Children learn that God hears prayers and keeps his promises, even when people around us make bad choices. In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah thanks God for giving her a son, and young Samuel grows up serving God while Eli’s sons do wrong. This lesson works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God hears our prayers, and he can be trusted to take care of us and keep his promises, even when the people around us are not doing what is right.
Memory Verse
1 Samuel 2:2
There is no one as holy as the LORD, For there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.
(WEB)
Put one hand on your heart, then lift both arms up high on the word “holy.” Say the verse slowly with the motion, and let the children copy you until they know it by heart.
The Story: 1 Samuel 2 for Kids
Hannah was a woman who wanted a baby more than anything. For a long time she prayed at the house of the LORD in Shiloh, asking God to give her a son. She was so sad that she cried while she prayed. God heard her, and in time she had a baby boy. She named him Samuel, which means “asked of God,” because she had asked God for him.
When Samuel was old enough, Hannah kept her promise. She took him to the tent of the LORD and gave him to Eli the priest to help serve God there. Every year she made Samuel a little robe and brought it to him when she came to worship. Hannah then sang a happy song of praise, saying that there is no one as holy as the LORD and that he is a rock we can always trust.
Eli had two sons named Hophni and Phinehas, who also worked as priests. But they were very wicked and did not know the LORD. They took meat from the people for themselves in a rude way, and they did not respect God’s offerings. Eli heard about it and told them, “Why do you do such things? This is not good.” But his sons did not listen to their father.
While these bad things were happening, young Samuel kept growing. He served the LORD and pleased God and the people around him. God also gave Hannah more children, three sons and two daughters. God had seen Hannah’s faithfulness, and he blessed her for it.
God sent a man to tell Eli that his family would be punished for their wrong choices, because they had honored their sons more than God. God promised that he would raise up a faithful priest who would do what was in his heart. God always keeps his word, even when people do not.
Read It Together
1 Samuel 2:1
Hannah prayed, and said: “My heart exults in the LORD! My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
(WEB)
Point out that Hannah’s prayer begins with joy. Ask the children to notice the words “my heart exults in the LORD,” and talk about times we feel happy because God has helped us.
1 Samuel 2:21
The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before the LORD.
(WEB)
Show the children how God blessed Hannah with more children after she gave Samuel back to him. Explain that God rewards faithfulness, and that his blessings are often greater than we expect.
1 Samuel 2:26
The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with the LORD, and also with men.
(WEB)
Point out that Samuel grew both in favor with the LORD and with people. Remind the children that they can grow in God’s favor by choosing kind and faithful actions each day.
Talk About It
- What did Hannah ask God for, and how did she feel while she was praying?
- What did Hannah do after God gave her Samuel, and why do you think she did it?
- How did Samuel behave while he was living at the house of the LORD?
- What did Eli’s sons do that made God unhappy, and what should they have done instead?
- How can you show God that you trust him to take care of you, even when things feel hard?
Activity Ideas
Hannah’s Praise Drawing
Give each child a sheet of paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask them to draw a picture of Hannah giving Samuel a little robe, or a picture of something they are thankful to God for. Write the memory verse across the bottom so they can take it home. Let the children share their pictures with the group.
Hand on the Heart Game
Have the children stand in a circle. Call out a word from the story, like “prayer,” “robe,” or “trust,” and have them move in a simple way that matches the word. For example, they can fold their hands for prayer or stretch their arms out high for “holy.” Mix in the memory verse motion so the children practice it while they move.
Thankful Jar at Home
You will need an empty jar or box, paper strips, and a pen. Each day, have the family write one thing they are thankful for on a strip of paper and drop it into the jar. Read the notes together at dinner or bedtime, and remind the children that Hannah trusted God to answer her prayers.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God hears the cries of his people and keeps his promises, even when those around us stray from him. Hannah’s song is a model of gratitude and trust, and Samuel’s faithful service shows that God is at work in ordinary, faithful lives. The chapter also warns that God takes his worship seriously and will hold leaders accountable for how they treat what belongs to him.
Be careful not to suggest to children that God gives us everything we ask for in exactly the way we want. Hannah’s answer came in God’s timing, and the lesson is more about trusting God’s faithfulness than about getting a guaranteed result. Keep the focus on God’s character rather than on a promise of specific outcomes.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for hearing our prayers, just as you heard Hannah’s. Help us to trust you when things feel hard, and help us to grow like Samuel, serving you faithfully every day. Thank you that you always keep your promises. Amen.
