Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello everyone. The title of our new Superbook adventure is Teach Us to Pray. In church, we often talk about praying; yet have you ever wondered how to do it? In our first video, we will see something amazing happen to Jesus while He was praying!

Play Video 2: Intro to Bible Story (6.5 minutes)

Peter, James and John witness Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountaintop.

Intro to Bible Story

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

We just saw how Jesus took three of His disciples up on a mountain to pray. Peter was one; what were the names of the other two disciples? James and John. 

What happened to Jesus as He prayed? He was changed.

This event in Jesus’ life is called the Transfiguration—because He was transfigured, or completely changed. His disciples could see that Jesus was much more than just a man; He is also fully God!

Who were the two men who appeared with Jesus? Elijah and Moses. 

Today’s SuperTruth is, “I will pray as Jesus did.” Let’s all say that together! “I will pray as Jesus did.”

We will learn more about that as we watch the rest of our video!   

Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution (17.5 minutes)

Chris is helping his grandma move after his grandpa dies. They come across an old Bible, and Chris asks her how they used to pray. She begins to cry, and he isn’t sure how to help. Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet Jesus, who teaches the disciples how to pray with power and take authority over demons. He also teaches them the Lord’s Prayer. When the kids return, Chris and his grandma pray the Lord’s Prayer together.

*Caution: Be sure to preview this video, as certain scenes may be too intense for some children. You may also want to ask parents to preview the videos before showing them to their children. If you wish to use a less intense version, you can play Video 4 (the condensed Bible story) and Video 8 (Chris and Joy’s resolution). Although the condensed version is less intense, it should still be previewed.

Bible Story and Resolution

Bible Story Discussion (1 minute)

What did you think was the most amazing part about this video? Children answer. 

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic  

Graphic loops 1.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

10A SuperVerse Graphic

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperVerse today is John 14:13—let’s say it together: 

Praying in Jesus’ name means coming to God because of our relationship with Jesus, not because of who we are or anything we have done. It also means that we pray according to, or in line with, God’s perfect will. When we pray this way, Jesus said He will do whatever we ask. The purpose of all prayer is to honor God. 

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. If any children are not able to memorize the entire verse, be sure they understand its meaning.  

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, we have the privilege to come before Your throne and talk with You because Jesus provided the way for us. Through Him, You hear and will answer. Help us to pray what is in Your heart so that Your will is done here on Earth as it is up in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.     

Raise your hand if you have ever been bowling. Children respond.

When we leave Large Group, you are going to play a form of bowling called “Bo-WILL-ing.” You WILL find out about how to play in Small Group—so let’s get rolling!     

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Bowling Game

Bo-WILL-ing Prayers: Play a unique game of bowling.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together. “I will pray as Jesus did.” 

Jesus’ prayers were pleasing to God because He prayed according to God’s will. That means His prayers were in line with God’s will. What Jesus prayed is what God already wanted to do. That is why Jesus said in the Lord’s Prayer to pray: “Your will be done.”

Hold up the ball and then roll it to demonstrate as you explain the game. The area inside these two boards represents God’s will. The balls represent prayers. The bottles represent needs or things you are praying for. When a bottle is knocked over, your prayer is answered and you score a point! To knock over bottles, the balls must stay between the boards that represent God’s will. When we pray according to God’s will, what does Jesus say will happen? We receive what we ask for; our prayers are answered.

Prayer that pleases God produces results! On the other hand, when balls roll outside the boards, they represent prayers that do not line up with God’s will and are not pleasing to Him. These balls will not knock over bottles, meaning the prayer does not produce results. Here is a hint for you: roll the ball with enough force to knock over bottles, but not so hard that it bounces outside the lane.

Divide the class into two even teams. One child may need to bowl twice. 

Teams line up single file behind the line or mark.

Select two “bottle setters” (leaders or volunteer children and one person to keep score).

Bottle setters line up behind each set of bottles. They will quickly reset the bottles after each player and roll the ball back to their team.

After players know their score, they quickly walk to the scorekeeper to say which team they’re on and how many points they scored, then go to the back of their team line.

Play until each player has a chance to roll 2 or 3 times. The team with the highest score wins. Play another round if time permits. Be prepared to assist younger children or those with special needs.

Optional: play for a set amount of time. Children play as above except at a faster pace to get more turns in before time runs out. Teams do not have to be even.

