Prayer
Primary 1 · Social and Religious Studies
Prayer
Lesson 6 of 6
11 min
Let's begin
The P1 class is loud. Somebody drops a slate.
Then the teacher stands still, and the room goes quiet together.
For a moment forty children are calm at the same time.
Today you will learn what prayer does for people.
A family kneels together in the evening.
Everybody stops. Everybody says Amen at the same time.
For that moment nobody is fighting and nobody is shouting.
That is why people say prayer brings us together.
When you talk to somebody often, you know them better.
People who pray say the same thing happens with God.
They feel close to God and they feel loved.
A worry feels heavy when you carry it alone.
Habimana was afraid of his test. He prayed about it and felt lighter.
The test did not go away. His fear got smaller.
A calm heart is easier to live with.
In a prayer, people ask God to forgive their mistakes.
Saying sorry to God makes it easier to say sorry to a friend.
People also pray for other people, not only for themselves.
Keza prayed for her sick neighbour. She thought about somebody else for a whole minute.
That is how prayer helps people respect one another and live in peace.
Some children think prayer is only for bad days.
Careful! Look back at the moments list.
Waking up, eating and going to class are ordinary good days.
People pray on happy days too, mostly to say thank you.
Tip
Together, calm, kind
Three things people get from prayer.
Picture the family kneeling together. Picture the class going quiet before the lesson.
Both are pictures of people being together and calm at the same moment.
Do each one, then tap Show answer to check.
Name one thing prayer helps people do.
Answer: live in peace with others. Being together and feeling calm also count.
True or false: people pray only when they are sad.
Answer: false. People pray on ordinary happy days too, mostly to say thank you.
Mutesi's family prays together every evening. What does that do for the family?
Answer: it brings them together. Everybody stops and is calm at the same time.
Gatete asks God to forgive him for a lie. What might he find easier afterwards?
Answer: saying sorry to the person he lied to.
Think of one person who is not in your family. What could somebody ask God for them?
Answer: any kind thing, such as health or safety. Thinking of others is the point.
What you learned today
Here are two short books to read with a grown-up.
Ni nde wamfasha? is written in Kinyarwanda. A child needs help and goes looking for somebody who will give it. It comes from The Asia Foundation, on the Global Digital Library.
Abana babiri b'inshuti is also in Kinyarwanda. Two young animals become friends. Then the things that divide them pull them apart. It comes from African Storybook.
Quick check
Habimana prayed about his test. What got smaller?
