Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Clinton, and I'm really pleased to be with you today.

We're gonna have a great time with our learning.

Today's lesson is called different Christian prayers, and it's taken from the unit, "Prayer: Is it possible to speak to God?" We'll be thinking about how to explain that there are different types of prayer used by different Christians.

Now, sometimes learning can be a little challenging, but that's great, as we can work hard together and learn lots of exciting new things.

So we have some keywords to help us with our learning today, and we're going to do I say, you say.

So I say prayer, you say.

I say prayer, you say.

Let's do it again, even louder.

I say prayer, you say, and prayer are the words or thoughts to help someone talk or listen to God.

I say communal, you say.

I say communal, you say, and communal are things that are shared by a group of people.

I say personal, you say, I say personal, you say, and personal is an individual's way of doing something.

In our lesson today, we have two different learning cycles.

Number one, how do different Christians pray? And number two, how does prayer help a Christian? So let's have a look at our first learning cycle.

How do different Christians pray? Izzy and Andeep are talking about religious education.

Izzy says, "Why are we always learning about what people do in religious education lessons?" And Andeep says, "Finding out about what people do can help us learn about their beliefs and ideas about God." That's right, Andeep.

So in this lesson, we'll be finding out about different types of Christian prayers.

What do you think this person is doing? Yes, they're praying.

Prayer is a part of the daily lives of many Christians.

Some Christians pray their own personal prayers each day.

These might be prayed out loud or silently in their heads to God.

The prayers might be made up or recited.

That means reading out or saying something that someone else has written.

Most Christians will also pray communal prayers when they're with their Christian family at church.

These are usually prayed out loud with everyone praying together at the same time.

Christians may use different kinds of prayer.

Prayers of thanksgiving with gratitude, prayers of adoration and worship of God, prayers of confession, saying sorry to God, and prayers of intercession, asking for things, maybe for themselves or for somebody else.

I have a question for you.

Is this true or false? Christians only pray communal prayer.

You might like to pause this video to give you a moment to think about your answer or maybe to discuss it with a partner.

Come back to me when you've decided whether this is true or false.

Welcome back.

So was this true or false? Christians only pray communal prayers.

Show me with those thumbs, true or false? The answer was false.

Why? Christians will pray a mixture of communal and personal prayers in their lives, and most Christians doing that each day.

Izzy and Andeep are talking about different types of prayer.

"I know that Christians use the Lord's prayer, but is that the only prayer used by Christians?" And Andeep says, "Well, let's talk to some different Christians to find out some more." So Izzy and Andeep are talking with Asher.

He has a Christian worldview and attends a free church.

"What type of prayer do you like and use a lot," they ask him.

"I enjoy intercession prayers.

I like joining with my Christian family to ask God to help the world and people in it with the issues and problems they face." Asher continues.

"At church, we sometimes sing an intercession prayer over someone.

This sung prayer is for a new baby's life." In the clip that we're going to watch.

"We are praying for God's blessing on the new baby's life." So let's have a listen.

(gentle piano music) ♪ The Lord bless you ♪ ♪ And keep you ♪ ♪ Make his face shine upon you ♪ ♪ And be gracious to you ♪ <v Mrs. Clinton>Should we listen to it again?</v> So they're singing a prayer.

(gentle piano music) ♪ The Lord bless you ♪ ♪ And keep you ♪ ♪ Make his face shine upon you ♪ ♪ And be gracious to you ♪ <v ->So that's interesting.

</v> Prayers can be said or even sung.

And I'm sure that's true of lots of churches, not just Asher's church.

Asher continues.

"I believe that God is the greatest king.

My job is to work with him and pray for his will to be done, so there's more peace and love in the world." So let's check our understanding.

Intercession prayers are, is it A, prayers for the world and people in it, prayers to say sorry to God for what people have done wrong, or prayers that adore and worship God.

Is it A, B, or C? You might like to pause this recording to give you a moment to talk with the person next to you, or maybe just to think about your answer.

Come back and start the video when you've decided is it A, B, or C.

Welcome back.

So let's see.

Was it A, B, or C? It was A.

Well done if you got that correct.

Intercession prayers are prayers for the world and the people in it.

So you're praying for more of God's will, more of his love, more of his peace, or in that sung prayer, a blessing on that baby for their life.

Izzy and Andeep are talking with Alexia, and she has a Christian worldview and attends an orthodox church.

"What type of prayer do you use a lot," they ask her.

"I appreciate it when we have times to confess our sins, the things we've done wrong before God.

I like praying to God about them and knowing his forgiveness." Okay, so that's different from Asher, isn't it? This is about confessing sins and knowing God's forgiveness.

Alexia continues.

"At church, we have a time each week in our service to confess our sins to God." I often kneel down to show God I'm deeply sorry.

Kneeling feels right to me, but some people sit instead." Okay.

So these Christians in their church are doing different things to show God that they're sorry for the things that they've got wrong and asking for his forgiveness.

So that's a different type of prayer.

Thank you, Alexia.

Izzy and Andeep are talking with Brother Sam.

He has a Christian worldview and is an Anglican monk.

"What type of prayer do you use a lot," they ask.

"I always start my prayers with adoration of God, worshipping and recognising who he is.

Then I move on to thanksgiving and gratitude prayers for all that God has done and does for me." Brother Sam continues.

