The following article is an expanded excerpt from chapter 3 of, which describes various ways to use meditation and prayer in class to help students make personal connections to Christ through what they are learning.The goal of planning a prayer service for class is to provide a memorable and reverent experience around a certain topic.A prayer service is meant to be heartfelt. For that to be the case, plan for the students to participate in a prayer service after they have personalized the lesson’s topic through some sort of.Through meditation, they will gain some understanding of what God is saying to them personally today.Then, in the prayer service, they can make the words of the prayers their own words as well. They can offer words as a response to God after encountering him in some way.You can also integrate prayer and meditation in the same prayer service.
(TRADITIONAL CHEROKEE NATION PRAYER) See also UMBOW Hymn 198 and Hymn 200. Opening Prayers. Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being, you created us for yourself, so that our hearts are restless until they find rest in you. Grant to us such piety of heart and strength of purpose.
With guided questions or reflection prompts, invite students to listen for God’s word in their minds and hearts.Then, using the words written on the prayer aides for the prayer service, students can respond to God in an appropriate way. Catholic Prayer Service OutlineHere is a basic outline for prayer services based loosely on the that you can use in class or in larger groups of students and educators:1. Sign of the Cross2.
Opening Prayer3. Scripture Reading4. Meditation/Reflection Questions/Homily5. Prayers of Petition6. Contemplative Prayer Experience7.
Closing Prayer8. Sign of the Cross Catholic Prayer Service Format ExplainedLet’s explain each part of this format for a prayer service in a little more detail: Sign of the CrossThis helps remind the students that they are initiating a prayerful experience that is different from the rest of the class. It invokes the Blessed Trinity’s presence especially during this prayer time.
Opening PrayerYou can compose the opening or closing prayers yourself or find traditional prayers to adapt and use in class.Popular prayers such as the Prayer of St. Francis or St. Ignatius’s prayer for generosity, for example, work well at the opening and closing of the service.The key is to make sure the prayers align with the focus of the lesson and the prayer service. Scripture ReadingWhat excerpt from the Bible would fit best for the topic of your prayer service?If nothing comes to mind, search online or use a Bible concordance with a list of words to browse through to discover an appropriate reading.
Try to find something that takes only 1-2 minutes to read. Meditation or Reflection QuestionsAfter the reading, have the students reflect on what they have heard.Give them some questions to help make personal connections to the topic of the prayer service through the lens of the Scripture verse they heard. Essentially, we want the students to think about what God is saying to them through this reading and through this prayer experience.In many ways, this is what a good homily can do during Mass so feel free to offer a brief reflection for the students to help them make those personal connections. Prayers of PetitionDuring Mass after the homily, we stand and pray together the Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful). This series of petitions includes a prayer to God and a response from everyone usually with the words “Lord, hear our prayer.”You can compose your own petitions or have the students do it in preparation for the prayer service. For students to work on together.According to the, in the Universal Prayer we pray a series of petitions for:.
our Church. our country and political leaders. those experiencing difficulty.
our local communityContemplative Prayer ExperienceIn addition to a guided meditation and petitions tailored to the lesson, the prayer service can include a meaningful opportunity for contemplative prayer.This may mean silent reflection on something from the reading. It can be silent time before the Eucharist. It can be silent prayer before a holy image or icon.Nothing needs to be said or done other than to focus on the Lord and allow the students to meet him in some unique way. Closing PrayerWrap up the prayer service with another appropriate prayer or simply end together in the Lord’s Prayer and maybe even the Sign of Peace.Read more about integrating prayer into the classroom in.
Let’s bow our heads and place ourselves in the presence of the Lord. (Pause for a few seconds.)Dear Lord, we stand before you in humble prayer before we start with this program (state the title of the program-optional.)We realize that without your blessings we would not able to succeed with the plans we have for this activity. Bestow your grace and divine wisdom to all of us present here, so we could cooperate and enjoy camaraderie and love for the greater glory of your name.Bless also those we have left behind in our homes. May you grant them peace and happiness as they go about their activities.Bless people around the globe that they may enjoy peace and the goodness of your love.We ask all these through your mighty name, amen. Categories Tags, Post navigation.
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February 2023
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