Tag Archives: Prayer

Caught, Not Taught

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Read:

A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?” “I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied. “Just say what you hear Mommy say,” the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?” 27

Reflect

Read Proverbs 4:23-24 from your Bible.

Respond

I was in a small church on a Sunday evening and one of the youth said to me, “Do you know why they ask the youth to take up the offering on Sunday nights?”

“What do you mean?” I replied.

She answered, “It’s because none of the deacons are here.”

As I looked around I realized there was a great amount of truth in what she said. Only two out of ten or more deacons were present that night.

It’s amazing how students can pick up on just about everything we say or do. They know when we’re in worship service and when we’re not and if we’re absent they wonder why. They watch from a distance and soak in all that happens with us. They listen as we talk with other adults and many of them are watching to see if what we have is “real.” Consider the best teachers you ever had: What do you remember about them? Probably not a single lesson they taught, but you remember their passion, how they treated you, your relationship with them, how you felt important when you approached them with a question, etc. Life’s best lessons are not taught—They are caught.

What are your students catching from you? What do you want them to catch from you?
Prayerfully consider what you have read today. Then take a few moments to pray for yourself, your students, and others with whom you serve in ministry.
Remember

You are a living testimony to those around you—Make sure yours is a life worth catching.

Get all 52 Children’s Leader Devotions HERE. 

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 www.330resources.org/children.

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Evangelism

Devotions for Childrens Leaders 2, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Read

When Gypsy Smith was converted as a boy, he became interested in his Uncle Rodney’s salvation and began to pray for him. In those days it was not considered proper for a child to speak to his elders unless he was spoken to, especially about spiritual matters. So the boy prayed and waited for his opportunity.

One day the uncle asked, “Laddie, why are your trousers almost worn out at the knees?”

The boy answered, “Uncle Rodney, they have been worn out through praying for you. I want so much for God to make you a Christian.”

The uncle put his arms around the boy, and a few minutes later fell upon his knees and cried out to God for salvation.*

Reflect

Read Ezekiel 22:30-31 from your Bible.

Respond

Gypsy Smith was burdened for the salvation of his uncle. For whose salvation are you burdened? For whom do you find yourself praying, longing that God will move in their life? A student in your class? A friend or a neighbor? A work associate? Or does this burden and passion for lost souls seem to be absent from your life? Many believers lack a passion for the salvation of lost people because they live too much in this world—they are not eternally-minded, storing up treasure in heaven and living in the reality that everyone they meet will either spend eternity in heaven with Jesus or in hell, separated from God forever to pay the price for their own sins.

Prayerfully consider what you have read today. Then take a few moments to pray for yourself, your students, and others with whom you serve in ministry.

Remember

“I still, from my armchair, preach in great revivals. I still vision hundreds walking the aisles to accept Christ. I still feel hot tears for the lost . . . . I want no Christmas without a burden for lost souls, a message for sinners, a heart to bring in the lost. May food be tasteless, music a discord, Christmas a farce if I forget the dying millions; if this fire in my bones does not still flame. Not till I die or not till Jesus comes will I ever be eased from this burden, these tears, this toil to save souls.” -John R. Rice, age 85

(Part of a 1980 Christmas letter dictated a few days before his death)**

Get all 52 Children’s Leader Devotions HERE. 

Find more children’s ministry resources and training at:
 www.330resources.org/children.

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*W. Herschel Ford, Sermons You Can Preach on John, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), p. 338.
**Curtis Hutson, ed., Great Preaching on Soul Winning, (Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers), preface.

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Who’s Your Daddy

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YOU WILL NEED:

-A Bible marked at Luke 11:1 and John 1:12

(This would be a good discussion at the dinner table.)

GET STARTED

Read Luke 11:1 from your Bible.

ASK—In the prayer, what did Jesus call God? (Father)

ASK—Is everyone a child of God? (No. Everyone is a creation of God but not everyone is a child of God.)

