Jesus’ and James’ Teachings on Prayer and Reasons for Unanswered Prayers for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 6
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Christian Religion Studies
Curriculum Theme: God’s Love and Human Dignity
Focal competence: Praying at all times and in all situations
Key competencies/values: Critical Thinking; Communication
Skills:

• discuss esus and James’ teachings on prayer
• explain reasons for unanswered prayers

Previous Lesson: First Term Christian Religious Studies revision
Topic: Prayer: Jesus’ And James’ Teachings On Prayer Matt. 6
Subject Matter: Jesus’ and James’ teachings on prayer Matt. 6, James 1, 4:1- 3, 5:12-20, Reasons for unanswered prayers Matt. 6, James 4

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• discuss Jesus and James’ teachings on prayer;
• explain reasons for unanswered prayers.

Affective Domain

• appreciate the importance of praying with right motives and faith;
• develop a desire to pray according to biblical principles.

Psychomotor Domain

• practise prayer using the principles taught by Jesus and James;
• locate and read the specified Bible passages on prayer.

Social Domain

• participate actively in group discussions about prayer;
• respect diverse interpretations of biblical teachings on prayer.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• The Holy Bible (various versions)
• A suitable Christian Religious Studies textbook for SS 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• The Holy Bible (copies for students if available)
• Charts displaying key Bible verses on prayer
• Whiteboard or chalkboard
• Markers or chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because it provides students with a foundational understanding of Christian prayer, drawing directly from the teachings of Jesus and James. It helps students discern effective prayer practices and identify common pitfalls that may hinder their prayers. Understanding these principles is crucial for developing a meaningful and biblically sound spiritual life.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of what prayer is and its general importance in the Christian faith.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Prayer: Jesus’ And James’ Teachings On Prayer

Memory Verse

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7 (NKJV)

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:7-13; James 1:1-8; James 4:1-3; James 5:12-20

Jesus’ Teachings on Prayer (Matthew 6:7-13)

Jesus taught His disciples important principles about how to pray:

1. Avoid Vain Repetitions: Do not use meaningless or empty phrases, thinking that you will be heard because of your many words. Prayer is about sincerity, not quantity of words (Matthew 6:7).
2. God Knows Our Needs: There is no need to inform God of our needs exhaustively, as He already knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8).
3. The Lord’s Prayer (Model Prayer): Jesus provided a model prayer, not necessarily a rigid set of words to be recited mindlessly, but a pattern for prayer. This model includes:
   1. Adoration: Honouring God’s name (“Hallowed be Your name”).
   2. Submission to God’s Will: Praying for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
   3. Provision: Asking for daily necessities (“Give us our daily bread”).
   4. Forgiveness: Requesting forgiveness for sins and committing to forgive others as we have been forgiven.
   5. Protection: Praying for deliverance from temptation and evil.

James’ Teachings on Prayer

The Apostle James also provided significant teachings on prayer:

1. Pray for Wisdom with Faith (James 1:1-8):
   1. When facing trials, believers should ask God for wisdom.
   2. This request must be made in faith, without doubting. A person who doubts is like a wave of the sea, tossed by the wind, and should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
   3. A double-minded person is unstable in all their ways.
2. Motives for Prayer (James 4:1-3):
   1. James highlights that people often do not receive what they ask for because they do not ask at all.
   2. Even when they do ask, they often ask with wrong motives, desiring to spend what they receive on their own selfish pleasures.
3. Effective Prayer (James 5:12-20):
   1. Prayer for the Sick: If anyone among you is sick, they should call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.
   2. Confession and Intercession: Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.
   3. Power of Righteous Prayer: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
   4. Example of Elijah: Elijah was a human being just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
   5. Prayer for the Erring: If anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, that person will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Reasons for Unanswered Prayers

Based on the teachings of Jesus and James, several reasons can lead to prayers going unanswered:

1. Vain Repetitions (Matthew 6:7): Praying with empty, meaningless phrases or simply reciting words without genuine heart and sincerity.
2. Wrong Motives (James 4:3): Asking for things with selfish desires, intending to use what is received for personal pleasures rather than for God’s glory or righteous purposes.
3. Lack of Faith/Doubting (James 1:6-8): Praying without genuine belief that God will answer, or being double-minded and wavering in conviction.
4. Not Asking at All (James 4:2): Failing to bring needs and desires before God in prayer.
5. Unconfessed Sin (Implied from James 5:16): While not explicitly stated as a reason for *unanswered* prayer in the given passages, the emphasis on confessing sins for healing and effective prayer suggests that unconfessed sin can hinder the power of prayer.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Group Work, Bible Reading

