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Your Prayer Is Heard

A long wait, an angel in the temple, a daddy who couldn’t talk, and a baby who jumped for joy

  • ☀️ Sunbeam
  • Week 1
  • 📅 Sunday, January 3, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Heavenly Father hears my prayers.

I can fold my arms and pray, because Heavenly Father hears me.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 1; Luke 1 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 1; Luke 1)
Know the chapters

Happy New Year, and welcome to the New Testament! Luke 1 tells about Zacharias and Elisabeth. They were a good, faithful couple, very old, who had prayed for a baby for years. While Zacharias served in the temple, the angel Gabriel came. He said, “Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard.” That’s Luke 1:13. They would have a son named John. Because Zacharias doubted, he couldn’t speak until the baby came. Gabriel also visited Mary. He told her she’d be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, and Mary trusted the Lord. When Mary visited Elisabeth, baby John leaped for joy. When John was born, Zacharias wrote “His name is John” and could talk again. Matthew 1 adds that an angel told Joseph in a dream to name the baby Jesus.

For three-year-olds, the whole lesson is one tiny truth: Heavenly Father hears my prayers. Zacharias and Elisabeth prayed and waited a long time, and Heavenly Father heard them. Say “Heavenly Father hears me!” so many times that the kids say it with you. Practice how to pray. Fold arms, bow head, close eyes, talk to Heavenly Father, and say amen. That’s a real gift at this age.

Keep the doctrine simple and true. Heavenly Father always hears us, even whisper prayers and prayers in our hearts. Sometimes His answer comes fast. Sometimes we wait, like Elisabeth and Zacharias did. Jesus is the Son of Heavenly Father, and Mary was His mother. If a child asks how, you can say, “Heavenly Father made it happen by His power.” See Luke 1:35.

January is move-up month. Some kids just left nursery and may cry when a parent leaves. That’s normal. Let the parent stay a few minutes if needed. Give the child a job, like holding the baby doll, and keep smiling. Most tears stop once the fun starts.

Only have 5 minutes?

Wrap a doll or a rolled-up towel in a blanket. Let each child peek at the “baby.” Tell the picture story, and let them say a few lines back to you. Teach “thy prayer is heard” with a cupped ear. Roll a ball so each child names one thing to thank Heavenly Father for. End by whispering each child’s name and “Heavenly Father hears you.” Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Rock a pretend baby and pass a pretend “prayer bubble.”

What to bring3 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Wrap the doll snugly in the blanket so only a tiny bit peeks out. Keep it on your lap, under your arm.
  2. Put the notepad and crayon by your chair for scene 6.

If your class is wild

  • First-day tears? Give the crying child a job, like holding the baby doll or saying “Amen!” If your ward allows, invite the parent to sit in for a few minutes.
  • When Zacharias can’t talk, the whole class gets to be quiet like him. Use it any time you need calm. Fingers on lips and say, “Shh, Zacharias can’t talk!”
  • Baby John’s jump can get big. Before every jump, say, “Jump for joy… and land like a feather!”
  • For potty breaks, never leave the class alone, and never go somewhere alone with one child. Ask a Primary presidency member or the parent to help, following your ward’s plan.
  • If a child says, “I prayed and didn’t get it,” answer kindly. Say, “Heavenly Father heard you. Sometimes we wait, like Elisabeth did.”

The 25-minute plan22 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Who’s in the Blanket?

3 min

A peek at a “baby” welcomes new Sunbeams and sets up a story about a prayer for a baby.

  1. SAY“Hi, friends! I’m so glad you’re here.”
  2. Say each child’s name and wave. Hold the wrapped doll and whisper, “Shhh! I have something special in my blanket. Can you use whisper voices?”
  3. Let each child peek. Then say, “It’s a baby!”
  4. SAY“Today’s story is about a mom and dad. They prayed and prayed for a baby. Did Heavenly Father hear them?”

