FHE: Prayer

Discusson:
Why is prayer important?
Imagine that your dad went on a long trip very far away and had to be gone for a long time.  You couldn't see him, but you could call him on the phone and talk to him.  What kinds of things would you talk about?  Would you complain about having to call him or be excited about the opportunity to talk?  Would you say the same thing every time you called him or would you take time to think about what you wanted to say?  Would you rush through your conversation as fast as possible or would you take time to listen to him too?

Just as your dad loves you and would want to hear from you, our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us too.  We can talk to our Heavenly Father through prayer.  Heavenly Father loves us.  We are His children and He wants us to talk to Him.  We can tell Him our problems and concerns, our goals and desires.  When we express our feelings and needs in prayer, our Heavenly Father can help us.

Review:
1. How do we pray?
To show our love for our Heavenly Father, we should pray with an attitude of respect and reverence.  We use the words thee, thy, and thou to show respect.

Show how you look when you're ready for prayer.
(eyes closed, arms folded, ears listening, etc.)

Review the four parts of prayer (open by addressing our Father in Heaven, thank Him for blessings, ask for things we need, close in the name of Jesus Christ).

SONG: 2nd verse of "I Pray in Faith" (Children's Songbook, 14)
I begin by saying "Dear Heavenly Father";
I thank him for blessings he sends;
Then humbly I ask him for things that I need,
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

2. When should we pray?
(personal prayers morning and night, family prayers morning and night, meals, and anytime we need help or want to express gratitude)

President Henry B. Eyring said, "When the Savior appeared among the people on [the American] continent, he taught them how to pray.  He used the words, "Pray always."  That doesn't mean now and then.  It doesn't mean to pray only when you feel like it."

3. What can we pray about?
(help, comfort, guidance, thanks, forgiveness, to gain a testimony, etc.)

We can pray to our Heavenly Father anytime about anything.  When we express our specific needs and desires, He will hear and answer our prayers.

4. How can you make your prayers more meaningful?
(avoid repetition--really think about what you're saying and be sincere, express gratitude for blessings, take time to listen and think about your prayers)

Activity:
Complete the maze to help everyone in the family get ready for prayer.
http://lds.org/images/Magazines/Friend/Archive/fr08sep31_maze.jpg

Additional Activities:
1. Create an acrostic poem about the word Prayers.
(Here's one we came up with.)
P erfectly still
R espect
A sk for things you need
Y ou can pray anytime, for any reason
E ars open (listen)
R everence
S incere

2.  Play "The Power of Prayer" (July 2009 Friend, 24-25)

3.  Practice reverent prayer lanugage by doing the activity included here.
http://lds.org/friend/1991/04/sharing-time-prayer-language?lang=eng&query=language

Testimony:
-Our Heavenly Father loves us and wants to help us.
-When we pray sincerely, He will hear and answer our prayers.