May 2012- Prayer

May's Faith focus is on prayer. Ideas that I'm considering for the month are on my Pinterest Prayer board. Also, three books called "Pray and Play Bible", "Helping Kids Pray" and "Teaching Children to Pray" Ages 2 & 3 are proving to be creative resources. I'll add pictures as we complete projects through out the month.

My background with prayer as a child were centered around organized prayers from the Catholic church. While we can deepen our understanding and connection with God through these, we don't want our children to be limited to formal prayers as I was. My husband's spiritual gift is prayer and God has grown me in this area through my husband's gift by being married to him. Our example as parents will be one of the greatest daily models our children will see of being vulnerable, personal and respectful as we approach our Heavenly Father. This pillar of faith is so integral in our walk with God I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to be intentional about learning to talk with God. Since we are winding down academically, we can really pour quite a bit of time in May. In fact, this first week with mommy's birthday and daddy taking a couple of days off, we spent teaching time solely on our faith focus.

Some materials for the month

Crafts: We got three from Oriental Trading Company this month that we are looking forward to, the Lord's Prayer Craft Kit, God Hears When I Pray, and Jesus Praying in the Garden.

Books:

Activities:

Combination of ideas from Joy's Hope and In Lieu of Preschool blogs
for a Prayer Pail.

Here is ours in the making:

With two little guys, I have plenty of these snacks. So I used the can. I used
my scrapbook paper and letter stickers and a glue gun

In are to be prayed, out has been so everyone is covered

For Instance, we have prayed over these family and friends
since we set it up, so they'll go in the out can. 

Red is immediate family
Blue is extended family
Green is friends

Black is meal time prayers since it sits on the dining room table.

2011 Christmas Cards received help direct us to a family
or friend to  cover in prayer a week at a time. I put these in
no particular order. Our friends, the Davis' were who
we prayed for the first week in May

Relating blowing bubbles to sending our prayers up to God.

I really enjoy having fun, making memories and incorporating spiritual truths with teachable moments. It's relaxed, not contrived, forced or stiff. It really speaks to Deuteronomy 11:19 regarding how we are to teach love and obedience to the Lord to our children as we sit, walk, lay down and get up. Framing an activity through the viewpoint of God, also reminds me of how Jesus spoke in every day parables so the people could understand big truths.

Crafts:

Videos:

We've talked quite a bit about Daniel praying to God no matter what others tell him. We do have the VeggieTales version of that story.

Coloring Pages and Preschool Worksheets:

Visuals:

Prayer is us talking to God, which leads me to June's focus. We will focus on the powerful and main way God speaks to us through His word. We'll be using resources to get more familiar and talk about the Bible.