God strengthens Elijah
key words
biblical reference
1 Kings 19
memory verse
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b, NIV*).
lesson objective
To teach children that they can seek God in times of need.
prepare yourself to teach
Elijah went through a period of great despair after he overcame the prophets of Baal. In Chapters 18 and 19 of 1 Kings, we can see a dramatic change in attitude and in the behavior of the prophet, who went from courage to fear in an unexpected way.
After finishing with the prophets of Baal, Elijah became the target of Queen Jezebel. He fled from Israel, full of fear and despair. He went south and came to Beersheba, on the southeastern border with Judea. Abandoning the city and firing his servant, Elijah turned his back on his prophetic ministry, thinking that he had already “had enough.” In Judea, it was beyond the reach of Jezebel, but it was still in the land of the Lord.
God was not going to accept Elijah’s fear because he had prepared more work for him (vv. 15-18). Though Elijah fled, the Lord was very patient with him. God did not condemn him for being frustrated and walking with his head down. On the contrary, he was aware of his needs and provided rest, food, direction, and protection.
After sending an angel to strengthen him, God allowed Elijah to go even further into the desert, and even met him personally on Mount Horeb. It is very important that we realize how God, in spite of revealing himself through fire, wind, and an earthquake, on this occasion spoke to Elijah in a gentle and sweet way (vv. 11-13). The prophet was fearful, insecure, had left his ministry and his people behind. But God did not leave him alone and showed him that he was still with him.
adaptation
Some children face different problems that create anxiety and fears, such as divorce, unemployed parents, and violence in schools, homes, and neighborhoods. All these factors affect the lives of the youngest. There are even situations that seem trivial to adults, but can be
dangerous to the emotional stability of a young child.
Feeling down or depressed is not unusual. It is a normal part of the human experience. Poor nutrition, inadequate rest, and dramatic circumstances can trigger these reactions. This lesson will help children recognize that feelings of loneliness, sadness, and discouragement are normal.
They will discover that even heroes like Elijah experienced such situations. Finally, the lesson teaches children what to do when they feel that way. Help them feel the assurance that God will help them when they are sad, lonely or discouraged.
introduce the lesson
When do you feel sad?
Before class, prepare a circle of paper with a sad face drawn on it, or select an object to represent a “sad face.”
In class, tell the children to form a circle and give them the “sad face.” The activity is to pass the “sad face” off to each other until you, or some other child says, “Stop.” The child with the “sad face” in his hands should answer one of the following questions.
Repeat this until most of the children have participated in the game. If you want, you can add more questions:
What kinds of situations make children feel sad?
What kinds of situations make children feel lonely?
What kinds of situations make children feel discouraged?
What kinds of situations make children feel fearful?
What can children do to overcome these feelings of sadness?
What can children do to overcome these feelings of loneliness?
What can children do to overcome these feelings of discouragement?
What can children do to overcome these feelings of fearfulness?
Can children be discouraged like Elijah?
What should children do when they feel discouraged?
Reflect with them by emphasizing that the prophet Elijah did very valuable things for God. Say, “In today’s story, Elijah did not feel like a hero. This time, he felt sad, lonely, discouraged and afraid.”
teach the lesson
Briefly review what was taught in the last session. Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal and God had demonstrated his absolute sovereignty. The prophet was going through a time of anguish and despair. The queen was looking for him to kill him and he was very distressed.
Read 1 Kings 19 and prepare to tell today’s story to your children. Be familiar enough with this scripture so that you will only need to read a few key verses from the Bible as you teach. If you have visual aids, they will be very helpful. If you do not have visual aids, try to make the story more real by being expressive with your voice. Give your children Student Activity Sheet #152-A and rely on the pictures to better illustrate the development of the Bible story.
connect the lesson
Elijah was sad
Give each child Student Activity Sheet #152-A and review the Bible story with this activity.
How Do You Feel?
Give the children Student Activity Sheet #152-B and ask them to color the little face that represents how they feel right now. Then read aloud the questions at the bottom of the sheet, and let them answer by making a mark in the corresponding column. If any of the answers are “yes” they should cut the colored strip on the left side to cover the question and then ask someone to give them advice as to what they should do.
practice the memory verse
To review the memory verse, ask your children to form a circle. Stand in the middle and throw a soft ball to one of the children. The recipient should say the verse aloud and throw the ball back to you. Repeat the game until all of your children have participated.
wrap-up
Pray
Ask for their prayer requests, and pray with the children before they are dismissed.
Encourage
Conclude the class by singing a chorus that talks about trusting in God, and encourage the children to take refuge in the Lord in times of need. Encourage your children to tell others the story they learned about Elijah today.
Invite
Say something interesting about the next session and invite the little ones to return for it. Tell them that their friends are also welcome.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™