Read John 1:12 from your Bible.

ASK—What makes someone a child of God? (They have to “receive” Him.)

ASK—How does someone “receive” Jesus? (By giving their lives to Him. By accepting Him as their Lord and Savior.)

SAY—There is only one way to be a child of God; only one way to go to heaven; only one way to be forgiven of your sins, and that’s by giving your life to Jesus and accepting Him as the Lord of your life.

SHARE about when, how and why you gave your life to Jesus. Let your child know that if they ever have any questions about Jesus or heaven, they can ask you.

(If your child has questions about how to give his life to Jesus, you can find an easy way to present the plan of salvation by downloading the “Heaven?” iPhone app or by visiting http://threethirtyministries.org/family-ministry-resources/how-to-lead-your-child-to-christ/.)

This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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Stay Alert

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YOU WILL NEED:

-A Bible marked at Colossians 4:2

PLAY the following game: Position your child with his or her back to you somewhere in the room. He has to keep his eyes closed. Point out a line or boundary somewhere behind him and tell him that you are going to try to sneak up behind him and touch him. If he turns around after you cross the line or boundary, then he wins, but if turns around too soon—before you cross the line or boundary, then you win. Play a few times and then switch roles. Let him sneak up on you.

SAY—In the game you had to be alert, listening for any movement. The Bible talks about us staying alert too.

Read Colossians 4:2 from your Bible.

POINT—As you pray, God wants you to stay alert and not be distracted.

ASK—What are some things that might distract you as you pray? (Drifting thoughts, daydreaming, or even get so caught up in asking and asking and asking for things that you don’t take time for other kinds of prayer.)

ASK—Besides asking God for things, what else can you do when you pray?

SAY—Remember A.C.T.S.

(1) You can Adore God—praise Him, tell Him how awesome He is, etc..;

(2) You can Confess your sins and ask God to forgive you;

(3) You can give God Thanks for anything and everything;

(4) You can ask God to Supply your needs and requests. These are all different parts of prayer.

PRAY—Tonight when we pray I want us to do all four of these. First, each of us will praise God (Adore God) for something; Then we will Confess something to God; Then we will Thank God for something; Then we will Ask God (Supplication) for something.

————————–

This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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Have Nots, Ask Nots

Family Devotions - Teach Me To Pray, , , , , ,

YOU WILL NEED:

-A Bible marked at James 4:2-3

(This would be a good discussion at the dinner table.)

GET STARTED

Let your family take turns answering the following question:

ASK—If you had three wishes and you knew that whatever you wished for would come true, what would your wishes be?

Listen to what the Bible says about asking God for things:

Read the last line of James 4:2 and all of 4:3 from your Bible.

SAY—Did you know that the Bible says that there are certain things that we don’t have because we don’t ask for them? And there are other things we don’t get because we ask for them for the wrong reasons.

SAY—It’s not wrong to ask God for things, but know that, like a good Father, God is not going to give you something that He knows won’t be good for you.

ASK—What if you wanted to eat five ice cream sundaes at one time? Would I let you? (No, because it wouldn’t be good for you.)

ASK—What if you wanted to play in the middle of a busy street? Would I let you? (No, because it wouldn’t be safe for you.)

ASK—What if we were in the middle of a store and you pointed out something that you really, really wanted? Might I get it for you? (Yes, but not always. I might get it for you now and I might get it for you later, but I won’t get you something that I know won’t be good for you.)

SAY—In the say way, God is a good father for all those who have given their lives to Him. You can ask Him for anything and know that He will always do what is best for you.

PRAY—Take turns praying and be sure to thank God for being a great Heavenly Father who answers prayer.

 

This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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Bread and Fish

Family Devotions - Teach Me To Pray, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

YOU WILL NEED:

-A few pieces of bread.

-A Bible marked at Matthew 7:7-11

See how many pieces of bread your child can eat in one minute.

