bible passage: 1 samuel 1—3 (hannah’s prayer and samuel) · pdf file... 1 samuel...

© 2011 David C. Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.

God Is Almighty

ScheduleAnticipate

5–10 minutes

Celebrate & RespondLarge Group

35–55 minutes

Respond & BlessSmall Group

20–25 minutes

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 1—3 (Hannah’s Prayer and Samuel)

Environment: MODELINGBiblical content needs a practical living expression in order for it to be spiritually impacting. This environment serves as a hands-on example of what it means for children to put their faith into action. Modeling puts flesh on faith and reminds us that others are watching to see if we live what we believe.

REMEMBER VERSETake my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

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© 2011 David C. Cook

EquipGod is mighty to save, mighty to heal, and mighty to love! Hannah called God the “Lord Almighty.” This was the first time this name for God was used in Scripture, though it was used many times afterward. “Lord Almighty” is translated Jehovah Tsaba, which means “Lord of Hosts.” The mood of this word in the Hebrew language describes a person who would go first or “before” into battle and fight for you—someone who is mighty and you would want to follow. It is interesting that this name—Lord of Hosts—first appears when Hannah cries out to God during her vow to dedicate her unborn child back to Him.

At the time of her prayer, Hannah had no idea God would answer her anguished cries and not only give her the child she prayed for, but also give her a child who would eventually lead Israel into a new era in which godly leaders modeled obedience to God for the people. Her son’s name was Samuel. It was Samuel who would anoint David, God’s choice for a king, the lineage from whom Jesus Christ would someday ascend.

In this way, God was not only mighty to answer Hannah’s prayers and give her a child, but also mighty to accomplish His purposes as a Sovereign ruler who went before His people into new life. Here, God’s plan for Israel’s future redemption met with Hannah’s anguished and righteous cry for a son.

So in this pivotal moment of Israel’s history, between the time of the judges and the monarchy, God granted Hannah’s request and brought forth the next step in His plan for His people—in which Samuel led the people as an obedient servant of God. God was mighty to use Samuel to usher in a new era for His people, and did so by answering the prayer of a barren woman of faith.

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ANTICIPATE | CELEBRATE | RESPOND | BLESS

Anticipate// 5–10 min.

An energizing time for parents and kids to start engaging with the material that will be presented in the lesson.

It is intentionally designed to spark curiosity and cultivate a sense of awe and wonder about God.

Encourage parents to participate in this time with their kids.

Small Group Leaders

SMALL GROuPS E C T I O N

Lead the kids through an Anticipate in which they use listening skills. These games force the kids to pay close attention to what each other is saying.

ListeningSUPPLIES• paper cups (2 per child), string (1 per child), scissors, pens, or pencils

SET UP AND ENGAGEOption 1: Telephone Game. Play the classic game of telephone. Have the kids sit in a circle. Ask one child to think of a short phrase, tongue twister, or sentence such as, “The sky is blue,” and whisper that sentence into the ear of the child next to him. Have each child whisper the sentence once into his neighbor’s ear until it reaches all of the way around the circle. Have the last child repeat the final sentence she heard and the first child repeat the original sentence. Listen for the ways the sentence will have changed since the first child spoke it.

Option 2 (for younger kids): Paper Cup Telephones. Pre-measure and cut string into about 2’ lengths. Pass out the cups and strings. Help younger kids make a small hole in the bottom of their cups with the tip of a pen or pencil. Have the kids thread each end of their strings through the holes they made in the bottoms of each cup, and knot the string. (Consider making the cup telephones ahead of time to give kids more time to explore and have fun with them.) When the kids are done, have them pair up. Have one child hold the cup to her ear while the other child speaks into the other cup. Can the child listening hear what the other is saying?

Option 3 (for older kids): Buzz. To play “Buzz,” all the kids stand. The leader gives a word, and the first person says the first letter of the word. The second person says the second letter, and, so forth, until the word is complete. The next person in line then says, “Buzz,” and the person following him is out and sits down. If a child does not know the next letter or says the wrong one, he is out. If a child goes out of turn or whispers a letter to help somebody else, she is out. The last person standing wins the game.

