Jesus withdrew to a quiet place to pray: A Lesson on the Importance of spending time with God - Mark 1
No objects needed – Just one child to come up front.
(Start with a child standing up front of the other kids, ready to participate in the interactive exercise.)
Good morning children! I'm so excited to talk to you today about something very special – the importance of finding quiet time alone with God. But first, let's try something together.
(Point to the child standing up front.)
I need your help, everyone. On the count of three, let's all call out to our friend here with lots of demands and requests. Take 10 seconds to think of what you want the to do. Ready?
(Count to three, and have the group call out loudly to the child.) This should be fun.
Now, how do you feel? (Allow the child to share their feelings.)
It can be overwhelming when everyone is demanding our attention, right? Sometime you can’t even think properly. Just like in our game, life can get really noisy with school, friends, chores, and activities. But guess what? We have a special friend who knows exactly how we feel – Jesus!
In the Bible, in the book of Mark, it says that Jesus often withdrew to lonely or quiet places to pray. You see, Jesus understood the importance of finding a quiet spot away from the noise and pressure. So many people wanted to talk to him, to be healed, or to get something from him.
Imagine if Jesus were here with us today. (In fact He is here because he said “I am with you always”. He might say, "Hey, friends, sometimes you need to step away from all the noise and find a quiet place to talk to God. It's like having a special meeting with your best friend."
Just like we need a break from the demands of our noisy game, we also need a break from the demands of life. When we spend quiet time with God, it's a chance to share our thoughts, dreams, worries, and joys. God loves hearing from us, and it helps us feel more at peace.
Here are a few reasons why finding quiet time with God is so important:
- Peace in the Noise:
- When life gets noisy and busy, spending time alone with God helps us find peace in the midst of it all.
- Guidance and Wisdom:
- Sometimes we don’t know what to do. God can give us guidance and wisdom when we take the time to listen to Him. It's like having the best GPS for our lives!
- Sharing Our Hearts:
- Just like we share things with our friends, God wants us to share our hearts with Him. He cares about everything we feel and think.
So, kids, let's remember the lesson from our game. Just as we gave our friend a break from all the noise and demands, we too need a break sometimes. Jesus showed us the way by withdrawing to pray, and we can do the same.
Children’s Prayer: Dear God, thankyou that when we are busy and upset we can always come away to a quiet place and meet you in prayer. In Jesus’ name – Amen!