RULES—You can’t cram everything into your mouth and you have to take one bite at a time. (An interesting fact: A person can only eat a few pieces of bread before it becomes very difficult because the bread absorbs all the moisture in a person’s mouth.)

Read Matthew 7:7-11 from your Bible.

ASK—If you came to me and ask me for a piece of bread, would I give you a stone to eat? (No.)

ASK—If you came to me and ask me for a fish, would I give you a snake to eat? (No.)

SAY—Jesus was making the point that if earthly parents know how to give good things to their children, how much more does God, who is a Heavenly Father for all those who have given their lives to Him, know how to give good things to His children.

SAY—God loves you and you can always talk to Him about anything. God loves to give good things to His children.

ASK—Is there anything that you would like to talk to God about tonight?

PRAY—Take turns praying and be sure to thank God for being such a good Father.

This family devotion is from:

Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. 25280 words.  Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

 

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Knock, Knock – Part 2

Family Devotions - Teach Me To Pray, , , , , , , , , ,

YOU WILL NEED:

-A Bible marked at Luke 18:1-8

Tell some more “Knock, Knock” jokes. Here are some more examples:

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
House / House Who?
House it going?

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Watson / Watson Who?
Watson TV?
Colleen / Colleen Who?
Colleen up your room, please.

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Gorilla / Gorilla Who?
Gorilla me a cheese sandwich, please.

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Huge / Huge Who?
Huge you expect.

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Yaw / Yaw Who?
Just me. Why are you so excited?

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Leena / Leena Who?
Leena little closer and I’ll tell you.

Read Luke 18:1-8 from your Bible.

SAY—The point of this story is NOT that God is like the grumpy guy who doesn’t want to give justice. God loves giving us good things. The point is that God wants us to be persistent—To ask and keep asking, to seek and keep seeking, to knock and keep knocking. When we pray, God doesn’t want us to give up.

ASK—Does God always answer prayer? (Yes.)

ASK—How does God always answer prayer? (God ALWAYS answers prayer in one of three ways: He answers by saying “Yes” or “No” or “Later—not right now—wait a while.” God doesn’t always answer yes, but He does always answer.)

SAY—God loves you and you can always talk to Him about anything.

ASK—What are some things that you would like to talk to God about tonight?

PRAY—Take turns praying and laying your requests before God.

This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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Knock, Knock – Part 1

Family Devotions - Teach Me To Pray, ,

YOU WILL NEED:

-A Bible marked at Matthew 7:7-8

GET STARTED

Tell some “Knock, Knock” jokes and let your child also try to make some up, if they want too.

Here are some examples:

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Ima / Ima Who?
Ima a really hungry. Can we order a pizza?

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Shirley / Shirley Who?
Surely you can get up and open the door!

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Dishes / Dishes Who?
Dishes the police! Open up!

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Handsome / Handsome Who?
Handsome of the pizza to me!

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
General Lee / General Lee Who?
General Lee I ring the doorbell!

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Boo / Boo Who?
Please stop crying. I didn’t mean to scare you.

Knock, Knock / Who’s There?
Tom Sawyer / Tom Sawyer who?
Tom Sawyer underwear!

SAY—As Jesus was teaching, listen to what He said about prayer?

Read Matthew 7:7-8 from your Bible.

ASK—What do you think Jesus meant by these verses?

SAY—When you have cares and concerns, God wants you to ASK Him, SEEK Him about them, and KNOCK on “His door”. He wants you to bring your requests and your whole life to Him.

ASK—Does this mean that you will always get what you pray for? (No, because God knows best and won’t give you things that wouldn’t be good for you. You have to trust that God will answer prayers in the best way possible.)

ASK—Does God always answer prayer? (Yes. God ALWAYS answers prayer: He answers by saying “Yes” or “No” or “Not right now—wait a while.” God doesn’t always answer yes, but He does always answer.)

ASK—What are some things that you would like to ask God about?

PRAY—Take turns praying and laying your requests before God.

