Rotation.org Writing Team

The Lord's Prayer

Art Workshop

Summary of Activities

As a reminder of Jesus' teaching about where and what to pray about, each student will make their own creative, mini "prayer room" or "closet" to serve as an at-home prayer prompt, a visual reminder, and a discussion starter.

Students will be introduced to the Bible study practice of "spiritual doodling" which will produce part of the "wallpaper" that will go inside their prayer closet. The closet will also have other Lord's Prayer prompts and a mirror so that they will see themselves "in prayer" when they open the door. Lastly, they will create a set of "prayer prompt sticks" that can be stored in the closet for use at home.

Scripture for the Lesson

Matthew 6:5-13 (NRSV)

Key Verse: "...whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret..."

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives. 

This lesson introduces the spiritual practice of "doodling" a scripture passage. It includes a tutorial for your students. See the post below this one for more about the thought-provoking, memory-enhancing power of doodling!

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• Purchase the prayer closet "boxes," one per student (see list of suppliers in endnotes). We designed this lesson using the 8.5 x 5 x 2.25" white cardboard craft "school boxes" available from a number of online suppliers. They will stand on end like a prayer "closet" and are sturdy and inexpensive. The size box you use will affect the size of the rest of the materials used with the boxes.
  
  
• Print the Teacher's Word Study Guide (you'll want it for the doodling exercise).
• Print either the NIV version or NRSV version of the Matthew 6 passage for each student. This is the page they will use for the Scripture Doodle study and paste inside the box—like wallpaper! (If you want to use a different Bible version, print one of the attached as a guide for laying out your verses.)
• Print the prayer stick prompts, one set per student. 
• Precut sheets of white paper to be the other "wallpaper" which will be drawn/written on and then pasted inside the box—covering the two long narrow sides and the inside back. If using the recommended 8.5 x 5 x 2.25" white school box, cut an 8.5 x 11" sheet down to 8 x 10". Note: It's easier for students to work on the paper outside the box and then paste the finished paper inside the box, rather than simply illustrating directly on the box. Using paper also allows for do-overs!
• Purchase "adhesive-backed flexible mirror sheets" and cut into squares (you will have six 3"x3" squares if you purchase the same 6"x9" sheets we used). Online stores and fabric/hobby stores offer many inexpensive flexible mirror options.  (See links at end of the lesson.)
• Prepare to play a musical version (or several) of the Lord’s Prayer (Links to two good ones are in the lesson plan "Opening").
• Timer (use your cell phone's timer or an egg timer)
• Colorful gel pens, fine point markers, colored pencils, or other colorful drawing implements. Consider "scented markers" because their scent will make the box smell good and remind students that our prayers are like offerings, which the Bible describes as "an aroma pleasing to God."
• Permanent markers to write on the mirror
• Stick-on jewels
• Plain white paper
• Glue sticks
• 1/2" wood craft sticks (at least five per student)
• Whiteboard or flipchart and markers
• Write instructions on flipchart or board for the first doodling step:
  • STARS: important words and phrases
  • ARROWS: interesting or unusual words and phrases
  • QUESTION MARKS: words or phrases you don't understand
  • CIRCLE of HEARTS: most important word or phrase
• If desired, print the attached scripture sign (Matthew 6:6) to paste on the front of the closet door. You may also have students write this verse on the door.
• Review the post below this one at rotation.org to learn more about the brain science behind "doodling" as a means of remembering scripture and expressing its meaning.
• Spend some time doing the Bible reading/doodling exercise on your own so that you can share your experience with the students. Create your own prayer closet to show as an example.

Lesson Plan

Opening

As students begin to arrive...

Have musical versions of the Lord's Prayer playing in the background. The following are contemporary versions on YouTube that you can play over your phone or internet-connected tablet: 
(1) Saddleback Church's "Lord's Prayer." 
(2) Hillsong Worship's "Lord's Prayer" 

Give each student a plain sheet of paper and colorful pens or pencils and encourage them to doodle with you as you make shapes and illustrate letters and words while you wait for class to begin. 

When it is time for class to begin, give a fresh sheet of paper to everyone. Tell them that we are going to be doing some "scripture doodling" today in order to create "wallpaper" for a "prayer closet" they are each going to make. Show them your example.

