This lesson teaches children that God sees everything we do, even the things nobody else notices, and that he loves to reward a heart that wants to please him rather than impress people. It suits children aged roughly 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the reading and one activity.
Big Idea
God sees what we do in secret, and he cares more about a loving heart than about being noticed by people. When we help, pray or give quietly for Jesus, God is pleased, even if no one ever claps.
Memory Verse
Matthew 6:4
So that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
(WEB)
Cup both hands together like a little box, then hold them close to your heart. Whisper the verse slowly with the children, and as you say the word “secret,” lower your voice and tap your heart twice. Ask them to do it with you until it feels like a game.
The Story: Matthew 6 for Kids
Jesus was speaking to a crowd of people on a hillside, and he wanted them to know something important about their hearts. Some people liked to do good things so that everyone would notice and admire them. They would give money loudly in the market and pray on street corners where others could see. Jesus told the crowd that these people already had all the attention they were going to get.
Then Jesus told them a better way. When you help someone, he said, do it quietly, so that even your closest friend does not see the whole thing. When you talk to God, go into a quiet room, shut the door and speak to your Father. Your Father sees what happens in secret, and he is the one who rewards you.
Jesus also taught his friends how to pray. He gave them a short prayer that starts with “Our Father in heaven,” asks for daily bread, and asks God to forgive us as we forgive others. Jesus wanted his listeners to know that God is near and that he hears them. Then Jesus said something children can remember easily: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus went on to talk about worry. He pointed to the birds of the sky, which do not plant or store food, yet God feeds them. He pointed to the wildflowers in the field, which do not work or sew, yet God dresses them beautifully. Jesus asked his friends, “Aren’t you of much more value than they?” God cares for them much more than he cares for the birds and flowers.
At the end of the lesson, Jesus told everyone to seek God’s kingdom first. He said that God would take care of the things they needed. Jesus wanted his friends to trust their Father, one day at a time, and to stop being so afraid about tomorrow.
Read It Together
Matthew 6:6
But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
(WEB)
Point out the little room with the door closed. Ask the children where they might go to talk to God quietly, such as their bedroom, a corner of the couch or the car. Explain that God hears us anywhere, and that a quiet place can help us focus on him.
Matthew 6:26
See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
(WEB)
Ask the children to look out a window or picture some birds in a tree. Remind them that God feeds the birds, and that Jesus says children matter even more to God than birds do. Let them name one thing God gives them each day.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
(WEB)
Show how the words “seek first” mean putting God at the top of our list. Explain that loving God and asking him to help us come before everything else, and that he promises to care for what we need.
Talk About It
- What is one good thing you could do this week that nobody would have to know about?
- Why do you think Jesus said some people were already rewarded when they wanted to be seen?
- How does it feel to know that God sees you even when no one else does?
- What kinds of worries sometimes creep into your mind, and what could you tell God about them?
- What did Jesus teach about where our treasure should be, and what treasure do you think lasts forever?
Activity Ideas
Secret Heart Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child draw a large heart and then draw one small secret kindness inside it, such as making a bed or sharing a snack. Let them fold the heart in half and tuck it into a pocket or lunchbox so they can remember that God sees their secret acts of love.
Birds and Lilies Freeze Game
Clear some open space in your room or yard. Call out “birds” and have the children flap their arms and flutter around, then call out “flowers” and have them stand still and slowly open their arms like petals. When you call “worry,” the children gently shake their heads, and when you call “trust,” they stretch their arms wide. Play a few rounds and talk about how God takes care of everything.
Quiet Room Jar
You will need a clean jar, small slips of paper and a pencil. Ask each child to write or draw one thing they want to say to God quietly and place it in the jar. Keep the jar in a special spot at home or in class, and open it together once a week to pray about the notes. This helps children see that God hears their secret prayers and cares about them.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is a call to sincere, unseen faithfulness. Jesus confronts the desire to be admired for religious acts and invites believers to pray, give and fast with a heart directed toward the Father. He then ties this to trust, showing that anxiety about food and clothing is answered by seeking God’s kingdom and relying on his care.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the idea that God always gives us good things or that trusting him means nothing bad will happen. Focus on the reality that God sees, loves and provides, and that he is faithful to his children. Keep the emphasis on relationship rather than on rewards or outcomes.
A Prayer to Close
Father in heaven, thank you for seeing everything we do, even the things no one else notices. Help us love you more than we love being praised, and help us trust you with our worries today. Teach us to talk to you quietly and to seek your kingdom first. Amen.
