God hears and answers prayer. We do not walk alone, and we were never meant to walk alone. Call upon him! Cry out to him. He is there! And he is listening! If we will but seek him diligently and approach him in faith, his arm will be revealed.
The lesson bundle this week teaches that we can reach out in mighty prayer to our Heavenly Father just as the brother of Jared did.
Download this week's Lesson Bundle below!
➤ L E S S O N
Open the lesson with a song and a prayer.
🎶 O P E N I N G S O N G : "A Child's Prayer"
➤ P R E P A R A T I O N
You will need a clear empty bottle with a lid, some rice, and 5 small objects that can fit into the bottle (like a coin, an eraser, a paperclip, etc.).
Make an “I Spy” bottle by filling the bottle with rice, almost to the top. Place the small objects inside the bottle as you add the rice. Close the lid and shake up the bottle to make sure the objects are hidden in the rice.
Place the “I Spy” bottle on a flat surface in front of the children. Tell them that there are 5 special surprises hidden inside the bottle. Tell them to try and find all the objects without touching or moving the bottle (this should be impossible since the objects are hidden in the rice).
After a moment or two, ask for a volunteer. Challenge this person to find the 5 hidden objects, but this time they are allowed to pick up the bottle and spin it around (this will take some effort, but they should be able to succeed after a minute or two). You could also allow children to take turns finding the objects.
After you have completed the activity, discuss the following questions:
1) Has anyone ever played hide and seek before? How do you play? (Discuss.)
2) What do you think the word “seek” means? (Discuss.)
3) What objects did you find in the bottle? (Discuss.)
4) Before you picked up the bottle, were you able to find the hidden objects? (No.)
5) What did you have to do to find the objects? (Discuss. Explain that what they were doing is called “seeking.”)
Explain: Did you know that praying is kind of like seeking? Let’s read a verse from the scriptures. In this verse, Jesus is teaching disciples how to pray. Let’s listen to what He told them!
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
🎥 V I D E O : "The Brother of Jared" | Animated Scripture Lesson for Kids"
Say: “Now we are going to watch a video about the brother of Jared. In this video the Brother of Jared is seeking something from the Lord. Let’s watch and see what he does!”
Discuss the following questions after watching the video:
1) What was the brother of Jared seeking? (He needed to find a way to have light in the barges.)
2) Do you think his prayers were like the“I Spy” bottle sitting on the table? Or do you think his prayers were like picking up the bottle to look closer? (Discuss)
3) What did he do to show he was seeking? (He prayed more than once, he came up with an idea, he made stones, he went to the top of the mountain, he asked for forgiveness, and he asked for help from the Lord.)
4) What are some things that Heavenly Father wants for us, that we can seek for in prayer? (Discuss some ideas.)
➤ S C R I P T U R E
Read the following scriptures and discuss the questions that follow.
[Read Ether 2:22]
22 And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?
1) What is the brother of Jared doing in this verse that is like seeking? (He is telling the Lord about the problem he has, he is praying to the Lord for help, and He is doing the things the Lord asked Him to do.)
[Read Ether 3:1]
1 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord…”
1) What is the brother of Jared doing in this verse that is like seeking? (He thought of a solution, he is doing the work to make his idea happen, he went to a reverent place, and he prayed again to the Lord.)
[Read Ether 3:4]
4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
1) What is the brother of Jared doing in this verse that is like seeking? (He has learned about God and he has faith in Him, and he is asking for God’s help.)
➤ C O L O R I N G P A G E
Pass out the activity page and coloring page. (For best results, print the activity pages on card stock.)
Invite the children to complete the “Seek and Ye Shall Find” activity page. Cut out the wheel and color in the phrases. Cut out the rectangle by cutting on the dotted lines. Fasten the wheel using a brad. Invite children to spin the wheel to practice “seeking” the Lord in prayer. Use this time to discuss what it means to “seek” the Lord in prayer.
➤ T E S T I M O N Y
Bear testimony of the truths found in the scriptures.
This week's lesson and video were brought to you by our friends at Kanga Toys!
'Come, Follow Me' is a resource offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is designed to be used in the home to support personal and family scripture study to build faith in Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation and in the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Come, Follow Me is self-contained and adequate, when used properly. Products and materials designed to supplement this resource, though they may be helpful in some instances, are not necessary for a successful home study program.