Class screen: 👶 Who’s in the blanket?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A baby doll wrapped in a small blanket (or a rolled-up towel in a blanket)

Rock a Pretend Baby

  1. SAY“Hi, friends! I’m so glad you’re here.”
  2. Say each child’s name and wave. Rock your empty arms like you’re holding a baby. Whisper, “Shhh! Can everyone rock a pretend baby too?”
  3. SAY“Today’s story is about a mom and dad. They prayed and prayed for a baby. Did Heavenly Father hear them?”

Class screen: 👶 Shhh! Rock the baby.

2. Story

Picture Story: The Baby Who Was Worth the Wait

6 min

Seven short picture scenes show that Heavenly Father heard Zacharias and Elisabeth’s prayers.

  1. SAY“A mom and dad prayed for a long, long time. Let’s look at the pictures. I’ll say a line, and you say it back!”
  2. Swipe through the scenes. Read each one. Say the line at the bottom, and let them say it back.
  3. After scene 7, ask, “Who hears our prayers?” Everyone cups an ear and says, “Heavenly Father!”
🌪️ The “Shhh!” scene is your reset. If it gets loud, stay on scene 4 a little longer and whisper.

Class screen: 🙏 Heavenly Father hears! · 🔁 Say it back! · 👂 He hears!

3. Wiggle break

Jump for Joy Like Baby John

2 min

Luke 1:41 becomes a jump-for-joy wiggle three-year-olds will want to repeat.

  1. SAY“When Mary came to visit, baby John leaped for joy inside Elisabeth! Let’s crouch down small like a baby.”
  2. Count, “One, two, three… jump for joy!” Everyone jumps up on their own spot and lands like a feather.
  3. Jump three times. Then sit down and fold your prayer arms.

Class screen: 🦘 Jump for joy!

4. Scripture

Our Little Verse: Luke 1:13

3 min

Prayer arms and a cupped ear help Sunbeams remember that Heavenly Father hears them.

  1. SAY“The angel told Zacharias happy words. They’re in the Bible. Listen!”
  2. Hold up your scriptures. Read slowly, “thy prayer is heard.” Then say, “That means Heavenly Father heard your prayer!”
  3. Teach the Key Verse motions. Say it together three times: a whisper, a regular voice, then a happy voice.
  4. Ask, “Who hears your prayers?” Everyone cups an ear and says, “Heavenly Father!”

Class screen: 👂 Thy prayer is heard! · 🙏 thy prayer · 👂 is heard

5. Game

Thank-You Roll

5 min

Rolling a ball and naming one thank-you practices the big idea: we can pray, and Heavenly Father hears us.

  1. SAY“Let’s practice praying! First we fold our arms. Then we bow our heads and close our eyes.”
  2. Practice prayer arms. Say, “In a prayer, we say thank you.” Roll the ball to a child. They name one thing, like “Thank you for my dog!”
  3. They roll it back. Everyone cups an ear and says, “Heavenly Father hears!” Keep going until everyone has a turn.
  4. Give shy kids two choices, like “Do you want to thank Heavenly Father for your mommy or your blanket?”
  5. Say, “We can pray anytime. At bedtime, at meals, and when we’re sad. Heavenly Father always hears us.”
🌪️ Sit in a small circle with legs out so the ball stays inside. Roll it, never throw it.

Class screen: ⚽ Thank you, Heavenly Father!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A soft ball or a rolled-up pair of socks

Pass the Prayer Bubble

  1. SAY“Let’s practice praying! First we fold our arms. Then we bow our heads and close our eyes.”
  2. Practice prayer arms. Cup your hands and say, “This is a prayer bubble!” Hand it gently to a child. They name one thing to be thankful for.
  3. They hand it back. Everyone cups an ear and says, “Heavenly Father hears!” Keep going until everyone has a turn.
  4. Say, “We can pray anytime. At bedtime, at meals, and when we’re sad. Heavenly Father always hears us.”

Class screen: 🫧 Thank you, Heavenly Father!