"I often find a quiet place to sit and pray.

I may use prayers from the Bible or prayers that are ancient.

I like to take my time not to rush, but to take time to be with God." Now, can you remember the different types of prayers each of these Christians like to use? You might like to pause the video and have a talk to the person next to you or in a small group, or maybe just to think for yourself.

Come and start the video when you are ready to continue with the lesson.

Is this true or false? Christian prayers only happen in a church.

Hmm.

Is that true or false? You might like to pause this video to give you a moment to talk about your answer, the person next to you, or think about your answer for yourself.

Come back and start the video when you are ready to know the answer.

Welcome back.

Was it true or false? The answer is false.

Well done if you got that right.

Why? Well, Christian prayers can take place in a church, and often do take place in a church, but also they can happen elsewhere.

Christians might pray when they're at home, at work, or walking in nature.

Prayer can happen anywhere.

Now I have a task for you.

Can you complete the following sentences? So there are three sentences, and in the other side of the grid, there are three end of the sentences.

I'd like you to pause this video to give you some time to decide what's number one, which it goes with A, B, and C.

What number two sentence goes with A, B and C, or what number three start of the sentence goes with A, B, C.

You might like to do this on your own or with a partner, but when you've got your answers done, come back and we'll start this lesson again.

Welcome back.

Should we have a look at the answers? Well, the correct answers was one with C, two with A, and three with B.

So a personal prayer is an individual's conversation with God.

Communal prayers are shared by a group of Christians.

And intercession prayers are asking God to help the world and people.

Really well done if you've got all of those correct.

I'm so proud of you.

That's so good.

Well done.

So let's get on to part two of our lesson.

How does prayer help a Christian? Izzy and Andeep want to think further about prayer.

"I can see that there are lots of different ways that Christians pray." And Andeep says, "I'm wondering, how does prayer help Christians?" So Izzy and Andeep talk some more with Asher.

"How does praying help you, Asher?" And he says, "Prayer helps me to feel connected to God.

I love the idea that my prayers can help others and make a difference in their lives." Izzy and Andeep talk some more with Alexia.

"How does praying help you, Alexia?" Prayer helps me to feel better about myself.

Sometimes prayer also helps me to let go of hurt that others have done to me." So let's check your understanding.

Is this true or false? Praying can help a Christian to feel better.

You might like to pause this video to give you a moment to think about your answer or maybe to discuss it with a friend.

Come back and start this video when you are ready to continue with the lesson.

Welcome back.

Shall we see? Was the answer true or false? It was.

It was true.

Well done if you got that right.

Why? Well, praying often helps a Christian to feel better.

This is because they might feel more connected to God or let go of hurt or wrongdoing, or feel that God has forgiven them.

So it helps them to feel connected and to feel better.

Well done if you got that correct.

Izzy and Andeep talk more with Brother Sam.

"How does praying help you, Brother Sam?" "Prayer helps me to find God's voice each day.

It helps me to find my purpose and to do the things that will please God and to help others." Brother Sam continues.

"There's a prayer written by Saint Francis, who my community follows, and he wrote this, 'Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love.

' I pray this every day.

I like this prayer." And if we are thinking about what it's saying, it's asking him, or Brother Sam is asking God to use him, to bring more love and peace into the world.

So prayer helps Christians to please God and connect with him each day to feel better as they deal with what they've done wrong or what other people have done to them, to connect with God and pray for others.

One of Brother Sam's favourite prayers was written by, is it A, Saint Peter, B, Saint Jude, or C, Saint Francis? You might like to pause this video to give you a moment to think about your answer or maybe to discuss it with the person next to you.

Come back to me and start the lesson again when you've decided was it A, B, or C.

Welcome back.

Shall we see who wrote one of Brother Sam's favourite prayers? A, B, or C? It was Saint Francis.

C.

Well done if you got that right.

So I have a task for you.

Can you match these words to the correct person below? So who talks about prayer pleasing God, who talked about prayer being connecting with God, and who talked about feeling better when they prayed? And then number two, I'd like you to explain how these three words, sets of words, help a Christian in prayer.

So you might want to do this in a group, with a partner, or on your own.

So pause the video, and when you are ready to continue the lesson, come back to me.

Welcome back.

So let's have a look what your answer might have looked like.

Brother Sam talks about pleasing God, Alexia talks about prayer helping her to feel better, and Asher talked about connecting with God.

Very well done if you got number one correct.

Then I asked in part two for you to use those words in a sentence to say how it helps Christians to pray.

So prayer helps Christians to please God, connecting with him each day.

Prayer helps Christians to feel better as they deal with what they've done wrong.

And prayer helps Christians to connect with God and pray with others.

Brilliant if you manage to write those sentences.

I'm so proud of that learning and recall.

Excellent.

So we've reached the end of our lesson now, and then let's recap what we've covered today.

There are many different forms of prayer in Christianity.

Some Christians use communal prayers saying or singing prayers together out loud.

Prayers might be spoken by individuals on their own, and they are called personal prayers.

Prayers may be said by Christians in their home, in churches, at work, or whilst they're walking streets or in nature.

And prayer helps Christians to connect with God and make sure that their lives please God.

Well, excellent learning today.

I'm very proud of all the hard work you've done, but I'm going to say goodbye now, and I hope I see you again in another lesson.

But thank you for all your work today.

Goodbye.