Yol. 19, No. 6
Why We Pray
(Program for Week Ending June 11)
BY OLIVE LINDBERG
Nomes 10 JUNIOR SUPERINTENDENTS: Introduce the topic to-
day by using the talk, “Four Reasons for Prayer,” p. 9,
“Does God Always Answer Prayer?” p. 9, may be given by
several Juniors,
Songs: Nos, 11, 853, 22, 24; duet, No, 25, in “Junior Song
Book,”
Scripture Reading: The Lord’s prayer, Sentence comments
on each part of this prayer may be gleaned from “Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing,” pp. 154-176, Emphasize the
clause, “Thy will be done,” and the inclusion of thanks.
Memory Gem: “It is part of God’s plan fo grant us, in angwer
to the prayer of faith, that which He would not bestow did
we not thus ask,”—“The Great Coniroversy,” p. 525.
Symposium: Prayer Stories
WE would suggest that you concentrate on one or two of the
following four lines of characters, Have the Juniors tell the
prayer experiences of the various people. For what did they
pray? How were their prayers answered? These may be as-
sighed beforehand, or tho names put on the blackboard or on
flash ecards. Others may be suggested.
1. Bible Characters: Daniel, EHjah, Esther, Paul, Solomon,
Jesug, David.
2. Missionaries: John G. Paton, John Williams, David Liv-
ingstone, Adoniram Judson.
8. Pioneers: Joseph Bates, Elder and Mrs, James White,
Elder Stahl,
4. Personal Bapeoriences.—Assign this topic early to those
taking part. If the Junior eannot tell an experience of his own,
or of his family ov friends, one of the following might be used.
These were eondrvibuted by Juniors,
a. One day a certain missionary was traveling on a motor
cycle, The man in the side car told him he was going into the
gutter, so he turned just a little, but the ear shot across the
road and hit a stump, He was thrown ten feet into the air,
and became unconscious wher his head struck the pavement.
The doctors examined him, and found that his hip was broken in
five places. It eouldn’t be set, because he was in such agony.
They sent for his wife, and the people prayed for him. When
the doetor came in a little later, the patient said he felt better,
He was taken to the X-ray room, and they found that there
wag not one bone broken, Ged had seen fit to heal him in an-
gwer to prayer.
b. “O Ella, can’t you help me?” cried Mary, as ghe tried to
put down the heavy big front window, “This wind has blown
mother’s good lamp off the table and broken it.”
There were a mother, four daughters, and a son in this
family. This day, while the mother was working and the brother
was delivering papers, a severe storm eame up. The mother
thought that eithsr their grandmother or aunt would go over
to stay with the girls, But she learned on the way home that
they had been alone. When she arrived, they cried, “C mother,
we're so glad you're home!” On being asked whether they were
afraid, one replied, “No, we weren’t afraid, First Ella prayed,
then Mary prayed, then I prayed, then Dorothy prayed, then
Ella prayed again, then I prayed again, and *by the time we
got through praying, the storm was all over, and then we
thanked Jesus for protecting us.”
e. The mother of a very poor family died. The father
earned what money he could by doing all the work he could find
to do, so they usually had hread te eat. One day there was
no more bread. The father had looked and looked for work,
Breakfast time, and then dinner time passed, still there was no
bread. At supper time the two children set the table and knelt
down to pray. Mary began, “Dear Jesus, please send ng some-
thing to eat. You know we haven't had anything to eat today,
and Harry’s awfully hungry.” ‘At that moment the door opened,
and in rolled a loaf of bread. They knelt again in gratitude.
A miser had rushed to their front poreh. A sudden rain storm
had caused him to seek the nearest porch for protection. Under
hig arm was a loaf of bread, While standing there, he heard
children’s voices praying. Listening, he realized their need.
His heart was touched, He opened the door and threw in the
loaf of bread. Then he closed the door and went home. The
next day he gave the father work 0, IL.