Conclusion: What happened when the ball went outside the borders? The bottles weren’t knocked over. 

Remember, when we pray as Jesus did, in line with God’s will, our prayers will produce results and God will receive glory!

Optional: Read 1 John 5:14–15: 

Let’s learn more about praying like Jesus in our Teaching.

Teaching

A Pattern to Follow: Discuss praying as Jesus did.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I will pray as Jesus did.” 

Raise your hand to share in your own words what it means to pray. Call on a few children to share their ideas of what prayer means to them.

From the beginning of His ministry on Earth, Jesus always took time to pray to His Father. As news of Jesus began to spread, crowds followed to hear Him preach and to be healed. Does this mean Jesus was so busy that He no longer had time to pray? No, Jesus still spent time alone with His Father to gain strength and to receive God’s will and instructions. (See Luke 5:15–16,19; John 12:49.) The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. He responded by sharing a pattern or model of prayer called the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s read the first part of the Lord’s Prayer on your bookmarks.   

Choose a volunteer to read aloud verse 9 on the bookmark.

Jesus told us to address God as our Father in heaven. This is an important key to our relationship with Him and to pray unselfishly, with confidence and faith. Instead of saying “My Father,” we say “Our Father,” reminding us that we are God’s children. You not only pray for yourself, you also pray for others and begin to put their needs above your own.

The word used for Father is the Hebrew word “Abba,” which can be translated, “Daddy.” When we come to God, we don’t come to someone who is distant, disconnected, and uncaring; we come like little children to a loving Father or Daddy. He is in heaven, yet His Spirit lives in us. Through prayer, we have a close relationship and loving communication with God.  

The word hallowed means holy. Even though we talk to God as a close friend, He is holy and set apart from everyone and everything. He is above all and He alone is worthy of our worship, service and praise. We must never treat God as if He is our servant or as if we are equal to Him. He has no equal, and we must always show Him the proper respect, honor and reverence by our words and actions.           

Choose a volunteer to read aloud verse 10:

Imagine what heaven is like for a minute. Is there any sickness? Is there any death? Is there any suffering, or crying, or loneliness? No, everything is perfect in heaven. No one is sick or hurt or upset. When we pray that God’s will be done on Earth as it is in heaven, we are asking God to do His perfect will here in the world just as it is always done up in heaven.

Choose a volunteer to read aloud verse 11:

God knows what we need even before we ask; yet, He wants us to come to Him and share our needs with Him. By doing this, we demonstrate our trust and dependence on Him. He is the source of all good things. (See Matthew 6:8; James 1:17.) Daily bread does not just mean a slice of bread. Bread actually means anything we need to live—physically, spiritually and emotionally. What are some things we need to live every day, in addition to food? A place to live, clothes to wear, etc.

Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life, and we pray for more of Him in our lives! (See Matthew 4:4; John 6:35.)

Choose a volunteer to read aloud verse 12:

In this verse, Jesus tells us to pray for forgiveness for our own sins as we also forgive people who have sinned against us.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:14:    

Choose a volunteer to read aloud verse 13a:

Temptation in this verse means to be tested; or to be put to the test. A modern translation (NLT) of this verse says:

God does not lead us into temptation—He shows us a way out! We are asking God to save us through the times of trial that come in our lives. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.)

Satan tries to tempt us, trap us, and trip us up. There are also bad things in this world that can tempt us to walk away from God. Plus, we are all sinners, and we can all make bad choices without anyone else’s help. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy! And so we pray that God delivers us and protects from all kinds of evil.

The Lord’s Prayer ends with what is called the Doxology, verse 13b:

This is God’s kingdom. Everything belongs to God; all power and all glory are due Him. Whatever ability, power and authority we have comes through Him. We cannot take any credit, for we can do nothing without God. When we pray, we are to humbly acknowledge this and to worship and give all honor and praise to Him.  

Earlier, we learned that prayer is conversation and communion with our heavenly Father. Choose a volunteer to stand about 6 feet from you. Quietly instruct him/her to bat the balloon back to you even when you turn your back. 

{Volunteer’s name} will represent God.

Hold up a balloon. These balloons represent my prayers.

Face the volunteer, bat the balloon toward the volunteer, and then turn your back and walk away. The balloon will be returned, but you will not see it.

Was this communing with God—was there an exchange between us? No!

Sometimes, our prayers begin to resemble this. We quickly tell God what we need and want—and then we walk away! Repeat it again with the second balloon.

