Wish: What is Prayer?

July 9, 2024 by Ethos Team

Assembly Objective:

What is prayer? This assembly explores the concept of God as a Father who loves his children and who wants the best for them. It examines the idea that prayer is a means of communicating with God rather than a set of wishes that may or may not be granted on a whim. It gives space for pupils to reflect on how they view God and prayer.

Film:

Wish (Disney, 2023) certificate U, click here to buy the DVD online.

Bible:

Matthew 7:7-12 (New International Reader’s Version)

Supporting Values Education:

The value of Individual Liberty is based on the notion that we are free and responsible for our own actions with freedom to choose what we believe. The values of Democracy and Rule of Law recognise that we are part of a society whereby we receive support from others. This assembly encourages pupils to consider what they believe about God and the importance of treating other people with dignity and respect.

OPENING ACTIVITY

Show me how you feel (drama)

Explain to the group that they are all going to act out a story in parts and only using their faces and hands. Say that as you tell the story you will stop every so often and say EMOJI. When you say EMOJI everyone has to make a face to match what is happening.

If that seems complicated, practice by trying a few phrases, e.g. ‘everyone was smiling’, ‘the joke made everyone cry with laughter’, ‘we all felt sad’.

You may have to remind the group that this is a mime – no sounds or words allowed! Once everyone is ready, begin the story. The key phrases are in bold.

Script:

Jesus told a story to help people understand what God is like. He told them that if they asked God for something:

“Ask [EMOJI], and it will be given to you [EMOJI]. Search [EMOJI], and you will find [EMOJI]. Knock [EMOJI], and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks [EMOJI] will receive [EMOJI]. The one who searches [EMOJI] will find [EMOJI]. The door will be opened to the one who knocks [EMOJI].

Jesus went on to say:

“Suppose your son asks for bread [EMOJI]. Which of you will give him a stone? [EMOJI] Or suppose he asks for a fish [EMOJI]. Which of you will give him a snake? [EMOJI] Even though you are evil [EMOJI], you know how to give good gifts to your children [EMOJI]. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! [EMOJI]

FILM CLIP:

Wish (Disney, 2023) certificate U.
- Start time: 00:17:13 (“You know, Asha, I would love to see someone wish to be the best apprentice a mighty sorcerer has ever had.”)
- End time: 00:22:19 (The king and queen leave)
- Clip length: 5 minutes, 6 seconds.

If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say,

Asha is a citizen of the island of Rosas. When the people of Rosas turn 18, they make a wish and give it to the king who guards it for them. Every so often, when the king feels like it, one wish will be granted. Asha’s grandfather (or ‘Saba’) is 100 years old and has been waiting since he was 18 to have his wish granted. Meanwhile, Asha has applied to become an apprentice to the king. Part way through her interview to be the king’s apprentice, Asha spots her grandfather’s wish amongst all the others. She asks the king to grant her grandfather’s wish, and immediately he turns on her, saying that most people wait a few months before asking for something. Although Asha apologises, the king asks to see the wish and tells her it is too dangerous to grant. He suggests that her grandfather’s wish – to create something to inspire the next generation – might lead them to form a mob and destroy Rosas. He dismisses the wish, saying that it is his responsibility only to grant the wishes that will be good for Rosas. Most of the wishes will never be granted. When Asha suggests that he should give people back their wishes so they can try to pursue them for themselves, he tells her he makes it so they forget their worries. She tells him this is not fair. He becomes angry and insists that she sit on the stage while he is presented with the wishes of new citizens. He then grants a wish to someone other than Asha’s grandfather and tells her he will not be offering her the position as his apprentice, and that he will protect her grandfather and mother’s wishes forever.

TALK

Scripted Talk

Download the Wish PowerPoint for use with this talk.

