Teaching

In the video we watched, what were some ways that Gizmo suggested rescuing Peter from jail? Here's a hint: they were displayed on his faceplate. Tank, blimp, catapult, trampoline, pogo stick.   

Gizmo certainly was thinking “out of the box”—meaning that he was thinking in unusual ways. Even so, God had a completely different plan to save Peter. Let’s say the SuperVerse together. Acts 12:5:

But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

Sixteen soldiers were ordered to guard Peter; four soldiers at a time in four shifts. This was of no concern to Peter. He had been in jail before and the angel of the Lord miraculously freed him. That time, when the officers came to get Peter out of his cell to stand trial, they found the prison doors shut and the guards standing outside, but Peter’s cell was empty. The officers finally found Peter and the others in the temple preaching about Jesus! (See Acts 5:17–25.) God had supernaturally freed the men without being seen. 

Peter knew that God could rescue him no matter where he was or how many soldiers guarded him. As Peter slept, chained between two guards, God’s angel struck him on the side to wake him up. They walked out of the cell and past the guard posts. The iron gate at the entrance to the prison miraculously swung open by itself, and Peter and the angel walked into the street! Peter didn’t need a tank, blimp, trampoline, or any other human device or strategy; all he needed were the prayers of the church and the power of God! 

Let’s say our SuperTruth. “Prayer produces results.”

Have you ever read a label of a product that guaranteed results? 

You have probably seen an advertisement on TV or the internet for a product or service that promised certain results. There may even be a money-back guarantee if you don’t experience the same results. Show the two products or advertisements to the class and discuss what is promised and the guarantee.    

Have you ever been disappointed by the promised results of a product or service? 

It is easy to be disappointed in this world. Promises are sometimes broken. Hold up the Bible. However, we will never experience this with God! The Bible is filled with His promises to us. He will never fail to keep those promises—guaranteed! One of His promises is found in 1 John 5:14–15:

And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.    

What are the two promised results in this passage? 1. He hears our prayers. 2. He will give us what we ask for when it is what pleases Him.

Hold up the closed lock. There is a key that unlocks this promise to us from God.

Place the key in the lock and turn it to unlock it. He will hear and give us what we ask for when we ask for anything that pleases Him.

The church prayed for God to rescue Peter, and that pleased God. He had much more work for Peter to do for Him. So, their prayer produced results—God rescued Peter with a miracle. In fact, it was such an amazing miracle that when the church’s prayer was answered, they had a hard time believing it! They told Rhoda she was out of her mind! When we pray, we must believe we will experience results. Jesus said in Mark 11:24:   

“I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

It’s time now for our Discipleship Challenge where we will put this into practice!   

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Prayer produces results. Along with your prayer, you will be challenged to put your faith into action.       

Give each child a pair of scissors, a pencil, glue or tape, and a House of Prayer. If using black and white patterns, hand out crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers to color the pattern pieces. Make sure that there are several yellow crayons, pencils or markers to color the prayer beam cards for a glow effect. Caution: using a different, darker color on the beams can block the challenge text. Have children cut out the beams and the house and write their names on the back of the house. Display the sample craft and have them assemble the house according to the instructions and insert the card beams. Be prepared to assist any children with special needs. 

Have children pull out Card #1 and read it.   

Your challenge at home is to read and discuss the Bible verses, Philippians 2:3–4. Talk about how we can’t be so focused on ourselves that we lose sight of other people’s interests and needs. Then, pray for someone who needs God’s help. Why did the church pray for Peter? He was arrested and in prison.

In the same way, take an interest in someone else’s situation and pray daily for them. The last part of this lesson’s challenge is to ask the person if you can pray together for that need. 

Next time, I’ll ask who remembered to do the challenge and what happened when you prayed!