God responded; yet, I wasn’t listening. I didn’t receive it. Point to balloons on the floor.      

Let’s do it differently. Bat the balloon back and forth with the volunteer.

Is this more like the communion and conversation Jesus is teaching about? Yes! 

There was an exchange between us. I didn’t just walk away after I prayed.

Prayer isn’t shouting our needs to God—it is spending time with Him as we share our heart, and He shares His heart with us. 

Conclusion: God loves and cares for us deeply because He made us, and we are His children. Prayer is how we talk to Him and have a close relationship. Jesus never intended for us to rattle off the Lord’s Prayer, or any prayer, as quickly as we can, without thinking about what we are saying. Prayer is a thoughtful and intimate conversation with God that can happen anytime, anywhere—and that’s a great reason to keep praying, always. It’s like having a conversation with a close friend. As we do this, we begin to understand His will, not only for us personally, but for His entire kingdom.

In our Discipleship Challenge today, we’ll learn more about the different parts of The Lord’s Prayer and how to use Jesus’ pattern to energize our prayers with power! 

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give children pencils to write their names on the back of the bookmarks. Display the model bookmark so children can see the finished craft. Give each child a piece of yarn and demonstrate how to insert and tie it to the bookmark. Give each child a small piece of tape with three mustard seeds stuck to it. Show how to turn the tape over and tape the seeds in the rectangle on the bookmark. Assist children as necessary.  

God’s plan in the beginning was to walk and talk with His children as He did with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Sadly, sin entered the world and separated us from God. The scarlet or red yarn represents Jesus and His blood shed for us to save us from our sin and to restore our relationship with God. Through Jesus, we can boldly come into our heavenly Father’s presence and commune with Him.

What did Jesus say the mustard seeds represent? Even a small amount of faith can do great things or move mountains.

Matthew 17:20 is written above the seeds for you to look up and read as a reminder that even small faith can do amazing things.

Hold up your bookmark. The Lord’s Prayer is divided into three sections on your bookmarks; one for each lesson of this course. Choose a volunteer to read section #1, Matthew 6:9–10. For this lesson your challenge is to pray verses 9–10 each day, and if possible, memorize it beginning with “Our Father.” Think about the meaning as you pray and speak from your heart. The second part of this challenge is to pray that section in your own words. Talk to God as your loving Father or Daddy; honor and worship His holy name from your heart as you come into His presence. Pray for Him to reveal His will for you. Ask Him to give you the strength to obey Him and to live for Him, according to His Word. Pray in your own words for others to know Him and begin to do His will, so His kingdom expands on Earth and He receives the glory and honor!

The next time we meet, you will have a chance to share your experience with the challenge and say the Lord’s Prayer from memory if you can. Place this bookmark inside your Bible and use it as you read God’s Word, or use it in another book you may be reading.

SuperVerse

Superbook Stand: Memorize the SuperVerse with a group activity.

Have children sit facing the board. 

When Jesus came to the world as a human, the purpose or goal of all He did and said was to bring glory to God’s name. That means to bring Him honor and praise. In this verse, Jesus makes a promise to us that He will do what we ask when we pray as He would pray, in line with God’s will; and that will result in bringing honor and praise to God.   

As we have discussed, we come before God by Christ’s authority and righteousness. Because we belong to Christ, we are in right standing with God.   

Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 children each. Have each group make up motions for the verse. Then have each group say the verse and do the motions for the rest of the class. 

Conclusion: We can stand before God and pray because Jesus has made us right with our Father in heaven. And when we ask according to God’s will, we will have what we ask.

Prayer

Will Prayers: Communicate with God.

During the Transfiguration, when Jesus was gloriously changed up on the mountain, God spoke from the cloud and said,

Soon after, one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus gave us a model of prayer so we could know how to pray in a way that is pleasing to God. As God said when Jesus was transfigured, we need to listen to Him!

Jesus says that when we pray, we must acknowledge that God’s name is holy; He is perfect with no equal. Even though we have access to God, we must come with respect and humility. He is high and lifted up, and the only one worthy of our praise and worship. Next, Jesus says to pray that God’s will is done on Earth as it is in heaven.

Today in our prayer time, let’s begin by acknowledging that God’s name is holy and above all other names. Take a moment to sit silently in God’s presence. Picture Him high above the earth, full of glory and above and over anything you face. Give a moment for children to sit before God. 

