The run sheet
The 45-minute prayer lesson run sheet
Leader-led, choice-based, and complete without the download.
Hold this while you teach
45 min totalWelcome and choices
“You may sit, stand, draw, listen, speak, use AAC, or pass. Show the pause card or tell the safe adult when you need a break.”
Instead: Offer a quiet seat, movement route, or adult scribing.
Notice the room
“Point to one ordinary colour, sound, or surface you notice. You do not have to tell us why.”
Instead: Draw the detail or stretch beside the group.
Read and retell
“What happened in the text? Point, draw, use AAC, or pass.”
Instead: The adult retells the passage with pictures and repeats one phrase.
Teach the big idea
“Prayer is not a magic button or a speech contest. It can include thanks, praise, sadness, asking, care, and listening.”
Instead: Use one card and a fictional example rather than personal stories.
Prayer Menu activity
“Choose one card, a drawing, a movement, or a pass. Keep your response private if you prefer.”
Instead: Set the six cards on a table and let the adult model first.
Discussion
“Answer about the passage, the room, or a fictional example.”
Instead: Offer pointing, partner dictation, or a quiet parallel activity.
Optional quiet response
“Listen to a short prayer, draw, move, look around, or pass.”
Instead: Stop sooner when anyone asks and return to an ordinary activity.
Close and take-home
“Choose one optional family moment this week. You do not have to prove faith by finishing.”
Instead: Repeat the pause signal and the local safeguarding route.
Objective and materials
Objective
Children can point to one reason Jesus gives for prayer, name three truthful ways to respond, and choose one optional response with a trusted adult.
Materials
- · An approved Bible or a printed WEB reference
- · Visual schedule and timer
- · Six prayer-choice cards
- · Crayons, pencils, blank paper, and optional AAC symbols
- · A clearly marked PAUSE card and water
- · No-craft seating and movement options
- · A named safeguarding lead and the host organisation's local policy
Scripture and context
Reference: Matthew 6:5–13
Jesus teaches prayer as turning toward God, asking for daily provision, practising forgiveness without excusing harm, and seeking help in trouble.
Read the whole passage after Jesus warns against performing faith to be noticed. The model prayer is not a speech test or a promise of a particular result.
Reference: Luke 11:1–4
A disciple asks Jesus to teach them to pray, showing that prayer is learned in relationship.
The communal word our never requires a child to pray aloud. Read the surrounding verses in an approved Bible.
Reference: Psalm 13
The psalm makes room for honest sadness and a question before it turns toward trust.
Lament belongs in Christian prayer, so a child may name a hard feeling or pass without being corrected.
Activity cards
Praise — notice who God is
2 minChoose one word about God's goodness, then say, draw, or point.
Example: God, thank you for your faithful love. Read Psalm 100 in full.
Choose one: Say one sentence, point, or use AAC. · Draw the response or choose a movement route. · Listen while the adult reads, or pass.
Thank — name a gift
2 minNotice an ordinary gift without pretending everything is easy.
Example: Thank you for the person who brought water.
Choose one: Say one sentence, point, or use AAC. · Draw the response or choose a movement route. · Listen while the adult reads, or pass.
Honest feeling — make room for lament
2 minA prayer can say this is hard or ask how long. Passing is welcome.
Example: God, this hurts. Please stay with us. Read Psalm 13.
Choose one: Say one sentence, point, or use AAC. · Draw the response or choose a movement route. · Listen while the adult reads, or pass.
Ask — request help, not control
2 minAsk for wisdom, daily needs, or a caring next step.
Example: Please help our group listen and include someone who is alone.
Choose one: Say one sentence, point, or use AAC. · Draw the response or choose a movement route. · Listen while the adult reads, or pass.
Care for others — intercede
2 minChoose a broad group such as neighbours, leaders, people who are sick, or the earth.
Example: Give the adults who help us patience and wisdom.
Choose one: Say one sentence, point, or use AAC. · Draw the response or choose a movement route. · Listen while the adult reads, or pass.
Listen / Scripture — attend, then respond
2 minLook at a short reference, draw one image, or sit with an open question.
Example: What do I notice in Matthew 6:9–13? No eyes-closed requirement.
Choose one: Say one sentence, point, or use AAC. · Draw the response or choose a movement route. · Listen while the adult reads, or pass.
Discussion and optional quiet
- 01
What did Jesus say about praying to be noticed?
Optional response: Point to the text, offer a short answer, draw, use AAC, or pass.
- 02
Which kinds of words did the passage make room for?
Optional response: Thanks, asking, forgiveness, daily needs, help, drawing, and silence are all welcome responses.
- 03
What is one way to join without speaking?
Optional response: Listening, drawing, moving, AAC, pointing, and passing are valid options.
- 04
If prayer time brings up a worry, who is a safe adult who can help?
Optional response: Answer privately, point to the leader, use AAC, or pass. Follow the host safeguarding pathway for concerns.
God, be near as we learn to pray and care for one another. Give the adults wisdom for the next right step. Amen.