[PowerPoint slide 1]
- Welcome to our assembly. I wonder if any of you have ever asked for something and been disappointed by what you got in return? I’m sure all the pupils in our school are far too polite to show their disappointment, but you can imagine how it would feel.
[PowerPoint slide 2]
- Imagine, for example, you asked for a special toy for Christmas and when you looked in your stocking all you saw was a Brussel sprout! Or you asked someone to help you with your homework and they gave you the wrong answers. How would you feel? Disappointed. Sad. Angry.
[PowerPoint slide 3]
- Sometimes there are good reasons that we don’t get what we wish for, and the people around us know what is good for us. If people keep asking for chocolate eventually they are sick and if you ask for a helicopter for your birthday your family will probably not be able to give you what you want.
[PowerPoint slide 4]
- In today’s assembly, we’re going to watch a clip from the film, Wish. Asha is a citizen of the island of Rosas. When the people of Rosas turn 18, they make a wish and give it to the king who guards it for them. Every so often, when the king feels like it, one wish will be granted. Asha’s grandfather (or ‘Saba’) is 100 years old and has been waiting since he was 18 to have his wish granted. Meanwhile, Asha has applied to become an apprentice to the king. I wonder if the king will grant Asha’s grandfather’s wish?
  - Play film clip from Wish (Disney, 2023) certificate U.
    - Start time: 00:17:13 (“You know, Asha, I would love to see someone wish to be the best apprentice a mighty sorcerer has ever had.”)
    - End time: 00:22:19 (The king and queen leave)
    - Clip length: 5 minutes, 6 seconds.
    - If you cannot play this clip from the DVD, instead say,
  - Part way through her interview to be the king’s apprentice, Asha spots her grandfather’s wish amongst all the others. She asks the king to grant her grandfather’s wish, and immediately he turns on her, saying that most people wait a few months before asking for something. Although Asha apologises, the king asks to see the wish and tells her it is too dangerous to grant. He suggests that her grandfather’s wish – to create something to inspire the next generation – might lead them to form a mob and destroy Rosas. He dismisses the wish, saying that it is his responsibility only to grant the wishes that will be good for Rosas. Most of the wishes will never be granted. When Asha suggests that he should give people back their wishes so they can try to pursue them for themselves, he tells her he makes it so they forget their worries. She tells him this is not fair. He becomes angry and insists that she sit on the stage while he is presented with the wishes of new citizens. He then grants a wish to someone other than Asha’s grandfather and tells her he will not be offering her the position as his apprentice, and that he will protect her grandfather and mother’s wishes forever.
[PowerPoint slide 5]
- Poor Asha. She wanted so much to become the king’s apprentice, but when she spotted her grandfather’s wish she couldn’t help but ask him to grant it. Let’s think about what it is we have just watched.
[PowerPoint slide 6]
- Who was the most powerful person in the clip we watched? It was the king. How do we know that? He lived in the castle. He was in charge of the country. He had the right to hold onto everyone’s wishes. He had the right to say ‘no’ to Asha’s request.
[PowerPoint slide 7]
- Do you think the king used his power well? Why do you think that? [Take suggestions – he wasn’t kind to Asha. He got angry. He made Asha sit on the stage and then didn’t grant her grandfather’s wish]. What words would you use to describe the king? [Take suggestions – cruel, bullying, mean, bad-tempered, controlling, threatened].
- Do you think the king should have granted Asha’s request? Perhaps that would have been a generous thing to do, but perhaps he was correct in realising that he couldn’t just grant any request. However, whether the king said yes or no to Asha, he didn’t deal with her very kindly, and he seemed to be very controlling over all the people in the kingdom. In fact, he used people’s wishes as a way of making them behave in the way he wanted. He wasn’t a good king.
[PowerPoint slide 8]
- Christians describe God as a King. In fact, in the Bible, Jesus is described as the King of Kings! A king has power, and the King of Kings has more power than anyone else.
- The Bible also describes God as a Father who loves his children. We know that some dads are good, and some dads are bad, and some dads don’t stick around long enough to get to know their children but God is described as being better than any human example of a dad.
[PowerPoint slide 9]
- Jesus taught his followers that they can speak to their Father God at any time, asking him for what they need and telling him anything they want to. This is called praying. A prayer is different to a wish like the wishes we’ve just watched. Asha’s grandfather had no way of knowing if his wish would ever be heard or granted, and as we saw, it all depended on whether the king felt like granting it. A prayer is a conversation with God. Sometimes when we pray we might ask God for something – we might ask him to help us with a problem or to heal us when we are ill or to give us something that we need. We don’t always get what we ask for when we pray, but unlike in the kingdom of Rosas, we can be sure that God, the king and the best father ever, is good and loves us. He always hears our prayer. He always knows what is right and we can trust him.
- How do we know that? Well, Jesus told a story to teach his followers what happens when we pray.
[PowerPoint slide 10]
- Matthew 7:7-12. “Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. The door will be opened to the one who knocks. “Suppose your son asks for bread. Which of you will give him a stone? Or suppose he asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake? Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you. This is what is written in the Law and in the Prophets.
[PowerPoint slide 11]
- Imagine asking someone for a sandwich and getting a stone to eat! Or asking for a fish supper and getting a snake for dinner! That would be horrible and cruel. It sounds like something the king in Wish might do just to show how much power he had. Jesus said, though, that God is not like that. God can be trusted. He’s like a father who gives good gifts to his children.
[PowerPoint slide 12]
- Prayer is something that many people do all across the world. Sometimes people pray with other people like we do in assembly, or in small groups or in church. Sometimes people pray alone in private. Sometimes people pray out loud, sometimes they do it silently. When Christians pray, they believe that they are speaking to their Father in Heaven who loves them very much and wouldn’t ever try to trick them or catch them out.
[PowerPoint slide 13]
- On the island of Rosas people’s wishes were kept by a cruel king who didn’t love them and wanted to control them. For people who choose to pray, they believe that the God who is their king is not like the king of Rosas.
- Choosing to pray is an individual’s choice. Nobody should be forced to pray, but anyone who wants to pray can try it for themselves – no big words are needed!

Headings and bullets

Download the Wish PowerPoint for use with this talk.

