Aim to learn more about prayer through reading the story

Aim
* To learn more about prayer through reading the story
* To understand what is special about The Divine Principle

Materials
* The First Divine Principle, by Linna Rapkins
* Sun Myung Moon: the Early Years, by Mike Breen. Ch. 10
* Visual Aids
– Photos of mud-wall hut at Pomnetkol, Pusan, 
– a copy of the Divine Principle
– 10 Prayer Points
* Boxes to build a hut or masking tape
* Children’s worksheet

Lesson Outline
1. Introduction
2. Tell the Story
3. Discussion
4. Activities – worksheet, build a house, make a prayer condition
5. Review the lesson
6. Prayer

1) Introduction
In the last story Father and Won Pil Kim eventually rented a small room they could share together, but it was no place to invite guests. After six months in Pusan, Father decided they must build their own home. They climbed a hill and built a hut made of wooden and cardboard boxes and stones. It was very small; only about six square metres. Before moving in, they gratefully prayed and offered it to God. Even though it was such a humble home it became a holy place for them

2) Tell the story
(a summary) Early each morning, Father climbed the mountain to pray at a rocky place. It became known as the Rock of Tears, because he cried so much. Here he received revelation from God and began writing the Divine Principle for the first time. The last chapter was written in the middle of the night by Won Pil Kim, as Father dictated it to him.

3) Discussion
* Why did Father pray so much? 
– He could receive new words of truth directly from God. 
– He could also receive God’s guidance to make plans for the weeks and months ahead
– Through prayer he understood how much God suffered because the suffering of people
– Prayer gave him the power to keep going with his mission
– He prayed so much because he loves God

* Why did he cry so much?
– He prayed deeply and this moved his heart
– He repented for the pain that God felt because fallen people live in such a miserable situation. 
– He repented for the churches that had rejected him, and the followers who had left him.
* Why do we need to pray? 
– Build our relationship to God
– develop our heart
– to help others
– so God can help us
– prayer answers our questions

* What should we pray about?
1) To understand God’s heart
2) that Father can fulfill his mission and The Kingdom of Heaven can be built on earth
3) that True Parents can be safe, have good health and live a long life
4) my parents- that they can be happy, healthy, safe
5) to be good son/daughter to my parents
6) for the happiness of my brothers and sisters
7) to be a good brother or sister
8) Say sorry for anything I did wrong
9) Ask God to help me each day
10) To think and feel and do as God would

* How should we pray?
1) Greet every morning and report every evening
2) Bow with humility
3) Hands together, eyes closed, keep still, concentrate
4) Be honest and sincere. Don’t just say words

* What is so special about the Divine Principle?
1) It is a revelation directly from God
2) It explains things that have not been understood before
– God’s ideal, the cause of mankind’s suffering, and the way to restore the world back to the ideal
– It explains God clearly, who Jesus was, the nature of the spirit world
3) It can bring peace to the whole world

4) Activities
* Build a house out of boxes, with an area of about six square metres. Get the children to sit inside with a wooden box and write words you dictate from the Divine Principle, in order to experience what Won Pil Kim did.

* Complete the worksheet
1)Why did Father pray so much? 
He was desperate to find people who would join him

2)Why did Father cry so much? 
– He prayed deeply and this moved his heart
– He was desperate to fulfill his mission

3)Why do we need to pray? 
– Build our relationship to God
– develop our heart
– to help others
– so God can help us
– prayer answers our questions

4) What is so special about the Divine Principle? 
1) It is a revelation directly from God
2) It explains things that have not been understood before
3) It can bring peace to the whole world

* Make a prayer condition for one week – Read the 10 prayer points each day for a week or use the 10 points each day you pray

5) Review the lesson
Discuss with the children what we can learn from this story about prayer and the Divine Principle

6) End with a prayer