6. Testimony

Heavenly Father Hears You

3 min

A quiet, personal ending helps each child feel that Heavenly Father hears them.

  1. SAY“Let’s make our prayer arms and get very quiet.”
  2. Lower your voice. Share, “I know Heavenly Father hears my prayers. He hears you too, every time.”
  3. Whisper each child’s name, like “Heavenly Father hears you, Emma.” That child cups an ear and smiles.
  4. Invite them to show their family their prayer arms this week. Help a child say the closing prayer by whispering the words.

Class screen: 💛 Heavenly Father hears you! · Pray each night this week

7. Game

What’s Hiding? Mystery Picture

3 minBONUS

A picture reveal reviews the story if you have a few extra minutes.

  1. SAY“A picture from our story is hiding! Let’s find out what it is.”
  2. Open Mystery Picture. Call out a “show me,” like “Show me prayer arms!” Tap away a tile after each one.
  3. Let everyone guess. When the picture shows, tell that part of the story together.
🧩 Mystery Picture (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🖼️ What’s hiding?

8. Game

Picture Quiz

4 minBONUS

A gentle picture quiz reviews the story. Everybody wins.

  1. SAY“Picture quiz time! Listen, then point to the right picture.”
  2. Open Scripture Showdown. Read each question and point to each picture. Kids point or call out the answer.
  3. Cheer every right answer. Skip team scores if they cause tears. With Sunbeams, everybody wins.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Picture quiz!

The story

The Baby Who Was Worth the Wait

Luke 1:5–25, 57–64 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Writing HelperSits by you and draws a big J on the notepad in scene 6. They can also draw it in the air.
  • Sound HelperTaps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet with your help.

Scenes

  1. 🙏👵 They prayed for a baby

    Zacharias and Elisabeth loved Heavenly Father. They wanted a baby so much. So they prayed and prayed.

    🙌

  2. ⏳👴 They waited and waited

    They waited a long, long time. They got old, like grandmas and grandpas. But they kept on praying.

    🙌

  3. 👼🏛️ An angel in the temple!

    One day Zacharias was working in the temple. An angel came and said, “Thy prayer is heard!”

    🙌 Cup your ear. Say it back: “Thy prayer is heard!”

  4. 🤐✋ Shhh! Zacharias can’t talk

    Zacharias wasn’t sure he believed the angel. So he could not talk until the baby came. Not one word!

    🙌 Finger on your lips. Say it back softly: “Shhh!”

  5. 👶💛 Baby John is born!

    Heavenly Father heard their prayers! Elisabeth had a baby boy. Everyone was so happy!

    🙌

  6. ✏️📝 “His name is John.”

    Zacharias wrote, “His name is John.” Then he could talk again! He praised God.

    🙌 Draw a big J in the air. Say it back: “His name is John!”

  7. 🙏👂 Heavenly Father hears me too

    You can pray too, anytime. Heavenly Father hears you, just like He heard Zacharias and Elisabeth.

    🙌 Say it back: “Heavenly Father hears me!”

Key verse

Luke 1:13 ↗
“thy prayer is heard”
In kid words: Heavenly Father heard your prayer!
🙌 “thy prayer” = fold your arms · “is heard” = cup a hand behind your ear and smile big

More verses

Luke 1:37 ↗
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
In kid words: Heavenly Father can do anything!
Luke 1:41 ↗
“the babe leaped”
In kid words: Baby John jumped for joy!
Luke 1:31 ↗
“call his name JESUS”
In kid words: The angel said Mary’s baby would be named Jesus.

