Preparation:
Make a copy of the scriptures below. Gather five pictures: The Tower of Babel (or the Brother of Jared); Alma the Younger; Nephi and His Broken Bow; Alma and Amulek in Prison; Jesus Blessing the Children in the Americas.
Presentation:
Tell the children they are going to help each other learn about people in the scriptures whose prayers were answered. Divide the children into groups. Make sure a teacher or other leader is in each group. Give the groups a picture and the accompanying scripture. Give them a few minutes to read the story and decide how they will retell it to the other children (encourage them to tell it in their own words rather than reading it).
Let each group show their picture and present their story.
1. The Brother of Jared (Ether 1:33–37)
Which Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered.
And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words.
And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded.
Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.
And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.
2. Alma the Younger (Mosiah 27: 8, 10–11, 13–14)
Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities.
And now it came to pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did go about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God, or even the king—
And as I said unto you, as they were going about rebelling against God, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with a voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood; . . . saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.
And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.
3. Nephi and the Broken Bow (1 Nephi 16: 23–24, 26, 30–31)
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?
And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, . . .
And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball.
And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families.
4. Alma and Amulek in Prison (Alma 14: 17, 23, 26–28)
And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek answered him [the judge] nothing; and he smote them again, and delivered them to the officers to be cast into prison.
And it came to pass after they had thus suffered for many days, . . . that the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and their lawyers went in unto the prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords.
And Alma cried [prayed], saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them.
And it came to pass that so great was their fear that they fell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof.
And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ. And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city.
5. Jesus and the Children (3 Nephi 17: 11–12, 15, 18)
And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought.
So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him.
And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.
And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.
After each group has presented their story bear your testimony of prayer. Sing songs that reinforce the message, such as: “A Child’s Prayer” (Children’s Songbook, p. 12), “I Pray in Faith” (CS, 14), “Seek the Lord Early” (CS, 108), and “Tell Me Dear Lord” (CS, 176).