Transcript Classroom Prayer

Prayer
For me prayer is a surge of the heart;
it is a simple look turned toward
heaven, it is a cry of recognition and
of love, embracing both trial and
joy… St Therese of Lisieux
So what is Prayer ?
Discuss/write down your ideas
An expression of our relationship with a loving God.
A struggle
Thanksgiving
Sorrow for our failures
Begging for God’s assistance
Listening to the Spirit
Allowing God to transform our hearts
Deepening a communion between God, us, others and
earth
Leading us to justice
Praising God
Being with God
Encountering the mystery of God
Aligning ourselves with God’s work
Kevin Treston
Prayer
is
Why do we pray
We pray to see life as it is, to understand
it, and to make it better than it was. We
pray so that reality can break into our
souls and give us back our awareness of
God in our lives. We pray to understand
things as they are, not to ignore and
avoid and deny them.
Joan Chittister – Benedictine Sister – which
one best suits you – share and discuss
Creating the Atmosphere
Liturgical - those special seasons in our Church
Seasons – change for each
Themes – strands, modules
Ignition into a new theme
Cultural – Waitangi Day
Nature
Part of Inquiry
Lets make a
Sacred Prayer space…
Prayer table ideas
Basic Prayer Format
How do you organise your prayers –
work with someone in another year level
Opening Prayer
Scriptural Reading
Reflection: What did you hear/ see /feel/think(
Praying with colour, Lectio Divino , Journaling)
Prayers – imaginative, petitions, thanksgiving
Closing prayer – blessing, traditional prayers,
Music/song to begin or end
Resource: Daily Prayer under the Southern Cross
How do you plan for prayer each term?
Prayer timetable examples.. What are you using
Term 1
Prayer routines
Charism
Introduction to prayer
Term 2
Traditional prayer
Holy Spirit
God
Term 3
Imaginative prayer
Church
Sacraments
Term 4
The Rosary
Communion Of Saints
Advent
Routines, Expectations
Blessing/Class Treaty
Blessing
Blessing
Rosary – consolidate
traditional prayers
Traditional Prayers
Scripture
Gospel of the week
Songs – 5 new ones a term
Newspaper articles
Tinfoil Holy Spirit
5 Finger Prayer
Colour Prayer/Jellibean prayer
Praying with colour
Journaling
Bubble prayer
Caritas
Lent
Easter
Prayer card focus eg: jobs,
nature
Meditation
Blessing
Litany of Saints
Ensure variety
how many types of prayer can you name – Last man standing
• Spontaneous prayers
• Formal – traditional
• Personal and Communal prayer
• Imaginative meditation
• Prayer with Movement
• Song
• Praying with art
• Journaling
• Litanies
• Silent prayer
• Blessings
• Pray often and remember to pray yourself
NOW LETS PRACTISE SOME
PRAYERS FOR USE IN THE
CLASSROOM
Plastacene praying
Bubbles praying
Thankful Book
Pass it on prayer
Prayer Reminder pyramids
We can pray with bubbles in several ways:
· Blow bubbles after they have said a short prayer. With
older children this can be a sentence or two. With little
ones each person could take it in turns to say a ‘thank
you’ to God, or a ‘sorry’ or a ‘please’ before they blow
their bubbles. (Sorry prayers may be said quietly to
themselves!)
· Alternatively the bubbles could be blown first and a
one word prayer could be said for each bubble - e.g. a
thank you or a word that describes God (prayers of
praise and adoration).
· For older children the bubbles could be blown and
they could pray for someone or about something until
all the bubbles have disappeared.
Bubble prayer
The Holy Spirit is God’s
breath in Me!
Vary the ways of praying
• Pray in unison
• Alternate sides of the class for different parts
of the prayer
• Alternate girls / boys
• Pray one phrase with children echoing the
line
• Appoint a leader with others responding
Tinfoil prayers
With quiet background music
make a tin foil person
Reflect on the person you are
making
• Someone you love
• Someone who is sick / worried
• Someone you play with…
In a ritual – place person on prayer
table and say a prayer for them
PHOTO/ Image PRAYERS
Sit the children around the prayer mat/table upon which you
have a display of photos.
Invite children to choose one of the photos for reflection and
prayer. (the photos may have a theme)
Allow the children to share something about the photo/image
Ask the children to close their eyes and spend a few quiet
moments talking with Jesus
Conclude the prayer with music, song, class prayer.
Guided Meditation
RELAX – Listen, breathe, close your eyes, pause,
FOCUS – children focus their attention on
something – collected, from home, nature…
PONDER - When you think about… Does your…
remind you of someone, Does your object remind
you of God…
PRAY – This is the main part of the meditation
Enter into your heart a special place where you can
talk to Jesus
Share your thoughts and feelings, and LISTEN
Mandala praying
Writing prayer
Love is patient and kind
Prayer people
Prayer labyrinth
NOW LETS PRACTISE SOME
PRAYERS FOR USE IN THE
CLASSROOM PART 2
Prayer Labyrinth
The labyrinth is not a maze, it is carefully planned
meandering.
When you walk the path of the labyrinth you can't get lost, the
spiral leads you to the centre and union with God.
God then leads you back to the outside where you continue
your journey with God in your community.
Below is a labyrinth for you to trace with your finger.
Notes or letters to God
• Explain that God is always interested in everything that is
important to them.
• Begin by writing post its
• A prayer journal
• Make a post box for your prayer table
•Doodle prayer
• This prayer form allows children to use paper and crayons,
etc to doodle or scribble and then see if their drawing has
meaning for them.
• Play some quiet music – children have 10-15 minutes
• Hare and explain what they have drawn with a buddy
• Write a prayer on the back of their picture
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Love
Thanks
Pray
Think
Peace
Today we will shoe our love by
We give thanks for…
We pray for others in need..
We pray for peace in out world
A prayer programme
Monday – Introduce scripture/Gospel for the week
Tuesday - Lectio Divino, SOAP
Wednesday – Pray with art
Thursday – Write, be one in the story, drama
Friday – Spontaneous prayers
Have you tried Journaling
• Write (or think about) an event
• Write a sentence telling Jesus how you feel about it
• Write Jesus’ reply to you
• Keep the dialogue going – give Jesus the last word
• Place journal on the
prayer table with prayer
The Jellibean Prayer
The Five Fingered Prayer
Ending the day
• Litany of thanks for the day, class prayer
• Reflection on anything
• Blessing of one another – teacher to students –
students to teacher