Take-home strip
Pray together: choose one
- · Praise, thank, honest feeling, ask, care for others, or listen to Scripture.
- · Try for two minutes: choose a card, then say, draw, listen, move, or pass.
- · Name one caring next step and stop whenever anyone asks.
- · No streak, score, or report-back is required. Keep private words private.
- · For a safety concern, contact the trained local safeguarding lead or emergency service.
LISTEN · DRAW · MOVE · SPEAK · AAC · PASS
Our paraphrase, not Scripture text. Exact wording: World English Bible (public domain).
Prepare the room
Section 01
Preview Matthew 6:5–13 and Luke 11:1–4 in the family's approved Bible. Set out the visual schedule, six cards, paper, crayons, a PAUSE card, water, and a no-craft route.
Follow the host church or school's safeguarding, visibility, adult-ratio, accessibility, and emergency policies. Name the trained safeguarding lead before children arrive. The shared use strip is: Adult-led · Ages approximately 4–12 · Participation is optional.
Read the whole passage
Section 02
Jesus teaches prayer after warning against performing faith to be noticed. The model prayer turns toward God, asks for daily provision, practises forgiveness without excusing harm, and asks for help in trouble.
Our paraphrase, not Scripture text. Exact wording: World English Bible (public domain). Read the surrounding passage rather than using one line as a guarantee. The word our never requires a child to pray aloud.
Offer six ways to respond
Section 03
The activity cards make room for praise, thanks, honest feeling, asking, care for others, and listening to Scripture. Use a shared fictional example instead of asking for a private story.
Keep the choice line visible: LISTEN · DRAW · MOVE · SPEAK · AAC · PASS. A child may keep a response private, choose a movement, use AAC, or pass.
Keep sharing optional
Section 04
Ask about the text, the room, or a fictional example. Do not request a public confession, private prayer request, family conflict, or biggest fear.
If a child raises a safety concern, pause, listen without leading questions, thank them, and use the host organisation's trained safeguarding pathway. Do not investigate in front of the group.
Close with care
Section 05
The optional quiet response lasts no more than three minutes and can be replaced by drawing, movement, looking around, or an ordinary activity. Stop sooner when anyone asks.
Send home one card with a two-minute choice. A family can repeat, adapt, or leave it unused. Prayer may accompany practical care and qualified help when a concern affects safety or daily life.
Safeguarding
The first two lines are words you can say. The third is your own next step.
Stop · words to say
You do not have to keep going. We can stop, open our eyes, move, get water, or sit with a trusted grown-up.
Adapt · words to say
You can listen while I read, draw, move, keep your eyes open, use AAC, or pass.
Get help · your next step
Contact a pediatrician, school counselor, qualified child mental-health professional, or safeguarding lead when concern persists or affects daily life. Use local emergency services for immediate danger, self-harm thoughts, serious breathing trouble, or an unsafe disclosure; in the United States, call or text 988 for a mental-health crisis.
Sources
| Publisher | What it supports | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| World English Bibleebible.org | Public-domain wording and the reference-first Scripture policy. | 2026-08-03 |
| NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practicenaeyc.org | Playful, strengths-based, culturally and ability-aware facilitation. | 2026-08-03 |
| CAST UDL Guidelines 3.0udlguidelines.cast.org | Multiple ways to engage, respond, communicate, and pass. | 2026-08-03 |
| UNICEF safeguarding policyunicef.org | Preventive safeguarding, safe reporting, and trained adult response. | 2026-08-03 |
| Church of England safeguarding guidancechurchofengland.org | Partner organisations use their own trained safeguarding pathway. | 2026-08-03 |
Frequently asked questions
- What age group is this lesson for?
- It is a mixed classroom or church lesson for approximately ages 4–12. Use pictures and adult scribing for younger children, choice cards and drawing for ages 8–11, and private context questions for older children. Keep the trained adult present.
- Must every child pray aloud?
- No. Listening, drawing, moving, AAC, a one-word response, and passing are all permitted. Never grade volume, eye closure, stillness, completion, or emotion. The leader can model each choice without asking anyone to repeat it.
- Is this an ACTS lesson or Lord's Prayer worksheet?
- No. This lesson teaches the broad purpose and forms of prayer. Use the ACTS and Lord's Prayer owners for their distinct methods, and link to them rather than copying their complete worksheets or card sets here.
- What if a child discloses harm?
- Pause, listen without leading questions, thank the child, and follow the host organisation's trained safeguarding lead and emergency policy. Do not promise secrecy or investigate in the group. Resume only with consent and a low-demand alternative.
- Does the lesson promise that prayer changes a situation?
- No. It teaches children to turn toward God and wise care. A practical plan and qualified support remain necessary when a concern affects safety or daily life. The activity cards are invitations, not a formula for a particular result.
- Can I use another translation?
- Yes, when the rights ledger permits it and the adult names the translation. The default artifact uses World English Bible references or licensed short wording, with original explanations that send families back to the whole passage.
Sabbath Meditation
Sabbath offers adult-led Scripture meditation for the next step, without making this lesson a requirement.
Explore adult-led meditation →