www.maranatha.org - This week, we consider the times when we don’t feel like praying. The La Ureña II Seventh-day Adventist congregation in the Dominican Republic has been there. They desperately needed a church building in their neighborhood so the members wouldn’t have to walk long distances each Sabbath to get to worship. But they had no money, and felt like there was no way they could ever have their own church building.

Today, your kids will reflect on their own prayer life, and acknowledge the ups and downs of our spiritual journeys. We’ll also discuss how the Holy Spirit is with us, interceding for us, even when we don’t pray or know what to pray for.

Pre-video Discussion Questions
Have you ever felt like not praying? Why?

Watch Video
In today’s video, God answers an unspoken prayer for a congregation faced with the impossible.

Post-video Discussion Questions
Why didn’t the La Ureña II congregation pray for a new church?
Have you ever had an idea, but figured it was impossible, so you didn’t tell anyone? What was it?
The Bible tells us that even when we don’t pray, the Holy Spirit is working, connecting us to God’s will. It’s called “intercession.” The Holy Spirit intercedes or steps in when we don’t know what to pray. Let’s read about it straight from Romans 8:26-27. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Has there ever been a time when the Holy Spirit has interceded for you even when you didn’t pray about something? What happened?

Prayer Points
That we would bring all of our ideas and concerns to God in prayer.
Ask kids what they would add to the prayer list.

Did You Know?
The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish.
Over the years, Maranatha has constructed nearly 400 churches, schools, and houses in the Dominican Republic.