This lesson teaches children that God cares about every need, big or small, and that He can use whatever little we have. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God sees our needs and takes care of us, even when we have only a little. When we trust Him and obey, He can do more than we ever imagined.
Memory Verse
2 Kings 4:7
Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
(WEB)
Ask the children to hold their hands out flat, then slowly turn them up as if pouring something into a bowl. Say the verse together while the children pour pretend oil into imaginary jars, and then have them clap once as the last word is spoken.
The Story: 2 Kings 4 for Kids
One day a poor woman came to the prophet Elisha, crying. Her husband had died, and he owed money that she could not pay. The man she owed was coming to take her two sons away to work for him. She had nothing in her house except one small jar of oil.
Elisha asked her, “What do you have in your house?” She said, “Only a little oil.” Elisha told her to go and borrow many empty jars from her neighbors. “Don’t borrow just a few,” he said. Then she and her sons should shut the door and pour oil into every jar.
The woman did exactly what Elisha said. Her sons kept bringing jars, and she kept pouring. The oil kept flowing until every jar was full. “Bring me another jar,” she said to her son. He said, “There are no more jars left.” Then the oil stopped.
She went back and told Elisha. He said, “Go and sell the oil. Pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on what is left.” God had taken that little bit of oil and made enough to save her family.
Later, Elisha often visited a kind woman in the town of Shunem. She and her husband made a small room on their roof just for him, with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Elisha wanted to thank her, so he told his helper to ask her what she needed. She said she was happy with her own family, but she had no son.
Elisha told her that next year she would hold a baby boy. She could hardly believe it, but God kept His promise, and the baby was born just as Elisha had said.
Read It Together
2 Kings 4:1-2
1 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead. You know that your servant feared the LORD. Now the creditor has come to take for himself my two children to be slaves.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What should I do for you? Tell me: what do you have in the house?” She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.”
(WEB)
Point out that the woman came to God’s prophet with her problem and told him the truth. Remind the children that they can bring their worries to God too, even when they feel small.
2 Kings 4:16-17
16 He said, “At this season, when the time comes around, you will embrace a son.” She said, “No, my lord, you man of God, do not lie to your servant.” 17 The woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came around, as Elisha had said to her.
(WEB)
Show the children that God kept His word even when the woman found it hard to believe. Explain that God’s promises are always true, even when we feel surprised by them.
2 Kings 4:42-44
42 A man from Baal Shalishah came, and brought the man of God some bread of the first fruits: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. He said, “Give to the people, that they may eat.” 43 His servant said, “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give the people, that they may eat; for the LORD says, ‘They will eat, and will have some left over.’” 44 So he set it before them, and they ate, and had some left over, according to the LORD’s word.
(WEB)
Point out that a small gift of bread fed a hundred people, with food left over. Help the children see that God can stretch what we give Him to bless many others.
Talk About It
- What did the woman have in her house, and how did God use it to help her?
- Why do you think Elisha told her to borrow many jars and not just a few?
- How do you feel when you think about God knowing every need you have?
- What is something small you have that you could share with someone who needs help?
- How can you trust God when a situation feels too big to fix?
Activity Ideas
Oil Jar Craft
You will need paper cups, construction paper, glue, and crayons or markers. Have each child decorate a paper cup to look like a jar and glue a paper drop of oil on the front. As they work, talk about how God can fill something that seems empty. Let them take the jar home as a reminder of God’s care.
Pour and Fill Game
You will need a few empty cups, a bowl of water or dry rice, and a small pitcher. Divide the children into teams and have them take turns pouring from the pitcher into cups as fast as they can, while others count out loud. Each time a cup is full, remind the group that God never runs out. Keep going until everyone has had a turn.
Thank You Jar at Home
You will need a clean jar, paper slips, and a pen. Ask your child to write or draw one thing they are thankful for on a slip each day and place it in the jar. Read the slips together at the end of the week. This helps children notice how God provides for them all the time.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God cares about ordinary needs such as debt, grief, and food, not just dramatic miracles. It also shows that faith often means obeying God’s instructions even when they seem strange. The chapter reminds us that God keeps His promises and can bring life and hope into places that feel empty.
Avoid suggesting that God will always give us exactly what we ask for in the same way. Be careful not to promise children that every problem will be solved quickly or that faithful people will never face loss. Focus instead on God’s faithfulness and His presence with us.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You see every need we have, big or small. Help us trust You with what we have and share it with others. Thank You for always keeping Your promises to us. Amen.
