Adventure Series: Day 12
Each lesson is broken into 5-10 minute segments. This met my needs as I presented it as a short devotion five times a week. You can adapt and do as many segments as you like at one time. ( Stephanie McIntyre)
Day 13: STEP FOUR – LISTENING TO GOD
Focus:
1. Review last week’s focus of talking to God – A,C,T, S. Then ask students to imagine that they are having a conversation with a friend that goes like this. (Get a volunteer to act this conversation out or do it yourself):
1. (Two friends enter from opposite sides of the stage. One starts talking to the other, very quickly but excitedly. She is truly excited to see the other but completely absorbed in herself.)
“Hi, Stephanie, it’s so great to see you. I feel like I never see you so when I do it’s just awesome. You’re such a great person to be with, too, so I love hanging out with you. I want to tell you all about my week! I went on vacation and it was great and we had an amazing time. My family went to Disney and I saw Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and MGM studios where they make all those cool computer-animated videos and it’s the MOST AMAZING place in the world so you should really go sometime! But it wasn’t all great because sometimes by sister and I got into fights because she always wanted to stay longer than I did and I wanted to see everything, you know? Anyway it was still a great week and I’m really glad we got to go. And this has been great chatting with you I’m so glad we could talk because it’s been a while. OK – bye!”
(Talking friend exits and listening friend is left standing, confused, in center stage. She pauses for a moment and then exits.) 
Procedure:
1. Ask: What do you think of this conversation? Of the relationship these friends have? How do you think the “listening” friend feels?
2. Explain: This is often how we treat God when we pray. We come to him with a “report” of our week, or a list of questions or problems, but we spend all of our time talking.
3. Ask: Do you think you would want to be friends with someone who just talks all the time? (probably not) What do friends need to spend time doing in a conversation? (listening)
Closure:
4. Explain: In the same way, we need to spend time listening when we come to God in prayer. Otherwise, we are just having a one-sided conversation and we can’t really claim to be a “friend of God” at all. Today/this week, we are going to be investigating how we can listen to God, since we can’t see him and talk to him face to face.
(Optional) Divide students into teams. Have each team brainstorm a list of ways they know God speaks, either from Bible stories, in their own life, or to people they know. Discuss together and emphasize that God does want to communicate with us, we just need to have a heart that is ready to listen.
