes a prayer a positive experience for you and your classmates? • What makes a prayer a negative experience for you and your classmates? • How do you pray?

3. In Theory • All children have the capacity and the potential to pray. They need adults with a good sense of their own faith development to help them along the way. • God tirelessly calls each person to the mysterious encounter known as prayer. • Prayer helps us to enter the inner quiet of our being to discover and communicate with God • According to the Scriptures, it is the heart that prays. • Prayer is a conscious and intentional coming to terms with our actual circumstances and reality before God. • Prayer is like an instant telephone call with God. We do not even need the phone. • Students will be more likely to respond to creative, inventive, original and imaginative approaches to prayer.

4. Not all prayers are answered. A common question for all students will be: What if God doesn’t answer my prayers? This is a valid concern as we should not encourage students to see God as some magical figure who, with the click of his fingers, can suddenly make it rain or make the wars stop, or cease world poverty. Students must realise that there is a reason for everything. People create wars, people pollute the air, people contribute to poverty etc. God cannot fix what we continue to create. We have to change, not God. GONE ARE THE DAYS WHERE GOD SITS ON A THRONE WAVING HIS WAND AND GRANTING WISHES.

5. Prayer can be fun and enjoyable. • Prayer can bring comfort. • Through prayer, a sense of belonging is felt and we can connect with others. • Prayer allows time for quiet and inner reflection – there is time out for self. • Prayer can be uplifting and creative. Positives • Prayer allows for self expression • Prayer can be spontaneous. • Forget the structure to prayer, God will listen to anything we have to say in any form it may take.

6. Prayers are all too often said on behalf of the students. • God is just not between our fingers. • Prayer can become too structured. • Students have to close their eyes. Negatives • Students are not parrots. • Prayers are written for students. • Students do not know what to pray about. • Children find it hard to keep their attention from wandering. Some prayers are not always answered. We have the power to answer them ourselves.

7. Praying with Children • Encourage them to talk about their understanding of God. • Help them develop a variety of different God images. • Ask them to share their favourite ways of praying. • Help them to see that our own actions in this world are important – God is not just in heaven controlling everything here on Earth. • Introduce them to scripture stories. • Use as many types of media and materials. • Allow them to take control of the prayer.

8. BE CREATIVE

9. Art • Scripture • In the Environment • Symbols • Through play • Chants How Can We Pray in the Classroom? • Silence • Music • Song • Traditional Prayers • Meditation

10. One Hundred and One Ideas for Creative Prayers Judith Merrell • Prayer Ideas for Ministry with Young People.Joseph Grant ? • Just Imagine One Rina Wintour • Just Imagine Two Rina Wintour • New Ideas for creative prayers Judith Merrell Your Own Creative Talent and Energy • Prayer Podders Michael Herbert

11. IDEAS • Thank you, Sorry, Please. (Four of a Kind) (Prayer Pyramids) • Prayer Hand • Four Faces • Three Circles • Prayer Diaries • Scrapbook • Prayers to Join In • Prayer Doodle • Fold a Prayer • Prayer Walk • God Can • Prayer Echoes • Emailing God • Locker Art Prayer • Prayers to Shout • Gift of Praise • Prayer Flower • Prayer Bricks • Graffiti Wall • Prayer Shapes • Worry Box • Using scripture • When we are ill • Remember tp Pray

12. Thankyou Sorry Please • Pin up three envelopes labelled Thankyou, Sorry and Please. • Let the students write their prayers on slips of paper and put them in the envelopes • Check on the prayers as a class regularly and share in the joy of them and see if they have been answered. FOUR OF A KIND PRAYER PYRAMIDS MODIFICATIONS

13. Prayer Hands • The index finger – reminds us to pray for those who point the way for us in our lives (eg teachers) • The middle finger – reminds us to pray for those who rule over us • Third finger – reminds us to pray for those whom we love • The little finger – reminds us to pray for those who are weak, elderly or ill, or even little old me. • The thumb – reminds us to pray for those abroad, missionaries or people living in difficult situations

14. Four Faces • Show the faces one at a time to prompt their suggestions for prayer. • First picture reminds us to look up to God and offer him our praise and worship • Second picture reminds us to look at ourselves and pray about our own lives. • Third face reminds us to look around at others and pray for our friends who may be ill or absent. • Fourth face reminds us to pray about something that may be happening tomorrow, next week or in the future.

15. Three Circles • Three concentric circles. • Our neighbourhood – suggest local issues that should be prayed about. • Our country – suggest national topics of prayer • Other countries – suggest topics of international prayer • Finish with a short time of open prayer – weave together all topics mentioned

16. Prayer Diaries

17. Have a short time of news sharing each week whereby the students share some of the joys and worries of the previous week and any concerns for the following week • Weave the ideas together into a prayer thanking God for all the good things that have happened and asking for help in the areas of concern. • Write the prayer into the scrapbook and match with pictures. • Look back from time to time. Scrapbook

18. Prayers to Join In Our Father who art in heaven. (Raise both hands high and look up) Hallowed be thy name (Bow head and cross arms over chest) Thy kingdom come (Move one arm outward) Thy will be done (Move the other arm outward) On earth (Bend towards earth, pointing arms downward) As it is in heaven (Look up, reach upward with both arms) Give us this day our daily bread (Cup hands together in front of body) And forgive us our trespasses (Bend head, hold hands in fist upon chest) As we forgive those (Move one hand outward) Who trespass against us (Move the other hand outward And lead us not in to temptation (Turn face away, hold hands to side as a stop signal) But deliver us from evil (Raise both arms in gesture of freedom)

19. Doodle Prayers Invites children to use their imagination and have fun transforming ordinary doodles into prayers. Works well in groups. Students cover a page with doodles and then write prayers to match them. Idea is to be spontaneous. Dear God, Sometimes I feel like I am going around in circles. Please help me to find my way.

