PETER'S FRIENDS TALK TO GOD

by Kimber Bailey Scott

Acts 12:1-17

SING:

I Pray to God (Tune: Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush)

Jesus prayed in the ‘morning

‘morning, ‘morning

Jesus praying in the morning.

He prayed and talked to God.

I pray to God in the ‘morning.

Morning, morning.

I pray to God in the morning.

I pray and talk to God.

I pray to God in the evening.

Evening, evening.

I pray to God in the evening.

I pray and talk to God.

I Will Pray (Tune: London Bridge)

*In the **morning, I will pray (fold hands)

I will pray, I will pray.

*In the **morning, I will pray (fold hands)

Thank you, God. (touch fingertips to lips on “thank” and point upwards on “God”)

CHANT:

I Will Pray Today

I Will Pray Today (fold hand in prayer)

I will say Good morning, God (Yawn and stretch)

I will say Thank You, God for my lunch (pretend to eat)

I will say Good night, God (pretend to sleep)

I will pray today. (fold hands in prayer)

I Will Pray Today (fold hand in prayer)

I will say Help me do right (nod head yes)

I will say Keep me from wrong (shake head no)

I will say Thanks for listening, God (cup hands behind ears)

I Will Pray Today (fold hand in prayer)

I Will Pray Today (fold hand in prayer)

I will say Help my family, God (make a wide circle with arms)

I will say Help my friends, God (Touch or hug a friend)

I will say Thanks for helping me, God (point to self)

I Will Pray Today (fold hand in prayer)

RHYME:

When I Pray

When I pray, I fold my hands (fold hands) and close my eyes. (close eyes)

I think about God & He hears me. ~Jean Katt

PRAY:

What do you pray about? It’s great that God hears and answers our prayers! (have them repeat you in short segments) Thank you, God, that we can talk to You. Thank you for listening to us. In Jesus name, Amen.

LESSON:

Put the paper chain around your neck. Why do I have this chain around my neck? I’m pretending to be in jail. I’ve never been in jail and had chains around me. But our guest today was put in jail by someone who hated Jesus. Peter is here today to tell us what happened. Let’s welcome Peter. Quickly turn your back to the kids and put on a robe keeping the chains on. Now turn around and with a deep voice, shake the children’s hands and tell them you’re Peter.

Hi boys and girls! I am Peter. I want to tell you about a time that I was put in jail. King Herod wanted to hurt people who loved Jesus. He put me in jail and put me in chains because I told others about Jesus. I was guarded by 16 men. That’s a lot of men!

While I was in jail, my friends prayed for me. They knew that God was the only one who could help me. So they prayed. What do you think my friends might have prayed? My friends asked God to help me. They did not know how God would help me, but they knew that God would hear their prayers.

Nighttime came. The guards fell asleep. I fell asleep too. Suddenly, there was an angel who was sent by God. None of the guards woke up. The angel told me to get up. The chains fell off of me. Allow the chains to fall off. I put on my clothes and sandals and followed God’s angel. I thought I was dreaming. God’s angel let me past the guards, out of the prison and into the city. Then the angel was gone. That was when I knew that I wasn’t dreaming. I knew God had rescued me!

I ran to tell my friends. They were still praying for me. I knocked on the door. A servant girl named Rhoda came to the door. She ran to tell her friends I was at the door. They couldn’t believe it was me. When they saw me, they knew that God had heard their prayers, Ask them if they have any questions for you/Peter. Have them say goodbye to you/Peter. Turn around again & take off your robe.

APPLY:

God heard the friends of Peter praying for him. And He answered their prayers. Does God hear your prayers? Does God answer your prayers? God hears and answers our prayers because He loves us. And we pray to Him because we love Him.

MEMORY VERSE:

The Bible tells us that God made the world. The Bible says, “I pray to you, Lord.“ Psalm 69:13 Can you say those words with me? Say them louder. Say them softer.

ART/CRAFT:

Before class, accordion style fold each piece of copier paper in fourths. Using the paper doll pattern, trace and cut out a set of figures for each child. Glue each set of figures onto a piece of construction paper. In class have children add clothing, hair and faces to the paper dolls to look like themselves and their friends. Optional: before class cut small pieces of fabric children can use to glue on for clothes and cut yarn into small pieces for hair.

As children work, talk about friends. Who are your friends? What do you like to do with your friends? We can do lots of things with our friends. Jesus liked to pray with His friends. Peter liked to pray with his friends too. Peter’s friends prayed for him when he was in jail.

SNACK:

Before class, put napkins, dry cereal and a few bananas into the paper sack or picnic basket. Ask a few children to help you spread out the blanket or tablecloth to sit on. Invite children to go on a picnic with you. Who has been on a picnic? What did you do? What did you eat? Where did you go for your picnic? Show the basket or sack. Did you take your food in a basket? A picnic is a good time to pray to god. Let’s tell God “thank You” before we eat. Ask a couple children to pray and thank God for food He gives us. Have a couple children pass out napkins. Then give some dry cereal and banana slices for children to enjoy.

GAME:

Before class, prepare a paper chain with 8 links from black construction paper for each child. The Bible tells us that God hears us when we pray. God heard Peter’s friends pray when Peter was in jail. God freed Peter from jail. Peter’s chains fell off. An angel led Peter out of the jail. Let’s pretend to be Peter in jail. Have the kids sit with legs outstretched on the floor. Drape the paper chains across the children’s feet. Do you like being chained up in jail? How are we going to get out of jail? We will pray to God. Our friends will pray to God. What will we say? What might our friends say? Look, our chains are falling off! Remove chains. We can walk out of jail! Lead them out of jail. God hears us when we pray. Thank You, God, that we can talk to you. Thank You for hearing us when we pray. Repeat if time & interest permits.

NEED:

Paper chain (black construction paper & tape)

Robe

Copier paper

Doll pattern

Glue

Construction paper

Scissors

Markers or crayons

Small pieces of fabric (optional)

Small pieces of yarn (optional)

Blanket or tablecloth

Napkins

Large sack or picnic basket

Snacks such as dry cereal and bananas