This lesson teaches children that God sees our needs and provides for us, even when we feel like we have very little. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God takes care of His people. He can make a little bit go a long way, and He cares about our small and big problems alike.
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)
Teach the children to hold both hands out flat, palms up, like they are receiving something. Then cross their arms over their chest, as if giving a hug to someone who needs help. Repeat the verse together, moving hands out and then across the chest on each phrase.
The Story: 2 Kings 4 for Kids
A poor woman came to the prophet Elisha, crying. Her husband had died, and she had no money left to pay the debts he owed. A man who loaned money was coming to take her two sons away to be his servants. She said, “My husband feared the LORD, and now I have nothing left.”
Elisha asked her, “What do you have in your house?” She said, “Only a jar of oil.” Elisha told her to go and borrow empty jars from all of her neighbors. She should not borrow just a few. Then she must shut the door and pour oil into every jar.
She did exactly what Elisha told her. She shut the door with her sons inside and began to pour. The oil kept flowing, and jar after jar was filled. Her son said, “Bring me another jar.” But he said, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped.
The woman went back to Elisha and told him everything. He said, “Go and sell the oil. Pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left.” God had provided exactly what she needed, and her family was saved from losing everything.
Later, Elisha visited a kind woman in the town of Shunem. She and her husband made a little room on their roof for him to rest. Elisha wanted to thank her, and he promised that she would have a son, even though she had no children and her husband was old. She could hardly believe it, but a baby boy was born just as Elisha had said.
Years later, the boy became very sick in the field and died. His mother went quickly to find Elisha. Elisha prayed to the LORD and laid himself upon the child. The boy’s body grew warm, and he sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. His mother bowed down in thankfulness, and she took her son in her arms.
Read It Together
2 Kings 4:2-3
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.” 3 Then he said, “Go, borrow empty containers from of all your neighbors. Don’t borrow just a few containers.
(WEB)
Point out that Elisha asked the woman what she already had before he told her what to do. God often uses the small things we have, like a jar of oil, to do something big. Ask the children what small thing they have that they could share.
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 the woman was amazed by God’s promise, and God kept His word exactly as He said. Remind them that God always keeps His promises, even when we find them hard to believe.
2 Kings 4:43-44
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 to the servant’s doubt and God’s answer. Twenty small loaves fed a hundred men with food left over. Explain that nothing is too small for God to multiply when He chooses to bless.
Talk About It
- What did the poor woman have in her house, and how did God use it?
- Why do you think Elisha told her to borrow so many jars?
- How do you think the woman felt when the oil stopped flowing?
- What did the Shunammite woman do to show kindness to Elisha?
- When have you seen God take care of you or your family?
Activity Ideas
Oil Jar Craft
You will need paper cups, crayons or markers, and a few cotton balls. Have each child draw a jar on the cup and color it. Then they can glue cotton balls on top to show the oil spilling over. Ask them to name one thing God has given them, and write it on the cup.
Pour and Fill Game
Fill a bucket or large bowl with water, and set out several small cups. Have children take turns carrying cups of water from a small tub to the big bowl. Count together how many cups it takes to fill it. Talk about how God can multiply what we have, even when it seems like too little.
Take-Home Reminder Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. They can write or draw one thing they have and one way they could share it this week. Encourage them to tape the card to their bedroom door or their lunchbox as a reminder that God provides and that we can share with others.
Teacher Notes
This passage shows that God cares about the practical needs of ordinary people, from debts and hunger to the grief of losing a child. He often works through what we already have, and He keeps His promises even when they seem impossible. For adults, it is a reminder to bring our small resources to God and trust Him with the outcome.
Avoid suggesting to children that if they pray hard enough or give enough, God will always give them whatever they want. The story shows God’s faithful provision, but it is not a formula for getting everything we ask for. Keep the focus on God’s care and trustworthiness rather than on guaranteed results.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for seeing our needs and caring for us every day. Help us remember that You can use even the small things we have. Teach us to trust You and to share what we have with others. Amen.
