FHE Monday: Nursery Lesson #3

GB decided to cut a molar over the weekend (overnight, actually) and he's been feeling crummy all week. This pushed FHE back to Wednesday, but I stuck to my guns and we still held it this week! I'm very happy about this.

Lesson 3: I Can Pray to Heavenly Father

*Prepare objects or pictures to correspond with “Please bless us” and “We thank Thee” (things you are grateful for and things you could ask for in prayer).*

Opening Song: I Pray In Faith (Children's Songbook 14)

Lesson: Use the opening song to teach this lesson. Raise your fingers for each part of the verse, as though you were counting.

I begin by saying “Dear Heavenly Father”

Show the picture of Jesus praying when He was a child. Jesus is talking to Heavenly Father.

Have Daddy act out getting ready to pray. He kneels down, folds him arms, closes his eyes. Daddy is ready to talk to Heavenly Father. Can you do it too?

Sing the first line, (while holding your first finger up). Have everyone repeat “Dear Heavenly Father”.

I thank him for blessings he sends

Have everyone repeat “We thank Thee”.

Present the objects or pictures for “We thank Thee”. Take turns choosing one, and practicing praying for it. (For example: selecting a picture of Jesus and then saying “We thank Thee for Jesus”.)

Then humbly I ask him for things that I need

Have everyone repeat “Please bless us”.

Present the objects or pictures for “Please bless us”. Take turns choosing one, and practicing asking for it in prayer. (For example: selecting a picture of a happy face and then saying “Please bless us to be happy”.)

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Show a picture of Jesus. We end our prayers with the name of Jesus Christ.

Have everyone repeat “In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen”.

Conclusion: Sing the entire song again. End with (short) testimonies.

We actually sang "I Am a Child of God" as our opening song because GB asked for it, which I'm totally fine with. He loved to pull the objects out of the bag, and it was adorable to watch him announce what it was. "What did Daddy find in the bag?" "A band-aid!" SO cute!

The nursery lesson also suggests that you teach them even at this age to use prayer speech (Thee, Thy, Thine, etc). That wasn't the focus of my lesson this time because let's face it--he's two, and can barely say "thank you" (day-doo) let alone "thank thee". I figured that we could work on it when he can speak better. It really just depends on what you feel you should do--you're the parent/teacher.

 It was late, but it was done. I'm starting to like FHE... planning the lessons in advance (from another lesson, no less) makes me feel prepared, which makes me want to hold FHE (no way I'm letting that prep go to waste!). I love learning the Gospel together as a family, too--that is something so precious to me.