Greetings and Opening Prayer
First:
ask the youth what they have done during the day; if they talked to someone. Remind them also that a prayer is an informal (or formal) conversation with the Creator.
Second:
ask how each adolescent prefers to do his/her prayer. Prayers should be an intimate overflow from the soul to God.
Third:
question how the young people think that certain characters talk with God: for instance, a child, a merchant, a football player, a teacher, a priest, an elderly person...
Fourth:
divide the adolescents into groups and ask each one to choose a character (for example, a surfer) and write down the prayer that he would do, in his style.
Fifth:
get all groups to read the prayers written.
Sixth:
The Spiritist teacher will give a copy of The Lord’s Prayer (taken from The Gospel According to Spiritism, Allan Kardec, Chapter 28, item 3) to each group. Get the groups to discuss and reflect on each sentence. They should then return to the larger group and share their ideas/comment on it.
Closing Prayer: Get all adolescents to say ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ out loud, together
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
- We recognize and praise the importance of God in our lives.
Thy kingdom come.
- We accept God’s providence.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.
- We submit ourselves to the laws of God.
Give us this day our daily bread,
- God provides us with both physical and spiritual nourishment.
And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us;
- It is vital to forgive ourselves and others.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
- We recognize our limitations and the protection of God.
So be it.
- We acknowledge and worship the wisdom of God.
Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