Forehead Guess words12 words

  • 👶 Baby
  • 👼 Angel
  • 🙏 Prayer
  • 🏛️ Temple
  • 👂 Ear
  • 👴 Grandpa
  • 👵 Grandma
  • ✏️ Pencil
  • 🦘 Kangaroo
  • 💛 Heart
  • 🌙 Moon
  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Family
Clues for each word
  • Baby: Elisabeth prayed for one
  • Angel: Gabriel brought happy news
  • Prayer: Fold your arms and talk to Heavenly Father
  • Temple: Where Zacharias saw the angel
  • Ear: Heavenly Father hears us
  • Grandpa: Zacharias was old like this
  • Grandma: Elisabeth was old like this
  • Pencil: Zacharias wrote “His name is John”
  • Kangaroo: Jumps like happy baby John
  • Heart: Heavenly Father loves us
  • Moon: We pray before bed
  • Family: Something to thank Heavenly Father for
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown7 questions

  1. What did Zacharias and Elisabeth pray for?
    • A. 👶 A baby
    • B. 🚲 A bike
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 👶 A baby They prayed for a baby for a long, long time.

  2. Who came to the temple with happy news?
    • A. 🐶 A puppy
    • B. 👼 An angel
    • C. 🤡 A clown
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 👼 An angel The angel Gabriel said, “Your prayer is heard!”

  3. Who hears our prayers?
    • A. 🐟 A fish
    • B. 🙏 Heavenly Father
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🙏 Heavenly Father Heavenly Father hears every prayer, even whisper ones!

  4. What couldn’t Zacharias do for a while?
    • A. 🤐 Talk
    • B. 🍌 Eat
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🤐 Talk He couldn’t talk until baby John was born.

  5. What did baby John do when Mary came?
    • A. 😴 Slept
    • B. 😭 Cried
    • C. 🦘 Jumped for joy
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 🦘 Jumped for joy Baby John leaped for joy!

  6. What name did Zacharias write?
    • A. 🐻 Teddy
    • B. 👶 John
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 👶 John He wrote “His name is John,” and then he could talk again!

  7. Which one is prayer arms?
    • A. 🙆 Arms up high
    • B. 🙏 Arms folded
    • C. 🤸 Cartwheel
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🙏 Arms folded We fold our arms, bow our heads and close our eyes to pray.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • A Child’s Prayer Children’s Songbook, p. 12

    Zacharias and Elisabeth prayed, and Heavenly Father heard them. Sing it after the Thank-You Roll if there’s time. Find it ↗

  • We Bow Our Heads Children’s Songbook, p. 25

    A short, gentle song to settle the room before the closing prayer. Find it ↗

  • Do As I’m Doing Children’s Songbook, p. 276

    The wiggle song after Baby John’s jump for joy. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Prayer Arms at Home

Show your family your prayer arms! Say a little prayer each night and thank Heavenly Father for one thing. He hears you!

Text the parents

Today in Sunbeams we learned that Heavenly Father hears our prayers. Zacharias and Elisabeth prayed a long time for a baby. An angel said, “Thy prayer is heard.” That’s Luke 1:13. Baby John was born, and he even jumped for joy before he was born! Ask your child, “Who hears your prayers?” Let them show you their prayer arms before bed.

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🖍️ Thank-You Prayer Drawing · 5 min

  1. Give each child a paper and crayons.
  2. Say, “Draw something you can thank Heavenly Father for.” Family, pets, food, and sunshine are all great.
  3. Write “Heavenly Father hears me” at the top. Parents can read it at home.
  4. Let each child hold up their drawing and say, “Thank you, Heavenly Father!”

🤐 Quiet Like Zacharias · 2 min

  1. Say, “Zacharias couldn’t talk for a long time! Can we be quiet like Zacharias?”
  2. Everyone puts a finger on their lips. Talk only with your hands. Wave hello, point up, give a thumbs up, and make a heart.
  3. Open Noise Meter if you like. Can you be quieter than a mouse?
  4. Say, “We can pray in our hearts with no words out loud, and Heavenly Father still hears!”

✏️ Draw & Guess · 3 min

  1. Open Draw & Guess. You draw a word from this lesson on your phone or tablet.
  2. Kids shout what they think it is, like a baby, an angel, or praying hands.
  3. At the end, let a brave child add a scribble or some color.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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