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Celebrate//20–35 min. Host/Storyteller

LARGE GROuPS E C T I O N


Welcome and TraditionsAfter everyone is gathered together as a large group, open with Traditions. During Traditions, you are helping the kids work toward a common goal and giving them mementos to celebrate things like memorizing the Remember Verse, inviting a friend, or bringing their Bibles.

Mementos can be anything, such as rocks, marbles, gum balls, or connecting blocks. Once the kids have been awarded their mementos, direct them to put the mementos into a container or to add them to a building effort. When the common-goal tradition is complete, have a celebration!

Birthdays A Group TraditionEach week, invite the children with upcoming or recent birthdays up for a group-singing of a birthday song and a blessing from the leader. Encourage the children to sing with their whole hearts and really celebrate the special day. Make this a tradition the kids will look forward to—one in which they will feel loved by their faith community.

ConnectConnect is a time to laugh, play, and enjoy each other’s company. Engaging questions, energizing games, and creative activities encourage the community to get to know each other.

Invite kids to ask each other the following question or one of your own. Encourage them to ask someone they might not know yet. After a minute or two, ask several kids to tell the group their friends’ answers. See the Connect Question slide in the Resource Folder.

QuestionIs there something you’ve wanted badly enough to wait a long time for?

Kids get to be a part of the faith community of God’s family.

They participate in traditions and share them with newcomers, connect through fun and interaction, and experience The Big God Story through storytelling.

REMEMBER VERSEThis is a good time to introduce or remind kids of the Remember Verse. As they arrive, open a Bible and read it together if time allows. Remember Verse cards, slides, and animation can be found in the Resource Folder.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Prayer of ReleaseAt the end of Connect, pray a Prayer of Release. This is a time for kids and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. If you would like, encourage kids to hold their hands out in front of them in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them. Encourage kids to quiet their voices and take a seat. Then ask them to pray with you.

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N O T E S : The Big God StoryStoryteller

During The Big God Story, the kids will learn about Hannah’s prayer. Though this part of The Big God Story can be delivered verbatim, read it before the lesson, so you can personally interact with the material. Share stories from your life, and speak with your own style by varying your intonation and gestures.

God Is AlmightySUPPLIES• Bible• Timeline slide and animation, verse slide: 1 Samuel 1:11 (see Resource Folder)• optional: microphone

SET UPCue slides and place optional microphone in the storytelling area.

Last week, we heard how God kept His promise and brought His people into the Promised Land, where they would find rest and be free to worship Him. But once they settled in the land, the Israelites put God to the test. The Bible tells us they selfishly started to do what they wanted instead of following God’s laws; and this caused a lot of problems for the nation of Israel.

In this part of The Big God Story, God hears and answers the prayers of a woman named Hannah. One day, Hannah prayed to God, saying (show verse slide of 1 Samuel 1:11), “‘O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me … and … give [me] a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life …’” (1 Samuel 1:11). Well, God answered her prayer and gave her a son who would bring the nation of Israel into a new and better future.

TipBefore sharing about Hannah and Samuel, point out that what they are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Establish a consistent place to keep this Bible every week.

Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along in 1 Samuel 1:11–20; 2:35; 3:4–20 as you storytell. Encourage adult volunteers to watch for kids who need help finding the Scripture passage, and allow enough time for each child to locate the passage. You may even want to project the reference on a screen or write it in large print on a poster board or whiteboard.

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N O T E S : So, let’s look at this verse a little bit longer. Did you notice Hannah used the name “Lord Almighty” in her prayer? This is the first time we see this name for God in Scripture. In the language the Bible was first written in, “God Almighty” means “God of Hosts,” which means a God who goes before us into battle and fights for us. Did you also notice that she promised God, if He gave her a child she would give him back to the Lord. This meant that her son would have to live in the temple with the priests. Hannah’s son would belong to God, not to her.

