Rocks & Stones prayer activities: St Mary’s Church, Twyford

July 11^th – 16^th 2009

Sally Dakin & Paula Pocock

Focus	‘Instructions’	Equipment
finding God	With your hands or with the tools, play with the sand and stones… slow down and enjoy the presence of God… invite him to speak to you…	big tray of dry sand, stones, tools
being changed	I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26) Think about a heart of stone – how would you describe it? Do those words describe you at all? And a heart of flesh – what’s that like? Maybe that’s how God wants you to be? Talk to God about your heart, and ask him to change you… If you’d like to, take the sponge to the font and hold it tightly under the water, then, as you let go, ask God to fill you with his Spirit.	heart-shaped stone(s), heart-shaped sponge, water in font, towel
saying sorry	Take off your shoes and socks and step in the sand. Look at your footprints and reflect on the impact you make on the world and on others’ lives. You may feel called to repentance… know that God longs to forgive. As you receive his forgiveness, smooth over the sand and pray for grace to ‘walk humbly with your God’.	sand-tray, damp sand, floor covering, bowl of water, towels
praising God	Look at the rock and write some words about it on the flipchart. Then take some paper and write a prayer of praise to God the Rock.	rock, flipchart, pens, coloured A5 paper, clipboards, felt-tips in pot, psalms on cards, Bible, pinboard, pins

praising Jesus	‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:22-23) For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. (1 Peter 2:6) Twist out the central keystone and see what happens! As you rebuild the arch, celebrate Jesus Christ and pray that he would always be the centre of your life.	set of bricks to make an arch
prioritising	What do you think God wants you to prioritise this summer? What might distract you from these priorities? After emptying the jar, take some big stones to represent what’s most important in your life, and put them in the jar first. Then take some smaller stones to represent the less important things, which can so easily take up too much time and space, and put them in next. Ask God to help you to get your priorities right!	sweet jar, various sized stones, soft mat
trusting God	‘Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.’ (Isaiah 64:8) You’re the potter: try making something out of clay. Are you willing to let God be the potter in your life, trusting him to shape you and mould you for his loving purposes? Tell him how you feel about being clay in his hand…	clay in jar, tools, baseboards, Jeremiah 18:1-6 on card, bowl of water, soap, towels
praying for people	Look at these ‘precious stones’ and choose one to represent someone you know who may be feeling unloved. Lay the ‘jewel’ on the velvet and pray that this person would know how precious they are in God’s sight. Might you be able to show them that you care too?	‘jewels’ in box, black velvet tray

praying for people	Who have you been praying for over a long period? Write your prayer for them on a stone, and build it into the ‘cairn’.	flat stones, pencils, jar
praying for the church	‘As you come to him, the living Stone… you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’ (1 Peter 2:4-5) Let’s build a mosaic of ourselves – the living church God is building in this village. Choose a piece to represent you, and put yourself in the big picture.	tile pieces, board, putty, spreader
praying for the church	God is building us together as his people. As you thread your stone, pray about your relationships with others in the church, especially where there are difficulties…	stones-with-holes, long gold cord
praying for the world	Re-arrange the letters to spell a country you’re concerned about. Imagine what it might be like to live there, and pray for the people. Imagine what it’s like for their leaders, and pray for them too.	slate chips with letters of the alphabet, globe, atlas
praying for the world	What have we done to the earth?! As you look at the pictures, pray that we’d be better stewards of the world God has made…	photos of the ‘ravaged earth’ – quarries etc.
going out	What have you heard from God here today? Take a little stone and put it in your pocket – or your shoe! – to remind you of God’s word to you.	gravel, dish