Page 52 - Lessons and Activities on Prayer

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thanKSgiving
Catechist background
hearts lled with gratitude symbolize this type of prayer. once we have received what we have asked for, do we take time to thank God for it as well as the many other gifts we have received? Prayers of thanksgiving do not need to be lengthy. some- times, it’s just a short little prayer, like “ anks, God, for the beautiful sunset” or “ anks, God, for the amazing herd of deer i saw in the eld.”
thAnkSgiving LeSSon PLan 1
Objectives
□ To introduce examples of thanksgiving prayers □ To discuss what it means to be lled
with gratitude
□ To become aware of the need to say
“ ank you” throughout the day
materials
□ 3 x 5 cards
□ Markers
□ Pens
□ Lunch-size brown bags
□ Paper for writing a gratitude acrostic puzzle
lesson
▪ Gather the children around you. review the forms of prayer: intercession, Petition, blessing, Praise, and anksgiving.
▪ sing the Prayer song found on page 37. ▪ discuss with students what it means
to be thankful. Talk about di erent
things for which they are thankful. ▪ ask the students to share times when
they have said “ ank you” to someone. invite them to estimate how many times each day they say “ ank you.”
▪ when do they thank God for all of the gifts that surround us?
▪ From a previous lesson, get the ower center that says “Gratitude.”
▪ Get eight previously cut out petals. ▪ write a prayer of gratitude on each petal. ▪ Glue the petals onto the center.
▪ Glue the ower blossom onto a craft stick
and put the craft stick in the owerpot. ▪ continue with the acrostic activity. ▪ sing the Prayer song
gratitude acrostic activity
1 ink of something for which you are very thankful.
2 write the letters of the word down the side of your paper.
3 using words that start with each of those let- ters, explain the object, how you feel about it, why it’s important to you, and what life would be like without it.
4 decorate your acrostic puzzle.
here is a sample:
F un to be with, teasing, laughing, happy and sad a lways looking out for each other
m eals on the run or picnics in the park
i nside or outside, we like to be together
L ove is all around us
y ou, me, siblings, and caretakers
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Twenty-Third Publications Sample