If you need a really simple and effective prayer idea that people of all ages will be able to engage with, then this is it.
What you need:
A pack of rainbow scratch art sheets, with enough for everyone to have one. We used A5 sheets from Amazon, but they come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Baker Ross is another good place to look.
You will also need enough ‘scratchers’ for everyone. Most packs of the sheets only come with two or three so you’ll need to buy extra.
That’s it. Then all you have to do is give everyone a sheet and invite them to write or draw their prayers, using the scratcher. We played a piece of music while they did that. The results were as varied and beautiful as the people present.
You really could just use this idea anytime as a stand alone activity but here are a couple of themes it works really well with.
The Kingdom of God is near
It can seem that the world is full of darkness, and the love of God is far away, but actually the Kingdom of God is always near, you just need to look for it. Plant the smallest seed of goodness, and you will find the kingdom of God, shining through.
The Light shines in the Darkness
When we pray, we are bringing the light and love of Christ into a dark world, transforming the darkness into beauty and colour.
Prayer changes things
We start with a blank sheet, and end with something beautiful and transformed. Sometimes it can seem that our prayers do nothing, but this is a visual reminder of the transformation that prayer can bring.
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