This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.
Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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Casting Cares

Family Devotions - Teach Me To Pray, , , , , , , , ,

YOU WILL NEED:

-Something you can throw.

-A Bible marked at 1 Peter 5:7.

TELL your child that you are going to throw an item to them and you want them to catch it and throw it back. Do this several times.

ASK—What does it mean to “cast” something? (“Casting” is another way of saying “throwing.”)

SAY—We are going to read about something that God wants us to throw His way.

Read 1 Peter 5:7 from your Bible.

ASK—What does God want you to “cast” on Him? (Your cares.)

ASK—Some of your cares or all of your cares? (All your cares.)

ASK—Why can you cast all your cares on God? (Because He cares for you.)

TOSS the item back and forth but each time you throw it, say a care or worry that someone might have.

ASK—What are some cares or worries that you have?

PRAY—Take turns praying and let each member of your family tell God about a care or worry (something that concerns them)—something they are throwing God’s way and trusting Him with. For example, “Dear Lord, Grandma is sick. Please help her to get better. I give this to you. In Jesus’ Name—Amen.”
This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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The Great Race

Family Devotions - The Faith Hall of Fame, , , ,

YOU WILL NEED:

-Anything you might need for a fun race

-Your Bible marked at Hebrews 12:1-3 and 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Choose any race in which your children and you can compete. Some ideas are listed below.

RACE OPTIONS:

-Race to see who can eat a banana the fastest.

-Race to see who go the fastest with a ball or balloon between their knees..

-Race to see who run across the backyard the fastest.—have them try running, hopping, bear crawling, etc..

-Race to see who can build the tallest tower out of blocks, cups or even shaving cream.

Have fun with whatever race you choose. The point isn’t the race or even who wins the race. The point is for your children to understand that they are in a race in life.

SAY—The Bible compares the Christian life to a race but the winners in life are not the fastest or even the best…Real winners in life are those who totally live for Jesus.

Read the Hebrews 12:1-3 from your Bible.

ASK—What do you think the Bible means when it says to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily trips you?

ASK—What are some things that could hinder a person from running fast in a race? (Lots of things—an untied shoelace, a hurt foot, a hole in his path.)

ASK—What are some things that could hinder a person from totally living for Jesus? (Lots of things—greed, anger, disobedience, lying, selfishness…any sin and anything else that might stop a person from living a life of faith.)

Read 2 Timothy 4:7-8 from your Bible.

SAY—At the end of his life the Apostle Paul could say that he had “finished the course.” He had finished the race. God has a specific course for your life as well. He has great plans for you, but you’ll miss out on all those great things that God has in store for you if you don’t live for and follow Jesus every day.

ASK—If there anything in your life right now that you feel might be holding you back from fully living for Jesus? (As a parent, this is also a question that you need to be honest about. If your child has seen actions in your life that are contrary to someone following Jesus, you need to tell them that you too have had things in your life that have been holding you back and that you’re willing to let go of anything that will hinder you from living for Jesus.)

PRAY—List prayer requests and take time to tell the Lord that you want to live for Him without anything hindering you. If there are sins in your life, now is the time to ask for forgiveness.

BEDTIME BIBLE READING

After you’re done, feel free to have a few more races…and at bedtime tonight, read 2 Timothy 4:7-10. These are the same verses you read above with two additional ones to hear about someone who stopped running ”the race” because he cared more for this world than for following Christ.

This family devotion is from:

72 Family Devotions for Spiritually Training Your Kids
ON SALE for $5.99. Regular price: $9.99 USD. Nonfiction.
Featuring 72 action-packed, easy-to-lead family devotions. Set aside a night or two each week for a “special time” where you and your kids can have family fun together and learn valuable lessons from God’s Word. No advanced planning is needed. Anyone can do this. The ebook contains devotions concerning a variety of topics including salvation, fear, trust, sin, forgiveness and much more.

Find more family resources at 330resources.org/family.

If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:




 

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