Lesson Prepration Guide for "Pray, He Is There"

In this talk, President Susan H. Porter, Primary General President, speaks directly to children all over the world about the importance and power of prayer. She emphasizes the love that Heavenly Father has for each of His children and provides guidance on how to use prayer as a means to communicate with Him. She encourages children to pray to know, to grow, and to show, each contributing to a deeper understanding and relationship with Heavenly Father.

Ideas for Opening the Lesson

Begin by asking the class to share their experiences of prayer and how it has helped them in their lives.
Start the lesson by singing the hymn "Did You Think to Pray?" to set the mood for the discussion on prayer.
Open the discussion by asking the class members to share their favorite scriptures about prayer and how these scriptures have influenced their personal prayer lives.

Topics

Understanding the Gift of Prayer

Prayer is a special gift from Heavenly Father. It allows us to communicate with Him anytime, anywhere. Jesus taught us to "Ask, and ye shall receive." President Porter highlights three main aspects of prayer: pray to know, pray to grow, and pray to show.

Our Heavenly Father loves you! You are His child. He knows you. He wants to bless you. I pray with all my heart that you will feel His love. It is the gift of prayer. What a blessing prayer is! We can talk to Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere.

What does the gift of prayer mean to you?
How has prayer helped you in your personal life?
What are some ways we can improve our prayers?
What blessings have you received from prayer?
How can we help others understand the importance of prayer?

Praying to Know Heavenly Father

Prayer helps us to know that Heavenly Father is real and that He loves us. Even in times of loneliness or difficulty, we can ask Him not why something is happening, but what we can do or learn from it. Heavenly Father will guide us.

Heavenly Father has a glorified body of flesh and bones and is the Father of your spirit. Because Heavenly Father has all power and knows all things, He can see all His children and can hear and answer every prayer. You can come to know for yourself that He is there and that He loves you.

How has prayer helped you come to know Heavenly Father?
Can you share a time when you felt Heavenly Father's love through prayer?
How can we use prayer to seek guidance in difficult times?
What are some ways we can listen to Heavenly Father's answers to our prayers?
How has prayer helped you to feel less alone?

Praying to Grow in Christlike Attributes

Heavenly Father wants us to grow to become more like Him. Through prayer, we can ask for help to develop patience, honesty, courage, or any other Christlike attribute. Our hearts can change and we can receive strength through prayer.

Heavenly Father wants to help you grow! He loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to show us the way to live. Jesus suffered, died, and was resurrected so we can be forgiven of our sins and grow to become more like Him.

How has prayer helped you grow to become more like Christ?
What are some Christlike attributes you have developed through prayer?
Can you share an experience when prayer helped you receive strength?
How can we use prayer to help us overcome our weaknesses?
How can daily prayer help us in our personal growth?

Praying to Show God's Love to Others

Prayer can help us to show Heavenly Father's love to others. We can pray for help to notice those who need comfort or forgiveness, or for the courage to serve others. We can help others come to know and love Jesus and Heavenly Father as we do.

You can pray for help to show Heavenly Father’s love to others. Through His Spirit, Heavenly Father will help you notice someone who is sad so you can comfort them. He can help you show His love by forgiving someone. He can give you courage to serve someone and share with them that they are a child of God.

How has prayer helped you show love to others?
Can you share an experience when you were able to comfort or serve someone because of prayer?
How can we use prayer to help us forgive others?
How can we pray for others effectively?
What are some ways we can help others know of Heavenly Father's love through our actions?

Additional Discussion Questions

How can we maintain a consistent prayer life?
What are some challenges you face in your prayer life and how can you overcome them?
How can we teach our children or those we minister to about the importance of prayer?
How can we ensure that our prayers are sincere and not just routine?
How has prayer strengthened your testimony of the Gospel?
How can we use prayer to seek guidance in our callings or responsibilities in the Church?
What role does gratitude play in our prayers?
How can we use prayer to prepare for important decisions or events in our lives?
How can prayer help us during times of doubt or confusion?
How can we use prayer to help us endure trials and challenges?