Scripture Doodling Tutorial

• Go to the board or flipchart and draw as you discuss and demonstrate doodling.
• Ask:  Who knows what "doodling" means? 
  Add:  I know it sounds like 'goofing off,' but doodling is actually a really a great way to emphasize and remember something as you hear or read it.
• Ask:  What are some shapes you can doodle? (wavy lines, circle, square, star, heart)
  [Quickly draw on the flipchart or whiteboard as items are mentioned. The children can draw them if they want.]
• Add some of the shapes they might have missed like arrows and bursts of light.
• Ask: How could you decorate or add designs to words like "OUR" and "KINGDOM" so that your doodles visually look like "our" and "kingdom?" [Draw the ideas as they say them. See more examples below.]
• Let them know that in the scripture doodle they are about to do, they don’t have to be a great artist. Let them know they can doodle things that actually look like real objects (trees, flowers, people, crowns) if they want to... or not. They can also draw over the top of the printed words or decorate them.  Remind them that doodling is quick. Doodling isn't meant to be their greatest work of art.
  
  

Read and Doodle the Lord's Prayer

Give students a copy of the Matthew 6 scripture passage (NIV and NRSV PDFs attached) along with colorful pens or pencils so that they can doodle and mark up the passage as they hear it. (The PDF is sized to fit inside the box when finished.)

Say: Today we will be doodling as we hear the Lord's Prayer from Matthew, chapter 6.  Your doodling page will be pasted on the inside of the "Prayer Closet" you're going to make. 

The first part of the scripture doodle exercise will have them making simple "emphasis" doodles. The second reading will have them doing more interpretive doodling.

Make sure the "what to DRAW" instructions are printed on the board for all to see.

The First Read-Through and Scripture Doodle

Say:  I'm going to read Matthew 6:5-13. As you listen, draw the following on your text.

1. DRAW STARS around words or phrases that seem very important.
2. DRAW ARROWS pointing at words or phrases that sound interesting or unusual.
3. DRAW QUESTION MARKS around words or phrases that you don't understand.
4. DRAW A CIRCLE of HEARTS around the one word or phrase that you think is the most important.

Then:

1. Read the Lord's Prayer part of the passage again (Matthew 6:9-13), slowly and thoughtfully, giving them a minute or two to finish drawing their stars, arrows, question marks, and circles.
2. Ask the students to share some of the words and phrases they STARRED, ARROWED, and QUESTIONED, and offer some quick appreciation for their comments.
3. Conclude by asking students what they CIRCLED with HEARTS as their most important word or phrase (and why).
   
   Teaching Tip: The words and phrases they marked are your opportunity to share more information about the meaning of those words. Use the Writing Team's Bible Background and the handy Word Study Guide!
   
   

Second Read-Through and Scripture Doodle:

Say:  Now, as I read the scripture again, doodle some of the images and actions you are hearing. I'll go slowly, and you can doodle on the same copy of the scripture whichever words or phrases you want.   After I'm done reading I will give you several minutes to go back and complete your doodles. Before we start this next phase of our doodling, let's work through an example.

Doodle the following examples for all to see:

Our Father ⇒ What does "our" look like in a doodle? (a circle around the word "Father" maybe, or lots of smiley faces?) Is Father a strong or weak word; a loving or uncaring word?  God loves us, so where could you put a heart in or around that word?

Who art in heaven ⇒ How would you draw "heaven" as a doodle? A burst of light? Angels?

Now it's time for the students to doodle some images...

1. Read only verses 9-13 this round, this time pausing after each phrase to give them time to quickly doodle an image or add doodles to a word in the text. Proceed slowly through each phrase of the prayer. 
2. Conclude by asking students to show their doodling. Point out a few of their doodles and key ideas from the Lord's Prayer they represent.
   
   Teaching Tip: When you pause your reading, offer doodling suggestions as needed.

Complete Your Doodling

Give everyone 3 or 4 minutes to go back over their scripture page and complete any doodling they want. Remind them that doodling is QUICK!  It's not illustrating or painting. Use your cellphone's timer to set an alarm that they can see. This will keep them moving. 

Making Your Prayer Closet

Ask: How many of you have ever created a secret private place to escape to or play in?  (All hands will probably go up. Invite a few to quickly describe their private place.) 

Share that Matthew's original Greek word in verse 6, which in English we say as “room,” means something like a closet or a “secret/private” space. 

Say:  Why do you think Jesus told his disciples to go into their safe, private, cozy space to pray to God?  (Relaxing spaces have fewer distractions, and we can be ourselves without worrying about getting the words right or what other people will think of us.)

Explain as you hand out the boxes that the students will be creating and decorating their OWN small prayer closets. They can paste as "wallpaper" inside the box their doodles about the Lord's Prayer. The box will be a private reminder for them to pray at home.

The Five Pieces/Sections of Prayer Closet "Wallpaper"

The four pieces or sections of "wallpaper" that are pasted inside the prayer closet:

1. On the inside of the door: Their Lord's Prayer Scripture Doodle completed in the previous exercise.

2. On the back wall of the closet: A mirror and a piece of paper upon which they write: "Things in God's Kingdom that I am thankful for."

