Ask
WELCOME TO WEEK 4
What things do you ask for on your birthday or at Christmas? Do you ask your mom or dad for water to drink or for a new favorite toy? Do you ask for the things you need or for the things you want? We all have wants, but we also have things that we need and God knows what they are. God wants to answer our prayers and provide for us. This week we will see how we can trust God will provide for us, even when it is in an unusual way!
BIBLE STORY
We all have things that we like to use or have and then things that we need. These are called needs and wants. Some things are necessary for us to live and other things bring us pleasure or delight. God wants to provide for us what we need as well as delightful things. Let's see if you can decide between a need and a want. Listen to the following items and decide if it’s a need or a want.
Food
Soda
A favorite dress
Shoes
Fruit
A new football
Basketball shoes
Your favorite movie
A bed
Water
Juice
Sunshine
Vegetables
We all have needs that God is able to supply. He answers our prayers for what we need, even when it is not the way we expected. We can trust God to provide for our needs. This week we will read a story about Elisha and the prophets during a time of famine. Elisha knew the men needed to eat and had his servants prepare a large stew to feed them, but what his servants found was not good to eat. God told them what to do in order to make the stew edible. God did not leave them to starve but provided a way for them to eat. God gave them a simple task to make the stew good to eat. Let’s read the story for this week to see what God told them to do in order for them to eat the stew during a time of famine.
Read or listen to the scripture II Kings 4:38-44
What was happening in Gilgal when Elisha returned? (A famine)
What did Elisha tell his servant to do for the prophets? (Put on a large pot of stew)
What did the servant gather from the fields? (Herbs, a wild vine, and gourds)
The servant served the food but what did the prophet say about the food? (There is death in the pot)
What did they put into the pot so they could eat it? (They added flour)
How many loaves of bread did they bring to Elisha? (20 loaves)
What did Elisha decide to do with the bread? (Share it with the people)
Was there enough food to feed everyone? (There was enough to eat with left overs)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
All living things need to eat to survive. God provides for our needs and he also provides food for the animals as well. We all eat different things which keep balance in the food chain. Play this game of memory match. Match the animal with the type of food they eat!
Materials: printed memory game cut out, scissors
Alternate
In the story of Elisha and the famine, there was a famine in Gilgal and Elisha wanted to feed the prophets. His told his servant to make a pot of stew but what he gathered was not good to eat. God provided for their needs by making the stew good to eat and providing enough bread for everyone, with some left over. Let’s go on a scavenger hunt in our backyard to gather some items. God has provided everything we need, and we can use the things God has placed in nature. Print the following scavenger hunt in or outside of the house and discuss how we use these items in our lives.
Materials: printed scavenger hunt, pencil
Independent activity:
Complete this activity sheet deciding which is a need or a want. Color the pictures that are a need that God provides.
Materials: printed activity sheet
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Coloring page
Materials: handprint, construction paper, scissors
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
What are some things God provides for you?
What are some things that are your needs?
What are some of your wants?
How did God provide for Elisha and the prophets?
Does God always answer every prayer request we make?
Did Elisha expect God to answer his prayer for food by adding flour to the pot?
How does God work in our lives in unexpected ways?
How can we be ready to listen and obey God even when His answer is not what we expected?
Practical Application at Home
We all have needs and wants that God wants to give us, but what He wants most of all is for us to need and want Him. It is okay to ask God for the things we want along with the things we need, but we should remember that we need God above all other things. Elisha and the prophets depended on God to provide the food they needed during the famine. God can provide for our needs but He also wants to provide for our wants as well. Not every answer from God is a yes, it may sometimes be a no or wait. Even if we do not get the answer we wanted, we can trust that God will provide what He knows is best for us.
With your child, make a list of your needs and wants. List them in order of importance for you. Think of how God has already provided some of those things, and then pray that you will be open to how He will answer the rest.
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?