In this lesson, children learn that they can always call out to God when they are hurting, sad, or sorry for something they did wrong, and that God hears them. It suits children aged about 5 to 11 and takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the activities.
Big Idea
God hears us when we are hurting, and we can always ask Him for help, even when we have done wrong and need to say sorry.
Memory Verse
Psalm 38:15
For in you, the LORD, do I hope. You will answer, Lord my God.
(WEB)
Teach children to cup both hands together in front of their chests, then open them slowly outward like a door opening, as if sending a message up to God. Say the verse together while doing the motion, then repeat it with the motion only.
The Story: Psalm 38 for Kids
King David wrote this song to God when he was in a great deal of trouble. His body felt weak and sore, and his heart felt heavy. He knew that some of his trouble had come from his own mistakes, and he felt very sad about them.
David also had enemies. Some of them were people who had been friendly with him, but now they stayed far away from him when he was sick and hurting. Other people set traps for him and said unkind things about him all day long. David felt like he could not hear or speak back to them, because he was so worn out.
Even so, David did not stop talking to God. He prayed, “Lord, you will answer me.” He trusted that God was listening even when no one else around him was kind. David was honest with God about his pain and about the wrong things he had done, and he did not hide any of it.
David also asked God to stay close and not to go far away. He said, “Please don’t leave me, my God.” He told God that he needed help right away, and he called God his salvation, which means the one who rescues and saves him.
This is a song of someone who was hurting, who felt guilty, and who needed God to come close. David shows us that God is not too far away to listen. We can bring God our true feelings, both the sad ones and the sorry ones.
Read It Together
Psalm 38:9
Lord, all my desire is before you. My groaning is not hidden from you.
(WEB)
Point out that David says God already knows everything he wants and feels, and that nothing is hidden from Him. Ask children what it feels like to know that someone already knows what is wrong, and how that might make them feel safe.
Psalm 38:18
For I will declare my iniquity. I will be sorry for my sin.
(WEB)
Show children that David is honest about his mistakes and says he is sorry. Explain that saying sorry to God is a good and brave thing to do, and that God is ready to forgive us when we ask.
Psalm 38:21-22
21 Don’t forsake me, the LORD. My God, don’t be far from me. 22 Hurry to help me, Lord, my salvation.
(WEB)
Point to the words where David asks God not to go far away and to hurry and help him. Help children see that asking for help quickly is something they can do any time, whether they are scared, sick, or sad.
Talk About It
- What is something that made you feel really sad or hurt, and who did you tell about it?
- Why do you think David felt lonely when his friends stayed away from him?
- How does it feel to know that God already knows everything about you?
- When is a time you had to say sorry for something you did, and how did it help?
- What is one way you can ask God for help this week when you feel scared or sad?
Activity Ideas
Heart Message Drawing
Give each child a sheet of paper, crayons or markers, and a small sticky note. Ask them to draw a picture of something that makes them feel sad or sorry, then fold the paper in half and tape it shut like a letter. Explain that they are sending this message to God, who hears every word and sees every picture.
Help Me Hurry Game
Set up two cones or chairs at one end of the room, and have children stand at the other end. Call out a feeling, such as “lonely,” “scared,” or “sorry,” and children run to the cones and say together, “Lord, hurry to help me.” Let each child take a turn calling out a feeling. Keep it fast and joyful.
Prayer Card for Home
Cut index cards in half, and give each child a card, a pencil, and a sticker or small piece of tape. Have them write or draw “God hears me” on one side and the memory verse motion on the other. Encourage them to tape the card to their bedroom door or bathroom mirror and to say a short prayer each morning or night.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this psalm is one of the seven penitential psalms, in which David pours out honest grief over his sin and his suffering, and asks God for mercy and nearness. It shows that faith can include confession, pain, and pleading, not only praise. Adults can take comfort that God welcomes raw honesty, and that prayer does not need to be polished to be heard.
Be careful not to suggest to children that every sickness or hard thing happening to them is a punishment for something they did wrong. David makes his own connection between his sin and his suffering, but the wider Bible also teaches that God does not always work that way, so keep the focus on God’s nearness and help rather than on blame.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, we know that you hear us when we are sad, sorry, or hurting. Thank you for being close to us and for never hiding from us. Help us to tell you the truth about how we feel, and help us to ask you for help quickly. We trust you to listen and to rescue us. Amen.
