This lesson teaches children that God is the one we should go to when we are scared, and that looking for help in the wrong places never works. It is meant for children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
When we are scared, we go to God, because he is the only one who truly knows what to do. Looking for answers anywhere else leads us into trouble.
Memory Verse
1 Samuel 28:6
When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD didn’t answer him by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets.
(WEB)
Teach the children to cup both hands together, as if holding something precious, and lift them slowly up toward the sky when they say the verse. Let the motion remind them that God is someone we turn to, not someone we forget.
The Story: 1 Samuel 28 for Kids
A long time ago, a king named Saul ruled over the people of Israel. Saul had once known God well, but now he had stopped listening to God. Samuel, the prophet who had helped Saul, had died, and all of Israel mourned him. Saul himself had sent away the people who pretended to talk to the dead.
One day, the Philistines gathered a huge army to fight against Israel. When Saul saw their soldiers, he was very afraid, and his heart shook. He prayed to God for help, but God did not answer him through dreams or prophets. Saul was scared and did not know what to do.
So Saul made a secret plan. He put on plain clothes so no one would recognize him, and he went at night with two men to a woman who claimed she could call up the dead. He said to her, “Please bring up Samuel for me.” The woman was surprised, because the king had banned this kind of thing. But she did what he asked.
When Samuel appeared, the woman screamed, and she realized that her visitor was really King Saul. Samuel asked Saul, “Why have you disturbed me?” Saul told him that he was scared and that God had gone silent. Samuel gave a hard message: God had turned away from Saul because Saul had not obeyed him, and the kingdom would be given to David.
Saul fell to the ground because he was so frightened and weak. He had not eaten all day. The woman felt sorry for him, so she cooked a meal and begged him to eat. At last Saul ate, and then he and his men got up and went away into the night.
Read It Together
1 Samuel 28:15
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up?” Saul answered, “I am very distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and answers me no more, by prophets, or by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do.”
(WEB)
Point out that Saul told Samuel he was very distressed and that God no longer answered him. Explain that Saul had a choice to make about where to turn, and he turned to the wrong place.
1 Samuel 28:18
Because you didn’t obey the LORD’s voice, and didn’t execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you today.
(WEB)
Show the children that Samuel explained the trouble had come because Saul did not obey God’s voice. Remind them that obeying God is how we stay close to him, even when life feels hard.
1 Samuel 28:22
Now therefore, please listen also to the voice of your servant, and let me set a morsel of bread before you. Eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way.”
(WEB)
Notice how the woman cared for Saul and urged him to eat. Ask the children to think about how God’s people can care for others who are frightened or weak.
Talk About It
- What did Saul do when he was scared, and where did he go for help?
- Why do you think Saul stopped hearing from God, and what could he have done differently?
- How can you talk to God when you feel afraid, like Saul did?
- Who are the people God gives us to help us when we are scared or tired?
- What is one thing you can do this week to trust God instead of looking for quick answers elsewhere?
Activity Ideas
Hands Pointing Up Craft
You will need construction paper, crayons, and safety scissors. Have each child trace one hand on the paper, cut it out, and write “God is my help” across the palm. Let them take it home as a reminder to lift their hands to God when they feel afraid.
Follow the Leader Game
Ask the children to stand in a line and follow one leader who makes slow, calm movements. Then have them stop, raise their hands, and say the memory verse together. Explain that the leader stands for God, and we should follow him, not guess at other directions.
Prayer Jar at Home
You will need an empty jar, paper, and a pencil. Ask the family to write worries on slips of paper and drop them into the jar each evening, praying over them together. Explain that the jar is a place to bring fears to God instead of hiding them or seeking answers somewhere else.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that when God seems silent, the temptation is to seek comfort or answers from sources he has forbidden. Saul’s downfall came from his disobedience over many years, and his desperate search revealed how far he had drifted. The passage calls us to stay obedient and keep turning to God in prayer, even when we feel abandoned.
Avoid overstating to children that God never speaks to us through dreams or other means today, since this text is about a specific king in a specific time. Focus instead on the simple truth that God is the one we go to, and that obeying him keeps us close to him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, when we feel scared, help us remember that you are always with us. Help us not to look for answers in the wrong places, but to come to you first. Give us hearts that want to obey you. Amen.