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Questioning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them what they understand by “prayer” and why Christians pray. The teacher then introduces the topic: “Prayer: Jesus’ and James’ Teachings on Prayer and Reasons for Unanswered Prayers.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the questions and listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Definition of prayer

Step 2: Jesus’ Teachings on Prayer (Part 1)

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Bible Reading

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students to open their Bibles to Matthew 6:7-13. The teacher explains Jesus’ teachings on avoiding vain repetitions and that God knows our needs. Students are encouraged to read the passages aloud in groups.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils read Matthew 6:7-13 in groups and discuss the initial teachings.

Learning Point: Jesus’ prayer principles

Step 3: Jesus’ Teachings on Prayer (Part 2)

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher further explains the structure and meaning of the Lord’s Prayer as a model for prayer, discussing each component (adoration, submission, provision, forgiveness, protection). The teacher clarifies that it is a pattern, not just a recitation.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils discuss the elements of the Lord’s Prayer and ask questions for clarification.

Learning Point: Lord’s Prayer components

Step 4: James’ Teachings on Prayer (Part 1)

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Group Work/Analysis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher divides the class into groups and assigns each group to read either James 1:1-8 or James 4:1-3. Each group is tasked with identifying James’ key teachings on prayer from their assigned passage.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils read their assigned passages, discuss in groups, and identify key teachings.

Learning Point: James’ prayer instructions

Step 5: James’ Teachings on Prayer (Part 2)

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reporting/Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher calls on representatives from each group to present their findings on James’ teachings from James 1:1-8 and James 4:1-3. The teacher then consolidates these points on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Group representatives present their findings, and other pupils listen and take mental notes.

Learning Point: Faith and motives

Step 6: Reasons for Unanswered Prayers

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Synthesis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students to read James 4:3 and Matthew 6:7 again. The teacher then explains how lack of faith, wrong motives, and vain repetitions are reasons for unanswered prayers, drawing from both Jesus’ and James’ teachings.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils read the passages and contribute to the discussion on reasons for unanswered prayers.

Learning Point: Hindrances to prayer

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. Mention two teachings of Jesus on prayer from Matthew 6.
2. According to James, what is the role of faith in prayer?
3. State one reason why prayers might go unanswered, according to James 4:3.
4. How does Jesus’ teaching on “vain repetitions” relate to unanswered prayers?

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding prayer teachings

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on Jesus’ and James’ teachings on prayer and reasons for unanswered prayers into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson content

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarising

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarises the main points of the lesson, emphasizing the importance of praying sincerely, with faith, and with right motives, according to the teachings of Jesus and James. The teacher encourages students to apply these principles in their daily lives.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and reflect on the lesson’s implications.

Learning Point: Prayer principles reinforced

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework/Further Reading

Instruction: Answer the following questions in your notebook, referencing the Bible passages discussed in class.

1. Explain in your own words what Jesus meant by “vain repetitions” in prayer.
2. Discuss how a lack of faith can hinder prayer, using James 1:6-8 as your reference.
3. Identify and explain two specific teachings of James on effective prayer from James 5:12-20.
4. Reflect on your own prayer life. Are there any areas where you need to apply Jesus’ or James’ teachings more closely? Write a short paragraph.

Lesson Keywords

• Prayer – Communication with God, expressing adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.
• Vain Repetitions – Using many empty or meaningless words in prayer, thinking that quantity guarantees hearing.
• Lord’s Prayer – A model prayer taught by Jesus to His disciples, outlining key elements of prayer.
• Faith – Complete trust or confidence in God and His ability to answer prayers.
• Motives – The reasons or intentions behind one’s actions, especially in prayer.
• Doubting – Wavering in belief or conviction, which can hinder the effectiveness of prayer.

Differentiation

For students who grasp concepts quickly, encourage them to research other biblical figures who demonstrated powerful prayer (e.g., Daniel, Hannah) and identify principles from their prayers. For students needing additional support, provide simplified summaries of the Bible passages and focus on identifying just one key teaching from Jesus and one from James, along with one reason for unanswered prayer, using visual aids or direct questioning.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search on YouTube for: “Jesus’ teachings on prayer SS1 CRS” or “James’ teachings on prayer SS1” or “Reasons for unanswered prayers Bible SS1”