Transcripts: Become Jehovah's Friend. Video Lessons

Transcript: Animated Series: Lesson 43. Does Jehovah answer prayers?
[Become Jehovah’s friend Series. Lesson 43. Does Jehovah answer prayers? Psalm 4:3. Sophia hides in the elementary school janitor’s closet. Light shines through the door grate into the dark room]
Angela: Hey, Sophia, we know you’re in there.
Sophia: Please, Jehovah, make it stop!
[A fist holding a lollipop pounds the door]
Zoe: Heh, heh, heh.
Angela: What a loser!
Zoe: Loser.
Angela: Let’s go.
Zoe: Yeah, let’s get out of here.
[Crouched down next to a yellow mop bucket, Sophia’s eyes shift. Wearing a backpack, she nervously peeks around the door. Then dashes down the hall past a water fountain. Sophia sneaks into the classroom]
Teacher: All right, class, today we’re going to discuss, Sophia? You’re late.
Sophia: I’m sorry. Uh, I was
Teacher: Never mind. We’ll talk about this later.
Class: Oooooooooo.
Teacher: OK, OK. That’s enough. Sophia, take your seat.
[She darts to her desk]
Today, we’re going to discuss the difference between division and long division.
[She looks around, then drops her head in her hands. Another day]
OK, class. Here are the results from yesterday’s test. Good work, Sophia.
[Smiling, Sophia beams at the score of 94%]
Boy: Hey, Angela. What did you get?
Angela: I don’t care.
[Angela rolls her eyes]
Boy: Whoa! D plus? Well, at least there’s a plus.
[He blinks]
Angela: Whatever.
[She glares at Sophia]
What are you looking at?
Sophia: Uh, hehe.
[Sophia turns away hiding her head with her test. Angela narrows her eyes then crumbles her test. After class, Sophia quickly moves down the school hallway, hugging her books and butterfly pen]
Angela: Sophia.
[As she runs toward the exit her eyes shift in a panic. Rushing through the door the top of her pen with the springy butterfly wiggles. At the sight of the school bus, she sighs with relief. Suddenly she is shoved from behind, Sophia, her books, and her pen crash to the ground. Angela sucking on her purple lollipop]
Sophia: Uhhh! Uhhh!
Angela: Oops! I didn’t see you there. It’s like you’re invisible.
[She taunts with her two friends, then eyes the pen]
Angela: Oh, what’s this?
[She stomps on it]
Sophia: No!
[Sophia raises her hand in protest]
Angela: See you tomorrow
Classmate: Loser!
[With a smirk, Angela flicks her straight black hair, pops her lollipop in her mouth and struts away. Gently Sophia picks up the butterfly pieces. Her friend Zoe runs to her side]
Zoe: Are you OK? Let me help.
[Zoe gathers the books]
Sometimes they pick on me too.
[Still on their knees Sophia looks up at her friend and Zoe puts an arm around Sophia]
[Now at the dinner table with mom, dad and brother Caleb]
Caleb: It was amazing! And then Ms. Wilson said I could hold the bunny, but I had to be very gentle.
Dad: ""Really?'
[Caleb nods]
Caleb: I named him Fred. But I didn’t get to hold him for very long. I’m pretty much a bunny expert now
[Mom notices sad Sophia]
Mom: Oh! Is everything all right, Honey?
Sophia: Um . . .
[She remembers Angela]
Angela: See you tomorrow.
[Flicking her hair and putting the lollipop in her mouth]
Sophia: I’m fine.
[Downcast she pushes her plate away. Mom and dad exchange glances. In the living room during family worship]
Dad: ""OK. Let’s talk about something very important: prayer.
[Dad briefly looks at Sophia]
Caleb, what are some things that you can pray for?
Caleb: Well, I can pray for things that make me happy
[He imagines]
like a helicopter or a mountain of ice cream
[He jumps into the giant sundae, then burps]
uh, without the bellyache
[A grey bunny pops up behind his head]
and Fred!
[He snuggles Fred]
Dad: I see. But tell me: When we pray before bedtime, what do we pray for?
[Caleb contemplates]
Caleb: We thank Jehovah for the good things he made like, like, animals, the stars, and the ocean
[His arms gesture]
and God’s Kingdom and to help our brothers and sisters!
Dad: That’s right! You can pray for your brothers and sisters. And remember, they are praying for you too. We know that when we pray for the right things, Jehovah hears us!
Sophia: Then why doesn’t he answer my prayers?
Dad: Oh! What’s wrong, Sophia? You can tell us.
[Sophia curled up in a chair]
Sophia: There’s a girl at school. She’s so mean to me.
[Caleb listens]
Mom: Oh, no! Oh, Honey, it’s OK.
[Mom kneels down and holds Sophia’s arm]
Sophia: I prayed for it to stop, but nothing’s happened.
[Her eyes widen]
Is Jehovah mad at me?
Dad: No, my dear. Jehovah isn’t mad at you.'
[Dad kneels down]
Sophia: Maybe Jehovah can’t see me!
Mom: No!
[On the chair she hugs her knees and curls up]
Dad: There is someone in the Bible who felt the same way you do. Her name was Hannah.
[Dad opens the Bible. Hannah and family travel down a path]
Hannah loved Jehovah very much.
[Children bump her and then dash by]
Child: Hey, wait for me!
Dad: But someone named Peninnah was very mean to her.'
[Holding a baby]
Peninnah: It’s so nice to see the children play,
isn’t it?