Object Talk: Prayer
MATERIALS: A veading glass; a piece of paper,
BREAD: James 5: 18, 16; Matthew 21: 22; John 14:13, 14,
Put the paper on the window sill, and let the sunlight shine
through the reading glass upon it, making a bright eirele of
light, Just so some people’s prayers aro beautiful, but seat-
tered. Now move the reading glass until the light ceases to be
in a big circle, but focuses down fo ome little point on the
paper. The paper burns. (If the sunlight is strong, it will
THE CHURCH OFFICERS’ GAZETTE 13
take only a minute.) So it is with prayer: we shall get an
answer of some kind if we focus, Of course we must be
careful upon what we focus our prayers. Tell of the damage
that eould be done by focusing the sunlight in the wrong place.
Also, after we have presented our requests, we need to ask that
they be answered according to God’s will.
A Child’s Question
“CAN'T we phone to God $” the child asks,
And I answer, “Yes, with prayer.
We've a line from earth to heaven;
God is listening for ug there,
“And our eentral is Christ Jesus,
We must first connect with Him;
If our lives get crossed with Satan’s,
We are very near to sin.
“On our knees we find the transmitter,
Through our soul God’s love shocks Tun;
And we ery, ‘Our Father, help us,
For the sake of Thy dear Son.’
“Ay we patient waif an answer,
Such a peace and ealmmess steals
O%r our souls as only he
Who loves the Father ever feels.”
—TLuella Bennett.
Have a Good Time Doing Good
(Program for Week Ending June 18)
BY C, LESTER BOND ’
NoTEs TO JUNIOR SUPERINTENDENTS: God intended that we
should enjoy life. There dy literally no end to the wonderful
things provided for our pleasure and happiness throughout the
changing seasons of the year, and from infancy to old age.
The world is full of delightful things to see and to hear and
to enjoy; and best of all, it is full of opportunities $0 take ad-
vantage of the good things life offers us, In this program lot
us endeavor to help the Juniors realize that a true Christian can
have more genuine pleasure in life than any one else. After
mentioning different kinds of missionary endeavor and the
Progressive class work which will prove a real pleasure to the
Juniors, mention somo of the good games to be found in “Social
Plans for Missionary Volunteers” and the Junior Handbook.
The superintendent may give the first talk, “Having a Good
Time ;” and the second talk, “Have a Good Time With a Hobby,”
may be given by one of the Juniors, The story, “Be True,”
should be the last on the program, and may be given as either
a talk or a reading,
Talk: Having a Good Time
Having a good time is nof difficult to define. It is doing
what one ought to do, when it ought fo be done, and in the
best possible manner. This is an important rule, and should
always be kept in mind. It means that if the work is finished,
and the out-of-doors calls, the games or recreation chosen
should challenge one’s skill, and so build up physical fitness,
mental alertness, and spiritual discernment, It means that all
recreations shall have a purpose, shall actually re-create, making
us stronger, happier, more ready to play a fair game in life,
and give us those helpful and inspiring contacts so necessary to
the social mstinets and mental growth.
The right kind of play or fun sends us back to work more
ready for if than ever, The kind of so-called good time which
causes us to lose sleep, makes us irritable, or leads us to do
things which are wrong, or that lowers our ideals of fe, is not
a good time at all,
Through hearty and wholesome enjoyment we learn to throw
ourselves info whatever we do, as the wise man says, “Whatso-
ever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”
Recently a young man remarked, “I wish some one had told
me when I was a boy what having a good time really meant.
Somchow I had the idea that it was just fo have a ‘blow-out’
of gome kind. I was even boastful of the reckless things I did.
“Fortunately, 1 heard a fine speaker ome afternoon at a
young people’s meeting, He was a handsome man, and when
he smiled, you couldn’t help buf smile in your heart with him.
He had been quite an athlete, and you could sce that he knew
just what we fellows were up against. Ie talked to ns straight
from the shoulder, and made it wonderfully clear that when
people did right, they were not called upon to go around with
How many games found in “Social Plans for Missionary Volunteers’ have you used?