TSP prayers

 

Teaspoon TSP Thank you, Sorry, Please Prayers

January 2023

 

In our church primary school collective worship this week, we reflected on prayers we knew: The Lord’s Prayer, Our School Prayer, the grace we say before meals (and the school birthday song).

 

We can use set prayers written by others or we can talk to God anytime, anywhere in our own words.

 

If we don’t know what to pray, we might use “teaspoon” prayers as a guide, drawing on the abbreviation “tsp”, thank you, sorry, please, thinking of things to talk to God about under each heading.

 

I invited our church primary school to write some ideas for prayer in groups of three. Some staff and parents took part. And my input may have had some influence. I said they could write anything they wanted, but also that they might think about what Jesus might want them to ask for. I encouraged people not to write anything they wanted to keep private. I thought you might like to see the responses (in so far as I could read them):

 

In no particular order:

 

Thank you for…

 

Family (10)

Mummy / Parents

Friends (6)

Amazing people

For people who play with me

Food (13)

Water

Air

Cool toys

Life / my life

All life on earth / the world

For happiness

Our school (2)

Football and farming

Football (2)

Dogs and cats

Rabbits

horses

Pets

Beds

Home

PS4

Dr Who DVDs

Brighton 3 – Liverpool 0

Looking after the world

Every day which comes along – it is a blessing

Yoghurt

Games

Sports

For Christmas presents (3)

For parrot painting

Books

Farming (2)

Lack of struggles

For all good things (2)

For people who love me

Chocolate (2)

Prayer

Harvest

Cake

Good health

For always caring

Everything

 

Sorry…

 

Sins

Bad behaviour

For eating my Dad’s chocolate

For being naughty (3) / unkind / mean (2)

For upsetting other people / hurting people’s feelings

Doing something wrong / my wrong actions

For pushing people

That sometimes we can’t do it

For not saying thank you

We didn’t win the Premiership football

For not believing in you

When I have been rude or lied

Rudeness

Hate

Stealing

Lying

Cheating (3)

For doing bad things

Fulham 2 – 1 Brighton

For being grumpy at times as I should think that there are a lot of people worse off than me

For greed

Bad language

For being very annoying

For things that are bad for animals or life

For eating too much sugar

Being ungrateful

For not being patient

Fighting with my brother

Going to bed late on a school night

That some people have no food

Not phoning my family more

Selfishness

Global warming

 

Please… (things we might ask God for, for ourselves or others)

 

Help us to stay safe and warm during the winter

A good life for all my family

Good health (2)

I pad

Can I be a millionaire farmer

1, 000, 000, 000 and a PC

Billionaire

A million dollars

Pasta

Enough money to go to Texas

A millipede

A new wardrobe

Help us to stay helpful and healthy

A racing car

Can you help me to be the best footballer ever when I am older

Please can I have enough money for football stickers, chocolate bars and food

A really nice Pokémon card

Hamster

A dog

My hamster to get better

House

Can England win the world cup (3)

Pet unicorn

New Brighton Hove Albion football kit

Help me in school on topic, maths, science and English

Help me to be good / kind

More playtime (and less “lurning” (sic))

More friends

A big TV

PS5

Putin dies

Money (2)

End war (4)

Peace (3)

Hyperjar

Go pro

TV

Gaming chair

Dirt bike

Help me to be more helpful (2)

A big chocolate bar every day / infinite amounts of chocolate

Help us to work with other people

Help us to enjoy life

Safe journeys

Stop all the rain

Fun

Help me to be happy and nice everyday

More snowmen

Please help me to mend the roof

“Please can I not go to school for the rest of my life and be a million air!”(sic)

 

+ / ? – anything else?

 

Love mummy

I am looking forward to my friend’s party

 

Some people also contributed pictures