Second graders learn the power of prayer through Prayer in Action event

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On February 17, CAJ’s 2nd graders and their teachers banded together to create a powerful event entitled “Prayer in Action,” where students led various prayer stations in the MPR. The entire school was invited to participate, including elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as staff.

2nd grade teacher Ashley Nakamura said the event came about after the class learned about The Lord’s Prayer in Bible class.

“We wanted to create a FLEx (formational learning experience) that focused on prayer,” Mrs. Nakamura said. “The students brainstormed a variety of ideas, and I compiled them into one project, which became ‘Prayer in Action.’”

During the event, small groups of two or three students each led a different prayer station, focusing on various themes such as prayers of thanksgiving, prayers for forgiveness, prayers for healing, and more.

Mrs. Nakamura said one main goal of the project was for 2nd graders (as well as others on campus) to learn about the power of prayer. By letting students experience God’s presence through prayer, she also wanted to send the message that God loves and cares for us.

The event ended up blessing a large part of the CAJ community.

“One of the most touching parts of the event was seeing students take initiative to pray with and for the people who came to their stations,” Mrs. Nakamura said. “Several teachers were moved to tears as they watched second graders offering heartfelt prayers.”

She added that some students were quite vulnerable in sharing their personal struggles at the forgiveness station, as they wrote sincere prayers of confession to God.

The 2nd graders themselves also learned a lot from the event as they created an authentic opportunity for purposeful prayer.

“This group of students is always eager to learn about God and pray together, but this event took that excitement to a new level,” Mrs. Nakamura said. “They realized that, even at a young age, they can make a real impact on their community. Leading others in prayer gave them a sense of purpose and helped them grow in confidence and faith.”

Here were some thoughts from the 2nd graders about the event:

Elliot: “I liked how people were so interested in coming to my station to pray with me.”

Maray: “I was in charge of the family prayer station. A lot of people were praying for their family members who were sick or had something wrong with their body. I learned that everybody cares a lot for their family members.”

Hadassah: “I liked how people came to my station and wrote lots of things, especially when my brother and sister came! I was in charge of the faithfulness station.”