After this, Hannah went home, and “the Lord remembered her [so that she] …gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him’” (vv. 19–20). Once Samuel was old enough, Hannah kept her promise and brought her son to the temple. Hannah praised God the Almighty for answering her prayer, and Samuel worshipped God too while living in the temple and learning to work in the sanctuary.

One night, the high priest, named Eli, and Samuel were lying down in the temple sleeping when God called to Samuel. Samuel was only a boy and had never heard God’s voice before, so he thought God’s voice was Eli’s, the high priest. When he ran to Eli, he said, “Here I am; you called me” … [but] Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down” (1 Samuel 3:4–5). (As you say this, lie down, get up, and walk a few paces as if you are Samuel walking to Eli. Then lie down again. Dramatize this for the kids to make it fun.) After Samuel lay back down (optional: Have a voice call out “Samuel” in a microphone), “Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me’” (v. 6).

After Samuel lay back down, the Lord called to Samuel again. When Samuel went to Eli again, this time Eli figured out it had been the Almighty God speaking to Samuel! So Eli told Samuel to “‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’” (v. 9). Samuel did just what he was told, and when the Lord spoke to him again, He told Samuel He would raise him up to be “A faithful priest, who will do according to what is in [His] heart and mind” (1 Samuel 2:35). The Bible goes on to say, “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up … and all Israel … recognized that Samuel was … a prophet of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:19–20).

This is great, but it gets even better. Samuel not only modeled spiritual living to the Israelites, but he was also the one God chose to anoint a young man named David, who would be God’s chosen king. Wow. God was mighty to accomplish a lot through Hannah’s prayer!

Just as God mightily accomplished His plan for the Israelites, He is mighty to accomplish His plan in our lives. God went before the Israelites to fight their battles, and He goes before you to fight yours, too. Because He has proven Himself

The Big God Story

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N O T E S : trustworthy and mighty, we must always be attentive to God, listening to Him when He speaks to us, and ready to obey everything He says. (Tell a story of a time when you listened and responded to God).

The Big God Story

Partner Church Comments “The Storyteller had the opportunity to really get the kids engaged and participating. Kids acted out parts of the story. During LG Respond, kids were sitting still and waiting on God, then responding to Him. That carried on into SG Respond; the leaders loved hearing what the kids heard and felt.” Good Shepherd Church

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This is a time for kids to worship through silence, prayer, singing, giving, sharing, thanksgiving, and many other ways.

Make plans for your worship time but prepare yourself and your team to hold them loosely if the Holy Spirit leads the group in a different direction.

Respond// 15–20 min. Host/Worship Leader

LARGE GROuPS E C T I O N

Speak, Lord, for Your Servant Is ListeningSUPPLIES• verse slide: 1 Samuel 3:9

SET UP AND ENGAGESamuel heard God’s voice and responded. He did not have to be an adult for God to speak to him or use him in His big story. God speaks to us in many ways, like through His Word, His Spirit, and others. He wants us to hear Him and respond to Him. God reaches out to everyone.

Eli knew God had spoken to Samuel. So Eli told Samuel to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). Today we are going to say these same words to God: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” then we are going to sit and wait for Him to speak. When you speak these words, speak them as a prayer to God.

Show the verse and read it together with the kids; “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” then encourage the group to sit in silence, listening in prayer. After a few minutes, repeat these words, and wait another few minutes. This will help keep the kids’ minds from wandering, help them to listen, and model prayerful language. Read the verse again together with the kids: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” then encourage the group to continue listening in prayer. After a few minutes, repeat these words again, and again wait another few minutes.

After a few minutes in silence and prayer, encourage the kids to share with the group what God might have been saying to them. Model this for the kids by first sharing what God might have been saying to you. If children who do not know God felt Him nudging them to know Him, ask them to speak to a leader.