[PowerPoint slide 1]
- Disappointment.
- Welcome.
- Have you ever asked for something and been disappointed.
- You can imagine how it would feel.
[PowerPoint slide 2]
- Imagine you asked for a special toy for Christmas and when you looked in your stocking all you saw was a Brussel sprout!
- Or you asked someone to help you with your homework and they gave you the wrong answers. How would you feel?
- Disappointed.
- Sad.
- Angry.
[PowerPoint slide 3]
- Sometimes there are good reasons that we don’t get what we wish for.
[PowerPoint slide 4]
- Introduce the film clip.
- Asha is a citizen of the island of Rosas.
- When the people of Rosas turn 18, they make a wish and give it to the king who guards it for them.
- Asha’s grandfather (or ‘Saba’) is 100 years old and has been waiting since he was 18 to have his wish granted.
- Asha has applied to become an apprentice to the king.
- Play film clip from Wish (Disney, 2023) certificate U.
[PowerPoint slide 5]
- Asha wanted so much to become the king’s apprentice.
- She spotted her grandfather’s wish and she couldn’t help but ask the king to grant it.
[PowerPoint slide 6]
- Who was the most powerful person in the clip we watched?
- It was the king.
- How do we know that?
[PowerPoint slide 7]
- Do you think the king used his power well?
- Why do you think that? [Take suggestions – he wasn’t kind to Asha. He got angry. He made Asha sit on the stage and then didn’t grant her grandfather’s wish].
- What words would you use to describe the king? [Take suggestions – cruel, bullying, mean, bad-tempered, controlling, threatened].
- Do you think the king should have granted Asha’s request?
- Whether the king said yes or no to Asha, he didn’t deal with her very kindly.
- He used people’s wishes as a way of making them behave in the way he wanted.
- He wasn’t a good king.
[PowerPoint slide 8]
- Christians describe God as a King.
- In the Bible, Jesus is described as the King of Kings!
- A king has power, and the King of Kings has more power than anyone else.
- The Bible also describes God as a Father who loves his children.
- We know that some dads are good, and some dads are bad.
- God is described as being better than any human example of a dad.
[PowerPoint slide 9]
- Prayer.
- Jesus taught his followers that they can speak to their Father God at any time, asking him for what they need and telling him anything they want to.
- A prayer is different to a wish like the wishes we’ve just watched.
- Asha’s grandfather had no way of knowing if his wish would ever be heard or granted, and as we saw, it all depended on whether the king felt like granting it.
- A prayer is a conversation with God.
- Sometimes when we pray we might ask God for something.
- We don’t always get what we ask for when we pray, but unlike in the kingdom of Rosas, we can be sure that God, the king and the best father ever, is good and loves us.
- He always hears our prayer.
- He always knows what is right and we can trust him.
[PowerPoint slide 10]
- Matthew 7:7-12.
[PowerPoint slide 11]
- Stones instead of sandwiches, snakes instead of fish.
- That would be horrible and cruel.
- It sounds like something the king in Wish might do just to show how much power he had.
- Jesus said that God is not like that.
- God can be trusted.
- He’s like a father who gives good gifts to his children.
[PowerPoint slide 12]
- Prayer is something that many people do all across the world.
- Sometimes people pray with other people or alone in private.
- Sometimes people pray out loud, sometimes they do it silently.
- When Christians pray, they believe that they are speaking to their Father in Heaven who loves them very much and wouldn’t ever try to trick them or catch them out.
[PowerPoint slide 13]
- Nobody should be forced to pray, but anyone who wants to pray can try it for themselves – no big words are needed.
- Choosing to pray is an individual’s choice.

Photo copyright for Wish Assembly PowerPoint: Slide 1 Freeimages.com / Slide 2 stockings Jim the photographer and girl Gorkaazk / Slide 3 helicopter Konfilikty.pl chocolate Nagualdesign / Slide 4 Disney / Slide 5 image one Disney image two Disney / Slide 6 Disney / Slide 7 image one Disney image two Disney / Slide 8 Pixabay.com / Slide 9 Pixabay.com / Slide 10 Pixabay.com / Slide 11 sandwich Diderot’s dreams stone Freeimages.com fish and chips Andrew Dunn snake Rushenb / Slide 12 Pixabay.com / Slide 13 Freeimages.com / Slide 14 Pixabay.com

RESPOND

Reflection

[PowerPoint slide 14]
- Jesus taught his followers a simple prayer to help them know what to say. The words of this prayer – The Lord’s Prayer – are on the slide (if your school regularly uses a different version then use that). Invite pupils to join in with the words if they would like to, and invite everyone to say ‘Amen’ at the end as a way of agreeing with what you have prayed.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be honoured.
May your kingdom come.
May what you want to happen be done
on earth as it is done in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.
Keep us from sinning when we are tempted.
Save us from the evil one.
Amen

YOU WILL NEED:

Wish: PowerPoint.
Wish (Disney, 2023) certificate U, click here to buy the DVD online.

Share this:

Related