Now, think of something that you would like God’s help with. Maybe it is a situation at home or at school. Maybe it is a bigger situation in the world that you believe can’t be solved without God’s help. Pray silently that God’s will would be done in that situation, just the way His will is done in heaven. Allow time for children to pray. 

Close in prayer. Heavenly Father, You are Holy; there is none like You. Thank You for allowing us to come before You because we belong to Jesus. We acknowledge Your holiness and pray that the world will also come to know and worship You as Almighty God. The angels in heaven cry out, (See Isaiah 6:3.)

You have heard our prayers today, and we ask that You answer them according to Your will. We release our requests to You in the mighty name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Object Lesson

Our Father: Demonstrate our relationship with God in Christ.

Let’s say our SuperTruth together. “I will pray as Jesus did.” 

Hold up the scepter. Does anyone know what this is called? A scepter.

A scepter belongs to a king. It is a symbol of his power and authority. Sit in the chair holding the scepter vertically.

There is a true story in the Bible about a Jewish queen named Esther and her husband named King Xerxes (“ZURK-zees”). Esther needed to go to the king to request help for her people. The problem was that no one could enter the king’s inner court without his permission or invitation—not even the queen!

Hold out the scepter toward the children. If the king held out his scepter, she could approach the throne and speak.

Pull the scepter back. If he did not hold his scepter out, Esther could be put to death!

Esther risked death to obey God, and when she went before the king, he held out his scepter to her and granted her request. Hold the scepter out. (See Esther 4:11–12; 5:1–3.)

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to begin our prayer by saying, “Our Father.” When we say “Our Father,” we are reminded of our intimate relationship with Him. We are made in His image and He longs to spend time with us—His children. Because of Jesus, we do not need to be afraid to approach God, the King over all  the earth! (See Psalm 47:7.)

Toss the scepter aside. We don’t need a special invitation to approach God. We don’t need to fear being turned away or punished.  

Hold up the red yarn. Jesus made a way for us to enter God’s presence forever!

Read Ephesians 2:13:

Sin separated all people from God. Tragically, we lost the intimate relationship that God had planned for us. Have a volunteer stand a few feet away from you.

This volunteer represents all of us. I will represent God. This rope represents Jesus’ blood. Hand the rope to the volunteer.

As the verse says, we were once far away and are now brought near to God again by the blood of Jesus. Begin to move around the volunteer as you both hold the rope. Then walk around the room with the volunteer while you both hold the rope.

God is always near; He is in our midst. He is not a distant God somewhere in heaven or in some remote galaxy of the universe. God’s kingdom is right here in our midst. His Holy Spirit lives in us and goes with us. We do not have to tremble and fear when we approach God—He is always with us. We can talk with Him as our Daddy who loves us and longs to give us all good things—which is our daily bread. By Jesus’ blood, we are always connected to Him and always welcome in His presence.

Jesus said in John 15:7:

It isn’t about what we have done or not done. It isn’t about how good we’ve been or how much we have sinned. We can draw near to God because of what Jesus did—shedding His blood and dying on the cross for our sins, so we can have a wonderful relationship with God right here and now—and then forever up in heaven! It is by the blood of Jesus that we draw near to God, by faith.

Relay Game

All in Christ: Play a game about our daily bread.

Jesus said to pray,

He wasn’t only talking about physical food; He was talking about our sustenance, which means whatever we need to live. All we need is found in Christ.

Optional: Read John 6:35:

And, that is what this game is about. Walk through the game as you explain how to play. 

These slices of bread represent just a few of the many provisions we find in Jesus—the Bread of Life. Your challenge is to walk to the box and find the provision in Christ that is on the card you choose from the pile. Once you find it, you will put it on a plate and travel back to the starting line, then the next player will take a turn. Remember to hold onto your card once you have it. Wait, did I say walk? I meant to say you must go however I instruct you to travel—so listen carefully!

Divide the children into two teams; they do not need to be even.

Have teams line up single file behind the starting line.   

Say, “Go” to begin. The first two players will take a Provision Card from the top of the team pile. Then they will go to their team box to locate that card, put it on a plate, and return to the back of the team line.

Call out different ways to travel at random times during the game: hop, skip, backwards, tip-toe, hop on one foot, giant steps, shuffle, sideways, plate above head, etc.

