Our Focus Today Helping children understand that they can trust God with every prayer because He always hears them and His plans are always good.
Key Truth God always hears our prayers and we can trust His perfect plan.
Bible Passage Romans 12:12
Memory Verse “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (NIV)
At A Glance
Approximate Lesson Time: 45–60 minutes Welcome, Snack & Lesson Activity • 10–15 minutes Gather Around God’s Word • 10–15 minutes Read the Story • 10–15 minutes Truth in Action • 5–10 minutes Open Your Bible • 10–15 minutes Closing Prayer & Clean-Up • 2–3 minutes
Leader Encouragement
During this study, children have discovered that wishes become something far greater when they are brought to God in prayer. Today isn’t the finish line, it’s the beginning. As they leave with their own prayer journals, they’re taking home a reminder that God invites them to talk with Him every day. Some prayers will be answered quickly, others will take time, and some may look completely different than expected. Through it all, God remains faithful. Encourage children to keep praying, keep trusting, and keep watching for the many ways God is at work.
The story God is writing in a child’s heart is always bigger than the lesson on the page.
Teaching Supplies Bible One zip-top sandwich bag filled about 90% with water Four (or more) sharpened pencils Printed poster of Activity 2
Prep Ahead Highlight today’s Bible passage in your Bible. Practice today’s Truth in Action. Fill the zip-top bag about 90% full of water. Decorate a sample prayer journal. Set out lesson activity supplies for each group.
Volunteer Roles
Lead Teacher Welcome the group and guide each part of the lesson. Read the Bible passage and story aloud. Lead the Truth in Action, discussion, and closing prayer.
Small Group Leaders Welcome children and encourage conversation. Support children throughout the lesson. Answer questions, encourage participation, and offer extra help as needed.
Floater Welcome families and direct children to their groups. Help with transitions and assist wherever needed throughout the lesson.
Leading the Lesson
Welcome, Snack & Lesson Activity
Time: 10–15 minutes Welcome children, help them get settled, and enjoy the time together as they complete today’s lesson activity.
Instructions Welcome children as they arrive. Invite them to begin today’s lesson activity. Encourage conversation while everyone enjoys a snack. As children finish, encourage them to continue chatting with their group until it’s time to begin.
Conversation Starters What’s something you’ve learned about prayer during this study? Have you seen God answer any prayers recently? What do you think you’ll write in your new prayer journal first?
Gather Around God’s Word
Time: 10–15 minutes
Transition Give children a two-minute warning before beginning. Invite everyone to simply set aside today’s lesson activity and grab only their study book, Bible, and pen. There is no need to clean everything up. Children can return to the activity later if time allows or take home any remaining supplies to finish.
Opening Prayer Begin with a simple prayer, inviting God to prepare hearts and minds to learn from His Word.
Bible Reading
Read Romans 12:12 directly from your Bible.
Connect today’s verse by explaining that faithful prayer means continuing to trust God no matter what. Sometimes we receive an answer quickly, sometimes we wait, and sometimes God answers in ways we never expected, but He always hears His children.
Read the Story
Today’s Stair-Step Reading
Lesson 5 Re-read Lessons 1–4, then continue directly into Lesson 5.
Read the story aloud while children follow along.
Engage Children By… -Announcing page turns for younger readers. -Reading speech bubbles together. -Asking observation questions. -Pointing out humorous moments. -Inviting predictions as the story unfolds.
Truth In Action
Time: 5–10 minutes
Supplies One zip-top sandwich bag filled about 90% with water Four (or more) sharpened pencils
Let’s Begin Invite three volunteers to stand at the front of the room. Hold up the bag of water.
“Sometimes it can feel hard to trust an invisible God and His plan for our lives. This little experiment gives us a picture of what trust can look like.”
Stand beside the first volunteer. “Do you trust me?”
“Do you trust that I won’t spill this whole bag of water on your head?” Hold the bag over the volunteer’s head.
Hold up a sharpened pencil. “What if I pushed this pencil through the bag? Would you still trust me?”
Push the pencil straight through the bag.
“Did you get wet?” Allow everyone to react.
Move to the second volunteer. “Would you trust me if I pushed another pencil through the bag?”
Repeat the demonstration.
Move to the third volunteer.
“How about one more?” Push another pencil through the bag. Pause and let everyone observe.
“It seems impossible, doesn’t it? Sometimes life can feel a little like this bag. Friends move away. Someone in our family gets sick. A pet dies. Plans change. Our hearts can start to feel like they’re getting poked full of holes.”
“Trusting God is a lot like trusting that this bag wasn’t going to spill. Even when it doesn’t make sense, even when life feels hard, we can trust that God is still taking care of us.”
You can repeat with several more pencils to emphasize the point.
“One of the greatest ways we learn to trust Him is by talking with Him in prayer. And do you know my favorite part? I love watching how God answers those prayers, just like Lucy discovered in our story.”
“Will every prayer be answered exactly the way we hope or expect?”
Allow responses. “Probably not.”
“Will some answers surprise us?”
Allow responses. “Absolutely. Sometimes those surprising answers help us see that God had a bigger and even better plan than we could have imagined. That’s why we can keep praying, keep trusting, and keep believing that God is always at work…even when we can’t see what He’s doing just yet.”
Ask How does prayer help us keep trusting Him while we wait? Have you ever seen God answer a prayer in a surprising way? What is one prayer you’ll keep bringing to God after this study ends?
Wrap Up “We won’t always understand God’s timing or His answers, but we can always trust His heart. God hears every prayer, He cares about every detail of our lives, and His plans are always better than we could imagine.”
Open Your Bible
Time: 10–15 minutes
Activity 1 Complete Activity 1.
Explain that today the children are going to learn a few new words that describe different kinds of prayer.
Invite children to read each prayer word and draw a line to its matching description.
Depending on the age of your group, children may work independently, with a partner, or in small groups before reviewing the answers together.
Ask Which prayer word was new to you today? Which kind of prayer do you think comes most naturally to you? Which type of prayer would you like to practice more?
Activity 2 Complete Activity 2.
Use your poster to model building a prayer using each of the five parts of prayer: praise, confession, thanksgiving, praying for others, and praying for yourself.
Then invite children to complete their own prayer using the guide on the page.
If time allows, a few volunteers can read their prayers aloud if they’d like to share.
Ask Which part of writing your prayer was easiest for you? Why do you think God wants us to talk with Him about all of these different things? How can your new prayer journal help you keep talking with God?
Closing Prayer
Pray the prayer at the end of Lesson 5.
Clean-Up
Invite children to: -Organize their supplies. -Throw away trash. -Help tidy their small group area. -Continue working on today’s lesson activity if time remains or take home any remaining supplies to finish later.
There is ultimately no such thing as unanswered prayer. If the answer at first is “no” or “not yet,” it is because he gives us what we want in ways better than we asked. -Tim Keller