[She shoots Hannah a snide look]
Sophia: She had a bully too?
Dad: Yes.
[Elkanah walks through a camp and approaches a tent]
Elkanah: We’re ready to eat. Here’s your portion, Hannah.
[Large portion]
And Peninnah, here’s yours.
[Smaller portion]
Dad: She was very jealous of Hannah.
[Hannah stares at her plate. Peninnah looks past her plate and glares]
Elkanah: Ah, I’ll get some water.
[He fidgets then leaves]
Peninnah: You think you’re so special, Hannah? Then why hasn’t Jehovah given you any children?
[Hannah frowns holding only her plate. Peninnah holds her baby. Elkanah strides to Hannah’s side]
Elkanah: Are you OK, Hannah? Why are you so sad?
Dad: Others could not understand why Hannah was so upset because the pain was in her heart.
[Hannah droops]
So, she talked to the One who would understand.
[At Jehovah’s temple a priest watches her from afar. In the courtyard she falls to the ground weeping. Getting up her lips tremble, hands gesture and head falls]
Hannah: O Jehovah, please, see me.
[She holds her heart]
Remember me. And do not forget me.
[Her tears fall]
Please give me a child. If you do, I will give him to you all his life to serve you.
[Her lips quiver. The priest gets up from his chair and rushes to Hannah]
Priest: What are you doing? Why are you drunk?
Hannah: I’m not drunk. I’m under great stress.
[His eyes soften]
High Priest: Oh.
Hannah: I’ve been praying for Jehovah to help me.
[Gently he smiles]
Priest: Go in peace, and may Jehovah give you what you’ve asked for.
[She wipes a tear, and her eyes brighten, then she looks heavenward]
Dad: Do you know why Hannah felt better even though her prayer wasn’t answered yet?
Sophia: Why?
Dad: Because Hannah knew Jehovah heard her prayer.
[Sophia relaxes]
Mom: When Jehovah listens to your prayers,
he really listens. And he knows just what we need even better than we do.
Sophia: But how does he answer them?
Mom: In lots of different ways. Sometimes, we just have to wait and see.
Sophia: Because he’s busy?
Dad: No. Because it can be hard for us
to see the answer. Let’s talk about what you can pray for . . .
Mom: . . . and what you can do tomorrow at school to work along with those prayers.
[She nods yes. Passing her room Caleb peers in]
Sophia: I know that Angela and the other girls are going to be mean to me. But please help me to be like Hannah tomorrow. Help me to be strong like her.’
[Caleb’s eyes get big. Now at School Sophia and Zoe stroll]
Sophia: And then she went to the tabernacle, and Eli was there. He was the high priest.
[A candy wrapper pulled off a purple lollipop is thrown toward a garbage can but lands on the floor. The gang struts. A redhead cleans her glasses and a short girl in a purple sweatshirt adjusts her headphones. Angela swaggers between them popping her purple lollipop in her mouth]
Classmate: Oh, no! It’s them! Run!
[Sophia and Zoe stare at the gang]
Angela: Look who it is.
[Angela stands with her hand on her hip and the lollipop in her mouth. Sophia’s shoulders lift. Children gather and encircle the girls and Caleb tries to get closer]
Classmates: Look over there. It’s them!
Classmates: What do you think she did?
Classmates: What did she say?
Classmates: Is there about to be a fight?
Classmates: Angela would win.
Sophia: What do you want, Angela?
Angela: Oh, I was just wondering if you had a pen that I can borrow.
[She looks back at her friends and they snicker. Frustrated Caleb turns away]
Caleb: Agh! What do I do?
[but then remembers]
Dad: Jehovah heard her prayer.
[He closes his eyes and bows his head]
Caleb: Jehovah, it’s me, Caleb. Please help Sophia.
[A golden bubble encloses around Caleb and ascends with others and their golden prayer bubbles]
Dad: And please help Sophia be strong at school today.
Brother 1: Watch over the children in our congregation like Caleb and Sophia.
Sister 1: Please watch over our children.
Sister 2: Help our children make you proud, Jehovah.
Brother 2: Please, Jehovah, give our children the strength they need to face pressures.
Sophia: Jehovah, please! I need your help!
[Thousands of rising prayer bubbles]
Brother 3: “We ask you this prayer in Jesus’ name.
Combined prayers: “Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen!”
[Millions of prayer bubbles ascend to God’s throne]
Sophia: Amen.
[Sophia prays]
Angela: What? Are you gonna cry?
[Sophia holds her hand out]
Sophia: Stop, Angela. You’re being mean. And if you keep being mean, I’m going to tell.
[Angela’s eyes shift]
Angela: No, you won’t.
Sophia: Yes, I will. You can’t tell me what to do. Let’s go, Zoe.
[Sophia and Zoe Walk past the stunned bullies. Caleb elbows a boy drinking at a water fountain]
Caleb: That’s my sister!
[The boy shrugs]
Zoe: You’re so brave. How did you do that?
Sophia: I prayed for courage, and Jehovah helped me.
[With a big smile, Sophia opens a door for Zoe. On her bed Sophia reads her Bible and meditates]
Sophia: Hannah gave birth to a son and named him Samuel because as she said, . . .
Hannah: It is from Jehovah that I have asked him.
[Hannah hugs Samuel, then he walks to the Priest]
There is no one holy like Jehovah. There is no one but you.
[Sophia closes her Bible and looks up]
Sophia: Thank you, Jehovah.
[Then bows her head in prayer]
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