Prayer is Needed to Keep Us Clean

[Lewis Turner]

Lesson 4

 

Prayer is Needed to Keep Us Clean

 

Welcome to the Children and Prayer Course, Lesson 3.  In the past two lessons we studied That we should be thankful and that Jesus cares for us.  We also learned that one of the letters in the Hebrew word for heart represented an inner chamber of a dwelling, tent, or house.  This letter Bet is shown below:

 

We have learned that we have a house, and periodically we need to clean the house, and whenever we go into a house, dust and dirt is carried in on our shoes, and periodically we need to clean the house and the inner room, which is where we live.  We do this through asking Jesus, through prayer, to help us, and He will.

 

Today’s lesson is focused that Prayer is needed to keep us clean.

 

The Bible says, we all have sinned (Rom 3:23)—What is sin?  When we do something wrong, we are sinning and it leaves bad stains- stains like those we get from grass or dirt that make our hands, shoes, and clothes dirty; That dirt gets carried into the house making it dirty.   When we do wrong, those stains from the sin hurt God; sin, which is doing something wrong, makes Him unhappy.  Sin can stop God from being able to help us. Psalms 66 verse 18 paraphrased says  “If I regard sin or wrong doing in my heart, the Lord will not hear me”.   It is important to tell God what we have done wrong and to ask Him to forgive us.  When Jesus forgives us, He makes us clean—inside our heart; and God can help us not to do the wrong things, again.  

 

Now let’s read 1 John 1:9 (GW) (3) “God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, He forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong.”

 

So—when you have done wrong, when you are naughty, ask Jesus for forgiveness, and to cleanse you, and help you make things right—so you can follow Him. 

 

When we invite Jesus to cleanse our heart, He will help clean your heart, because He loves you.  Jesus wants to be a part of your family too.   Jesus wants to be a very close friend to you—so you can say “I am Yours, and You, Jesus, are mine. That is what inviting Jesus into your heart is about.  Inviting Him to be a friend who will help you be clean, and make it possible to live with Him in heaven when you die. 

 

When he becomes part of your family, you also become part of God’s family.  God loves you very much, and wants to live close to you and for you to live close to Him.    Inviting Jesus into your heart is about being a part of God’s family who loves you very much.

 

In the next lesson we will learn that Jesus is our Friend.

 

Prayer activity.

Ask Jesus to help you to forgive others who have done bad things to you.  Maybe one of your classmates took something that was your’s.  Ask Jesus to help you not to be angry with (him or her).  Pray for that person and ask the Lord to help you to forgive them.

In the next lesson we will learn that Jesus is our Friend.

 

Activity:  Memorize I John 1:9 1 John 1:9 (GW) “God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong.”

 

• Note to teacher—This lesson ties into Part III of “Hebrew Meaning of the Word Heart”.