How to respect God by virtue of prayer?

This summer we’re off to the movies, joining Clive and Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge as we search for answers to big questions about God.

Last week we explored the big question of who created the universe. We learned that God did! We celebrated how amazing God is!

This week we added a twist to our series: we asked a question about ourselves and our relationship to God!

God desires a close, personal, connection with us. But to be near to God, who is after all pretty extraordinary, requires us to treat God with respect! Thus our question for today was:

How Do We Show Respect to God Through Our Prayer?

Use the discussion questions below to talk about what your kids learned. Start the conversation in the car on the way home from church. Continue around the family dinner table, or wherever your family is gathered together.

You can ask these questions even if you missed the video showing!

Have some family time discussion…

• What does it mean to respect someone? [An answer: Respecting someone means that you treat them as if they had great value. You look up to them!]
• Name some people whom you respect. Adults should answer as well!
• What are some ways that you show those people respect? [Possible answers: You spend time with them, give them gifts, do things for them, you listen to them, or you tell them you like (or love) them…]
• How do you get a close relationship with someone – like if you have a really good friend – how did you become close friends? [Answers: You spent time together, talking and listening.]
• Do you suppose these sound like good ways to get closer to God?
• Sunday school lady helped us to see that if we are not respecting God we ignore him or say, “I don’t need your help.” What are other ways to show respect to God through prayer? [Possible answers: when we treat our relationship to God seriously we don’t joke around when we talk to God; we listen when other people are praying aloud, we tell God all about our lives and our worries and our joys; we are honest with God about what is on our heart.]
• How can taking something seriously, be a way to show respect?
• What is a way to pray that uses the acronym: ACTS? [Answer: Each letter in ACTS stands for a type of prayer you lift up to God – Adoration, Confession, Thanks, and Supplication (or perhaps: “Send in help!”)]
• Bonus question: What do you think Clive and Ian should paint on the side of the blimp?

Adults: Here’s an important video from the creator of our series, Phil Vischer. Phil has a message about how we can show love and respect to God as a family. (If you are reading in an email you may need to click over to YouTube.)

This summer, we hope you’ll join us on our movie adventure and also, continue the learning at home.

Photo credits:
Photos from the producer of our video Clive & Ian’s Wonder-Blimp of Knowledge, under a fair use category.