Prayer Resources for Students

Creating a Prayer Space

Create an area within the classroom for your special class prayer.

Organise two students to lead the prayer and decorate this special area for each week throughout the term.

Give the students the following guidelines:

Choose a symbol to create an atmosphere for prayer.

For example: candle, peace sign, dove, Bible, cross etc.

Choose a reading that has inspired you or speaks to you.

This can be from any source – for example: Bible, poem, song, prayer, story, news headline, cartoon, etc.

Include an action or ritual.

For example – making the sign of the cross, kneeling, etc.

Have a concluding prayer or reflection related to the above reading.

Lenten Journey

A collection of Lent Prayers, Devotions and Collects

A Lenten Reflection - What to Give Up...

A Lenten tradition - Praying the Stations of the Cross

Prayer Activity for the start of the Lenten Journey

This week we start our Lenten Journey. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. The ashes are a powerful sign to others that we are not perfect. Sometimes we act selfishly and hurt others. Today we tell God and each other that we are sorry. From ashes, a new beginning, a new heart, a new person will grow.

Show the You tube clip – The Season of Lent - a short thought provoking YouTube film (2.45min) on the real meaning of Lent: The author develops the idea of Lent being a time of fasting and feasting - not in food but in attitudes. For example, fasting anger, feasting on patience, and fasting selfishness, feasting on compassion.

Reflection on the above clip.

Create a prayerful atmosphere – quiet music.

Give each students two blank prayer cards. They will need coloured pencils.

Have each student think of one thing in their lives that they need to ‘fast on’ during this Lenten time.

For Example:

Anger
Selfishness
Laziness
Sadness
Dissatisfaction
Hatred
Insincerity
Etc.

One thing in their lives that we need to feast on:

For example:

Compassion
Excellence
Enthusiasm
Happiness
Contentment
Etc.

Each student should write their two words on a piece of paper and decorate it, then pin it up on a prayer board and display.

Conclude with a prayer.

During this Lenten Season may we fast from anger, selfishness, etc. and learn to feast on compassion, contentment (read some of the students’ cards or have each student read out their own cards)

Peace

Lord, our hearts are longing for your peace, and the whole world cries out for justice and mercy. During this period of Lent give us the grace to seek peace among ourselves and those around us.

We live in a fractured world, let us be people who plant the seeds of peace.

For those who have been displaced from their homes because of war – we pray to the Lord
For those who have lost family – we pray to the Lord
For those who have been touched by tragedy – we pray to the Lord
For those who mourn – we pray to the Lord
For those who live in poverty – we pray to the Lord

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you," John 14:27