N O T E S :

IT’S OKAY IF …Help kids understand that God speaks to us in many ways—mostly through His Word, prayer, and others. Encourage them to ask God for the ability to hear His voice, but also give them the freedom to know that it’s okay if they do not always experience Him in the ways that other people do.

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Reflect: God Is AlmightyWhen Hannah prayed to God for a son, she may not have known God would use her prayer so mightily. God not only gave her a son, but also used him to usher in a new era for His people in which they were led by a king who loved and followed God. God used her prayer to bring His people into a time when He was speaking to them and working in their lives again. (Encourage older kids to join you in looking up the Scripture references associated with the following questions.)

Questions for Younger Kids• What did Hannah pray for? (1 Samuel 1:11)• Why did Samuel think Eli spoke to him?• Why did God speak to Samuel? (God gave Samuel a vision of something to come.

God used Samuel as a prophet, even at a young age.)• What are some of the ways God speaks to us?• What are some ways we can respond when God speaks to us?

Questions for Older Kids• Why was Hannah praying in the temple? (1 Samuel 1:5b,11)• How does Hannah’s prayer inspire us to pray?• How did God mightily answer Hannah’s prayer? (1 Samuel 1:1–20)• What does “Lord Almighty” mean in the original language?• Why is it important that Hannah used this name for God?• Why do you think God spoke to Samuel?• How did God mightily use Samuel in the lives of His people?• How does Samuel show us what it means to be obedient to God?• How can God be “Lord Almighty” in our lives?• What are some of the ways God speaks to us?• What are some ways we can respond when God speaks to us?

Create: Listening to GodSUPPLIES• modeling clay or play dough (1 handful per child)• Bible

SET UP AND ENGAGEPass out the modeling clay so that each child has a handful. Read Psalm 66:1–4; Psalm 84:1–4; and/or Psalm 99:1–3, which speak of God’s might. Ask the children to listen carefully and to make something with the clay that they hear in the Scripture (e.g. bowing, dwelling, sparrow, angel). Ask them to listen for God’s voice and to tell you what stood out to them in the Scripture, what they made with their clay, and what God might have been saying to them through His Word.


A time to engage in relationship, reflect on the lesson with spiritual conversation, and/or create a meaningful project or piece of art.

Respond// 15–20 min. Small Group Leaders


N O T E S :

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Bless// 5 min. Small Group Leaders


As kids are blessed, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share with others the joy and love they have received from God.

Encourage the kids to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. This posture is meant to symbolize a willingness of heart to respond to God’s Holy Spirit and receive what God has for them. Invite them to remain in this posture as you bless them. Encourage parents to come early to read the blessing over their children.

Open a Bible and read Psalm 118:15–17:Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! The Lord’s right hand is lifted high … I will proclaim what the Lord has done.”

May you be blessed by God the Almighty. May you praise Him for the things He has done and will do. May you seek His face in all you do and say.

A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement or guidance.

A blessing can be offered in order to ask God’s Spirit to overflow from the child’s life to bless others or prayed over a child for the purpose of declaring God’s protection, joy, or wisdom.

HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week’s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God’s Word together before children arrive at church.

HomeFront Monthly: Every four weeks we highlight one of the 10 environments. For each new environment, parents should receive HomeFront Monthly. This resource gives families ideas for how to create fun, spiritually forming times in their homes—setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives!

Leader TipEvery lesson ends with a blessing. This is a time for parents and leaders to speak Truth over children’s lives. The idea of the blessing is to transition the child from being blessed to being a blessing.

The blessing can be done in many ways, but the more intentional you are about it, the more powerful it will be. Depending on whether parents are able to join in at this time, you may want them to put their hands on their child’s head or kneel and look him in the eye as they bless him. Leaders, be sure to model how you envision the blessing working in your church so your volunteers and parents become comfortable with it.

bible passage: 1 samuel 1—3 (hannah’s prayer and samuel) · pdf file... 1 samuel...

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