3. On one narrow side: a piece of paper that says: "People I pray for."

4. On the other narrow side: A list of "Things I pray for myself."  (My "daily bread" needs.)

5. And one piece that is pasted on the outside of the closet door: The child's name along with Jesus' words to “...go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret...” Mathew 6:6.  This can either be handwritten or pasted using the attached printable, to save time.

Adding the Mirror

The effect is simple: when the students open their prayer space, they see themselves in it, and below their reflection is a list of the blessings in their life.  Use a flexible craft-style mirror and attach it to the wallpaper where it will be on the "back wall" of the box at the top. The mirror may be drawn upon with permanent markers and decorated with stickers, but remember to keep it simple -- just as our prayers should be.

Prayer Closet Tips

• With the exception of the front of the "closet" door, keep the outside of the box PLAIN. If students ask "why?" help them consider Jesus' words in the first two verses of the passage where he doesn't want us to "make a show" of our prayers. 
• Remind students that they can ADD names and needs to their lists when they get home.
• The mirror can be decorated. Notice in our example that we have drawn a halo because just as we honor God, God honors us with the privilege of prayer. We "glow" (are hallowed) with his light.
• Encourage students to "doodle-illustrate" their lists of "people I pray for," "thankful for," and "things I pray for myself."
• If you're short on time, use a timer to move students from one piece of wallpaper to the next.  When time is up, have the children paste their wallpapers inside their boxes. 

Prayer Prompt Sticks Reflection

Students will make a set of prayer prompting sticks to go inside their closets. These sticks have statements written on them which, when chosen by the student at home, prompt them to pray for or about something which is mentioned in the Lord's Prayer.

Ask:  What things does a person need to "practice" to get good at?   

Say: Prayer is a practice too. We get better at it the more we do it.  How often do you think God wants us to pray?  (The number is irrelevant. It's the quality of the prayer that matters! Perhaps this is why Jesus taught us to find a private space and time.) In this next activity, you're going to make "prayer sticks" to go inside your prayer closet. You can use these at home to "prompt" your prayers, to help get your private prayers started.

Give everyone a set of FIVE sticks and copies of the preprinted prayer prompts to glue onto the sticks (or let them write the prayer prompts on the sticks).

Closing:

Have students briefly share their boxes, letting them decide what to show. 

Invite students to pull out a prayer stick and complete it SILENTLY to themselves as part of the group's closing silent prayer.  After a few moments of silence, conclude with "Amen."

Adaptations

For Younger Students:   

They will need help doodling. Point out key words on their scripture page and suggest some doodling. Reduce the number of verses you want them to doodle about (sticking to the Lord's Prayer, for example, and not doodling verses 5-8).

Help them write or spell words and names on their walls (especially the "who I am praying for" wall). They can also quickly doodle/illustrate the people they are praying for.

Have preprinted prompts on the wallpaper that they can illustrate (such as "People I pray for: - my parents - my friends - my teacher").

For Older Students:  

The scripture doodling time could be more quiet and reflective, with less discussion after the initial instruction is given for the activity, allowing for listening for God as well as talking to God in prayer.

Invite them to draw their favorite place to be alone with their thoughts.

For those with more class time:   

"Doodle" the door sign for the front of the closet. (Keeping the outside of the closet plain).

Handwrite the prayer prompts on craft sticks (rather than using preprinted ones) and add more prompts or prayer suggestions. 

For those who need to "simplify" the lesson or main activity:

Choose one prayer wall in addition to the mirror wall in the closet and have everyone work on that rather than giving all of the options and trying to decorate all of the walls.

Use the preprinted prompts suggested in the Younger Student adaptation.

If boxes do not fit your budget, fold a piece of cardstock to be the closed closet door. You can hinge a shoebox lid with tape (if you can find shoeboxes). Do include the mirror, as it is a key part of the student's closet.

Notes and Sources

As of August 2020, the following sites sold White Cardboard Craft School Boxes:

Amazon.com |  Michaels.com |  S&S Worldwide

Box Alternatives?  We searched the web and found some other types of white boxes, but none were as inexpensive or stood on end like the white "school box" style box. If you only need a few boxes, consider shoeboxes or mailer boxes and cover them.

Adhesive-backed craft mirror sheets can be found on Amazon.com and at Joann Fabric.

Praying in Color: https://prayingincolor.com/handouts

The "Scripture Doodling" post at Rotation.org.

Written by Amy Crane and the Rotation.org Writing Team

Copyright 2020, Rotation.org Inc.