This lesson teaches children that God is a safe place to run to when people are mean or scary. Children ages 5 to 11 can learn it in about 20 to 30 minutes, with a short story, a memory verse, and a simple activity.
Big Idea
When people are unkind or try to hurt us, we can run to God, because He keeps us safe like a strong tower.
Memory Verse
Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength. Yes, I will sing aloud of your loving kindness in the morning. For you have been my high tower, a refuge in the day of my distress.
(WEB)
Ask the children to stand tall with arms raised high like a tower, then slowly bring their hands down to their chest as they say the last words. Let them repeat the verse together while they move, so their bodies help them remember that God is their safe place.
The Story: Psalm 59 for Kids
A man named David was in trouble. King Saul was angry at him, and Saul sent soldiers to watch David’s house. They wanted to catch him and hurt him. David had done nothing wrong, but the men were ready to attack him anyway.
David was scared, so he prayed. He said, “God, please save me from these people. Help me, because I have not done anything bad.” He asked God to lift him up high, out of reach of the enemies who wanted to hurt him.
The soldiers came back every evening. They howled like wild dogs and walked around the city, looking for David. They said mean things and thought no one could hear them. But God heard every word, and God was not afraid of them.
David knew that God was his strong tower. He could run to God and be safe, even when the enemies were loud and angry. So David decided he would not be afraid. He said, “I will sing about your strength, God. I will sing about your love every morning.”
David trusted that God would keep him safe. He thanked God for being his high tower and his shelter in hard times. Even when things felt scary, David knew God was with him.
Read It Together
Psalm 59:1
Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me.
(WEB)
Point out that David starts by asking God to deliver him, which means to rescue him. Ask the children what they might say to God when they feel scared or when someone is being unkind to them.
Psalm 59:9
Oh, my Strength, I watch for you, for God is my high tower.
(WEB)
Show the children that David calls God his Strength and his high tower. Explain that David watches for God the way we watch for a friend coming up the path, waiting with hope that God will help.
Psalm 59:10
My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph.
(WEB)
Point out that David says God’s loving kindness goes before him. Explain that this means God is already ahead of us, caring for us in every step we take.
Talk About It
- What is something that makes you feel scared, and what could you say to God about it?
- How does it feel to know that God can see and hear everything, even when no one else does?
- What does it mean that God is like a tower, and how might a tower keep someone safe?
- When someone is unkind to you, what is a good way to respond instead of getting angry?
- What is one thing you can thank God for in the morning, the way David did?
Activity Ideas
Paper Tower Craft
You will need paper, crayons, tape, and a pencil. Have each child roll a sheet of paper into a tall tube and tape it closed, then draw bricks or windows on the outside. As they work, ask them to name one way God keeps them safe, and write it on a brick or tower sign. Display the towers so the children can see how God’s strength surrounds them.
Tower Freeze Game
Gather the children in an open space and ask them to pretend they are scared people running from danger. When you call out “Tower!”, they run to the spot you point to and freeze with their arms raised high, like a strong tower. Play several rounds, and each time, say a short phrase like “God is my high tower” as the children freeze.
Take-Home Prayer Card
Give each child an index card and a marker, and ask them to draw a picture of a tower on one side. On the other side, have them write or draw one thing they want to say to God when they feel afraid. Encourage them to keep the card by their bed and read it each morning, just as David sang of God’s love in the morning.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Psalm 59 shows that God’s people can bring honest fear and pain to Him while still trusting in His protection. David asks for rescue, names his enemies, and then chooses to praise God, which teaches that worship can grow out of trust in God’s character, not just out of how we feel.
When teaching children, avoid making it sound as if God will always remove danger or stop every unkind person right away. Instead, focus on the truth that God is with us and is our safe place, even in hard situations.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You that You are our high tower and our safe place. When we feel scared or when people are unkind, help us run to You and trust You to keep us safe. Help us sing about Your love every morning. Amen.
