Opening prayer
First: divide the class into three groups. Give each child a copy of three questions from the Chapter II, item A Prayer, from The Spirits’ Book by Allan Kardec. Each child should paste the questions in their own notebook. Each group will discuss one question, explain both question and answer to the rest of the class. If there are large number of children in class, the spiritist teacher may split them into more groups by selecting further questions from The Spirits’ Book.
Click here to see the questions selected.
Note: the children may need your help in understanding the questions.
Second: get the children to sit down in a circle and talk.
What does it mean to praise God? Praise is to realize the perfection of creation, of God’s superiority. It’s about admiring nature and Universe that God created.
What is prayer? It’s a conversation with God. We can talk to God at anytime; anywhere. It doesn’t have to be done in a specific position (joining hands; kneeling down). We don’t need to use images or to say difficult words when we pray. What matters to God is how we feel when we pray; all goodness we have in our hearts.
Why should we pray? We should pray to put ourselves in tune with God; to be assisted, to receive courage, insights or help from our protector spirit and/or our spiritual friends.
Does God always listen to our prayers? Does he always give us what we ask? Yes, we are always heard. Therefore, what we ask for might not always be the best for us; as a father who does not give the child a small toy with which he can get hurt.
How is prayer in other religions? Are rituals necessary? Jesus did not follow any rituals. He prayed in several places: in the cross, on the hill, at the Last Supper, with the apostles... Remember that we must respect all beliefs that are different from ours.
Must we pray only when we have problems? No. We should pray when things are going well to have strength and faith to overcome difficulties when they arise. The spiritist teacher may cite as an example what happens with the water from a swimming pool: if the water is not treated with the appropriate products and cleaned up regularly, it ends up with so many impurities and dirt, until its colour changes, becoming greenish and ugly. This could be compared to ourselves: we need to pray regularly (every day), so we can be in tune with God and stay strong in the face of difficulties that are part of life for all people.
Ask if they know what means to worship God in Spirit and Truth. Worship in Spirit means using thoughts and feelings to pray and be honest, because God is not someone or something that is material; restricted in one place. That’s why you don’t need to have a certain place, time, or special place to pray. God doesn’t pay more attention to someone who prays wearing a special suit or out aloud, shouting. God is Spirit, just like us.
Worship in Truth means a commitment to join knowledge and reality, since it’s necessary to know the laws of God to worship Him: His laws of love, forgiveness and charity. Remember them that it’s seems easier to remain ignorant, but true happiness requires effort to reflect and study. The reasoning facilitates our understanding, so it is important to ask why and what’s the reason behind it; to better understand and practice goodness.
Jesus taught, watch and pray. Who do we need to watch? Do we need to watch the lives of others? No - watching our own thoughts, feelings and attitudes (we should not be taking care of the lives of others). When do we pray? Where? We can pray anytime and anywhere, with simple and sincere words. Remember that we are developing faith, trust in God. By watching our thoughts and actions when a problem arises, our spiritual preparation (through the "watch and pray") will make the situation easier to be tackled.
We can also pray in groups, uniting energies and vibrations. Every night at 11pm people from our spiritist centre gather in their homes, to form a prayer chain in order to benefit all who need spiritual help. We invite children, their families and the spiritist teachers to participate in this moment of prayer.
Third time - activity: find the sentences.
Click here to see the suggestion of activity.
Click here answer sheet.
Closing Prayer
Class Suggested being suitable for: 2nd (9 to 10 years old) and 3rd cycle (11 to 12 years old).
Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
