During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Optional: At the end of this lesson, you will use the prayer response station again. If you were not able to keep it displayed, set it up again now. Set out the papers and pencils, rags, or strings that the students will use during the response at the end of the lesson.
Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 6:11–12
We all have daily physical needs—food, water, sleep, safety. We also have spiritual needs—forgiveness, peace, love. We spend much of our lives focused on these things. But we can easily forget the important truth that our Father God provides for all of our needs. While we may wish that we never had to worry about tomorrow or next week, we can rest in the knowledge that just as God gave manna to the Israelites in the desert, He will provide just what we need each day.
What are your greatest needs today? Are you struggling with financial worries or having problems with an important relationship? Are you worried about a poor harvest or a broken roof? Bring your needs to your Father. Ask Him to provide what you need for today, and trust Him with your tomorrows. God delights in meeting the needs of His children, especially when they ask. Thank Him for His faithful provision.
Encourage the students to ask their family members, “What do you need more than anything?” They can then explain that God can be trusted to meet our needs in ways we could never imagine.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
As the teens arrive, greet them and ask, “What did you do share God’s love since the last class?” Allow them to share with you and with others in the class.
Divide the class into groups of 4–5. Share the following situation with the class. Then give the groups 10 minutes to decide on their answers. The groups must work together, and each group can only have 1 list of answers.
Optional: If you have paper and pencils, students can use them to write their thoughts during this activity.
You are forced to leave your homes immediately. You will travel to a refugee camp in a nearby country, where you will live for at least a few months. Think about what you will need to live there. You only can take what you currently have in your homes and community.
Allow each group to share their list. As they share, ask them why they chose a few of the things on their list.
Most of your lists focused on things that meet physical needs, such as food, clean water, clothing, and shelter. That is important because we can only live for a short time without these things.
These are things that you do not need to survive physically, but they help you to feel safe and secure, such as family, a friend, or a Bible. You may be able to live without these things, but they help you feel happier, safer, and more secure.
Allow 2–3 students to share their thoughts.
God created us with physical bodies of bones and muscles, skin and organs. He also made us with souls with our minds, wills, and emotions where we think, create, and feel. Last, but not least, He made us with spirits—that part of us that is most like Him and that interacts with Him. Together these make us unique creations of God—creations that will continue throughout eternity!
God cares for our whole person: body, soul, and spirit. In the past 2 lessons, we have been talking about a special prayer that Jesus taught to His disciples. The half of this prayer that we have already learned teaches us to honour God and His power and greatness. The second half is about our needs. Today we will learn the next part of this prayer.
Allow a couple of teens to repeat the beginning of the prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Now listen to the next part of the prayer.
Have a student read Matthew 6:11–12 aloud from the Bible. If that is not possible, use the passage printed here.
Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 6:11–12
We should pray about all needs. Daily bread is an example of our physical needs and forgiveness is an example of our spiritual needs.
This part of the prayer shows us that God cares about our daily needs. God provides the air we breathe and the food we eat, as well as the clothes we wear and the friends we have. The Bible promises us that God will meet all of our needs.
Guide the students to understand that any provision, no matter how small, is a gift from God. Even those who do not have enough food, who live in difficult home situations, or who are suffering from disease are receiving the provision and care of the Lord.
If possible, share about a time in your life when God provided for your physical needs in an unexpected way. Allow teens to share their own experiences as well.
But God cares about the whole person. He provides for more than our physical needs. This section of the prayer shows us that God cares about our spiritual needs, too.
Have a student read Matthew 6:11–12 aloud again. Ask the students to repeat the verses with you 2–3 times.
Allow students to offer their thoughts.
The debt Jesus referred to in this prayer is our sin. Sin prevents us from having a relationship with God. When we believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins and ask for God’s forgiveness, we no longer owe this debt, and our relationship with God is restored.
Allow students to offer their thoughts.
Those who are debtors to us are those who have wronged us. They owe us because they have injured us in some way. Part of how God provides for us spiritually is teaching us to forgive others so that we can restore our relationships with Him and others.
Guide the students to understand that only through forgiveness can we have a right relationship with God and others. Our souls desire these relationships.
Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life. Just like bread gives life to the body, Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe in Him. Because He loves us and died for us, our relationship with God is no longer broken.
Optional: If possible, share the image from The Action Bible.
Listen to these verses that Jesus shared with His disciples soon after He taught them the prayer we have been discussing. It is about God’s provision for us.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:25–26
Allow students to share their thoughts. Guide them to understand that He values us and knows the things that concern us, so He provides for our needs.
Spiritual needs are also important. Jesus tells us that we should focus not only on physical needs but also on spiritual needs.
Sometimes what we think we need and what we actually need are different. This verse helps us to understand that God knows our needs. He cares about us and provides for us. We can trust Him to always do what is best for us.
The Bible tells us that God will meet every one of our needs with abundance. Listen to this verse.
Have a student read Philippians 4:19 aloud from the Bible.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
This verse tells us that God is so good and so gracious and so loving that He has provided for our needs in more amazing ways than we could ever imagine. This does not mean He will bless us with an abundance of earthly riches if we believe in Him. It does not even mean that we will get everything we ask God for. Instead, it means that He has already given us everything we need through the forgiveness and love of Jesus.
Optional: Let the students know that they will use the prayer response station to respond twice today—once for physical needs and once for spiritual needs. Students can tie on a rag or string of 1 colour or pattern for each need. If you are using the paper and pencils, students can write or draw symbols of their needs.
You may worry about your physical safety. You may worry about having enough food or having clothes to wear or a place to live. God cares about your needs and wants you to trust Him to provide for you every day.
Think of a physical need that you can trust God with. It may be food or water or good health. It may even be a safe home or a pair of shoes. When you are ready to trust God with that physical need, use the prayer station to respond. He knows your needs and knows what is best for you. He will provide.
If you are not yet ready to trust God with your physical needs, think of large and small ways your physical needs are met. Think about the things you are thankful for.
Pause for 1–2 minutes for the students to respond.
Now think of a spiritual need you have. The greatest need we all have is forgiveness. And because Jesus has paid our debt, we can be forgiven. But our human lives are still difficult, and we still have struggles and pain. Think about hurts that need to be healed. When you are ready to ask God for forgiveness and healing, use the prayer station to respond.
If you are not yet ready to trust God with your spiritual needs, think about what is keeping you from trusting Him. Think of any questions or doubts you have. If you would like, you can come to talk with me after class.
Pause for 1–2 minutes for the students to respond.
God loves you, and He provides for you each day. You can trust Him to meet all of your needs. Let’s pray the first part of the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 6:9–12
It is amazing that the Creator of heaven and earth cares about your needs! You can pray this prayer whenever you have a need or whenever you want to praise Him for His provision for you.
Optional: If you are using the Student Page, give the students an opportunity to complete it.
Close with a blessing based on Matthew 6:11–12.
Blessing: May you know the peace that comes from trusting God with your daily needs and knowing that He has forgiven you completely! May He help you to forgive others so you can experience His love and peace in your heart.
Lead the students in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