The first team to bring back all sixteen cards wins.

Once both teams have returned their cards, read through the 16 numbers in random order and have the children with that “slice of bread” shout the provision aloud.  

Conclusion: Everything we need for a victorious life can be found in Jesus. That is why Jesus wants us to pray for our daily bread and to trust and depend on Him—for life! 

Coloring Activity

Pack It up! Color a page about Grandma’s moving day.

Give a coloring page to each child. Give crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers to the children to share. Lead a discussion using the questions below as children color.

1.    What were Chris, Joy and Gizmo doing at Chris’s grandma’s house? Helping her pack and move from her house after her husband, Chris’s grandfather, recently passed away.

2.   What was the reason Chris’s grandma said she was looking forward to moving? She was moving near Chris and could see him every day.

3.   Do you remember what is about to happen in the picture you are coloring? Gizmo begins to teeter, the plant is about to fall, and Joy will catch it.

4.   What happens to Gizmo after he maneuvers into a tight spot to place the boxes he is carrying? He gets closed in by the boxes and can’t get out.

5.   What did Chris’s grandma tell him was the reason that his grandpa was able to be successful and accomplish so much? Prayer.

6.   Do you know a person who prays that you look up to? Children answer.

Conclusion: Chris’s grandparents’ house was filled with the prayers and love that they shared together. Time spent with God cannot be matched by anything in this world.

Bible Activity

Mountaintop Experience: Look up and discuss Jesus’ Transfiguration.

Give Bibles to children who do not have one. Have children look up Luke 9:28–36.

Today, we are going to discuss what is called the Transfiguration. To be transfigured means to be transformed or changed into something different. We are going to read the account of the Transfiguration from the Gospel of Luke. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark also record the Transfiguration.

The suggested answers are from the New Living Translation. If children are using different translations, their answers will vary.

1. In verse 28, where did Jesus take Peter, James and John. Up on a mountain to pray.

Optional: Does anyone know how James and John were related? They were brothers. (See Matthew 17:1.)

What was the name that Jesus gave the brothers? The Sons of Thunder. (See Mark 3:17.)

Peter, James and John were Jesus’ closest friends and sometimes called the inner circle. The three men were all professional fisherman who immediately left their family businesses to answer Jesus’ call to follow Him. (See Matthew 4:18–22.) They were invited by Jesus to experience important events that the other apostles were not privileged to witness. These events included the Transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1–9; Mark 9:2–9; Luke 9:28–36), the raising of Jairus’s daughter from the dead (see Mark 5:37, Luke 8:51), and Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:37, Mark 14:33).

2. In verse 29, what happened to Jesus as He prayed? The appearance of His face was transformed or changed; His clothes became dazzling white.

The book of Matthew says that Jesus’ face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light. The book of Mark says that His clothes became whiter than any bleach could ever make them.  

3. In verse 30, who showed up suddenly and began to talk with Jesus? Elijah and Moses.

4. According to verse 31, what did they talk about? Jesus’ exodus or exit from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

5. In verse 32, what were the disciples doing as this glorious scene appeared? Sleeping and then they woke up to see Jesus’ glory and the two men.

6. What was the importance of seeing Jesus’ glory? The disciples had only seen Jesus in human form, now they saw Him in a glorified state as God’s Son. This gave them a better understanding of who Jesus really is.

7. In verse 33, what did Peter blurt out? It was wonderful for them to be there, and they should make three shelters for the three men.

Verse 33 says that he spoke without thinking. The book of Mark says that Peter said it because he simply didn’t know what else to say.

8. In verses 34–35 what spectacular thing happened as Peter spoke? A cloud overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said,

The book of Matthew says,

9. What was the reaction of the disciples? Terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.

The book of Matthew says the disciples fell face down on the ground; Jesus then touched them and told them to not be afraid.

10. Verse 36 says what about the disciples? They didn’t tell anyone at the time what they had seen.

In the books of Matthew and Mark, as they all came down the mountain, Jesus said to the disciples,

11. Why do you think that Jesus told them not to tell anyone? Children answer—the Bible doesn’t say specifically why.

Conclusion: Jesus took His closest disciples to a place they could be alone and watch Him pray. They saw Jesus in His glory with two Old Testament prophets and leaders standing and talking with Him. They heard the voice of God confirm that Jesus is His Son. The disciples would never forget this day with Jesus before He left the earth.