20. Fold a Prayer Each student receives a piece of paper and writes a one line prayer request at the top of the page. Then they fold over the paper over. Students then pass the paper to the left or right. Continue until there are at least 5 or 6 prayers on the paper. Read them aloud or silently with some reflective music.

21. Prayer Walk

22. WE CANNOT DO IT BUT GOD CAN • The God Can reminds us to let go and let God help. • Students call to mind a challenging or difficult situation in their lives or the world. They briefly describe the situation and place it in the God Can. • They have handed the situation over to God • Guiding questions are helpful (egIs there something that causes you to be anxious or even afraid. Are there people in your life who you are not at peace with, those who have hurt you or you have hurt?) • What will we have to do to help God answer our concerns (remember God is not magical)? God Can GOD CAN

23. Prayer Echoes • Offers a twist to traditional prayers by inviting participants to echo and re-emphasise key words of a well known prayer. • Participation and understanding is deepened. • Students can write their own See a Prayer Echo

24. Hail Mary Reader One Echo One Re Echo Hail Mary Hail Hail Full of Grace Of Grace Of Grace The Lord is with you With you With you Blessed are you among women Blessed Blessed And Blessed is the fruit The Fruit The Fruit Of your womb Jesus Jesus Jesus Holy Mary Mother of God Holy Mary Holy Mary Pray for us sinners now Pray for us now Pray for us now And at the hour of death Hour of Death Hour of Death Amen Amen Amen

25. EMAILING GOD Prayer is an instant, and constant communication with God that is easier and faster than email. Prayer can explore the instantaneous connection to God using the language and motifs of electronic mail. Students create email addresses for God and using strips of paper send a series of brief messages and replies to scriptural messages.

26. Locker Art Prayer • Hands on prayer that invites students to creatively redesign old, familiar prayers in the style of contemporary teenage art. • It provides a remarkable visual image of prayer that can be used to decorate walls of your classroom or another part of the school – maybe the church Example of Locker Art

27. HAIL MARY full of grace Hail Mary The Lord is with you Blessed are you among women

28. Prayers to Shout Jesus was pleased to hear the children shouting in the Temple, “Praise to David’s Son!” (Mt 21:15) The chief priests and teachers of the law were annoyed but Jesus called their shouts, “Perfect Praise!” Click to See a Prayer to Shout

29. Jesus is Special S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Jesus is SPECIAL Let’s shout and yell S.P.E.C.I.A.L. We praise you Jesus We’ll go and tell S.P.E.C.I.A.L. He’s our friend He’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

30. Gift of Praise • Gift wrap a small box and tie a ribbon around it to make it look like a present. • Then give out small pieces of paper or sticky labels and ask the group to each draw or write something that they want to thank God for • Quiet music can play while students come and place the prayers on the box.

31. Prayer Flower Students write a prayer of thanks or a prayer of concern on a petal. The petal is attached to the flower throughout the term.

32. Prayer Bricks • A catholic School class is a class that prays together for its work and its members. • Students draw an outline of their building on a large sheet of paper. • Each student is then given a rectangle of paper and then they write prayer for their school and class or anything attached to it in anyway. • Students paste their bricks on the wall and come back to it another time until it is finished.

33. Worry Box Graffiti Wall Prayer Shapes

34. When we are ill • Draw a large outline of a bed and ask your students to tell you the names of any people they know who are ill or in hospital. • Write the names on the bed covers • Using elastoplast, write JESUS CARES and students stick these beside the names on the bed.

35. Using Scripture ECHO MIMES LIQUID PICTURES CHORUS PLAYS RAPS RAPS Next Slide

36. ECHO MIMES • An echo mime is a creative way to represent a scripture reading.The steps are as follows • Select a scripture reading • Break it up into short phrases (very short) • Create a miming movement that will match each phrase. • Split the class into two groups • One group reads the text and the other performs the movement.

37. Liquid Pictures • Liquid pictures is creative way to present a scripture reading. It is a form of drama which allows a story to be presented in a flowing or liquid manner. The steps are as follows • Choose a scripture story • Divide it into five or six main sections • For each section choose one or two short pharses • Choose a simple action for each section • Choose a person for each action • As the phrase is read by one person the other person does the action and then FREEZES.

38. Chorus Plays Chorus plays present scriptural stories in the form of a play with both individual characters and a chorus. The chorus allows for whole group participation. A chorus play provides an informed interpretation of the scriptural story.

39. RAPS REPENTANCE RAP Prepare a way, it’s not too late Get ready for a change, it never too late Act now, not later, it’s time to repent Act now, not later, it’s time to relent Change your ways and follow the law Listen to the message, it’s not a flaw Act now, not later, it’s time to repent Act now, not later, it’s time to relent

40. Do It Yourself Prayers

41. Remember to Pray REMEMBER: when you have a busy day, take the time and stop and pray