Step One of this lesson also on video!
Real Life Downloaded | High School Lesson 7 | Intercessory Prayer from David C Cook on Vimeo.
Prior to group time, set up chairs in circles of about 10 students. Set up as many small circles as possible. If space is a problem, sit on the floor instead of chairs. If the weather is nice, go outside and sit on the grass for this activity.
Choose who will go first in each circle (group). Mention that the items the students will come up with for this activity can be humorous, but that illegal or inappropriate items are not acceptable to mention.
The first person will come up with something that starts with the letter “A” to fill in the blank: I keep _________ in the trunk of my car, (an answer might be “apples.”) The next person will repeat the sentence but will repeat what the first person said and then come up with a word that starts with “B” (Example: I keep apples and bananas in the trunk of my car.) Each person must repeat what everyone before them has said and add their own item starting with the next letter of the alphabet. Continue until all letters of the alphabet have been used (if you have students who haven’t had a turn, start over with an “A” item, but have them repeat the list.
Regroup. Mention that this was a simple icebreaker game, but that it was important to listen to each person’s sentence and to remember what letter of the alphabet was next in order for the activity to work. Also note that there were some group rules established in order to conduct this activity. Topics were not to include anything illegal and all words had to be classroom appropriate.
Show the first part of this video to your students [STOP at 2:08; you will use the last half of the video in Step 4].
Man Shares His Experience With the Power of Prayer
- Do you think whoever strung the cord across the bike trail was hoping to decapitate the person who would make contact with it or didn’t realize how serious that kind of a prank could be? What makes you think that? (Answers will vary.)
- Why do you think Thomas’s mother responded to the doctor’s assessment by going to prayer immediately? (She realized when the doctor said that his injury was life-threatening that God was her son’s only hope.)
- Have you—or someone you are close too—ever been in an accident where you realized things were very grim? How did you react? Was prayer something you thought about doing immediately, or was it kind of an afterthought? (Answers will vary.)
The actions taken against Thomas were sinful. Someone deliberately tried to harm him or another biker who would ride on that dirt path. His injuries were horrific and the healing process was lengthy. Yet, God had a plan—His plan is something He wants all of us to be a part of. Let’s see what part prayer plays in our lives today.
