Before You Teach
Teacher Quick Brief
A prep snapshot before the full lesson flow.
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Before You Teach
Teacher Quick Brief
A prep snapshot before the full lesson flow.
Teacher Quick Brief
What This Week Is About
This week teaches that God can do miracles and help His children. Elisha was a prophet, and the Lord worked through him to heal, help, and protect people. Little children can learn that Jesus helps us and we are not alone.
Main Points To Teach
- God can work miracles in my life.
- I can choose to do what God says through His prophet.
- I am not alone because the Lord is with me.
What Is Happening In The Scripture Story
Elisha helps many people. He helps Naaman, who is sick, by telling him to wash in the Jordan River. At first Naaman does not want to obey, but when he humbly obeys, he is healed. Elisha also tells his scared servant not to fear, because the Lord’s heavenly help is near, even when we cannot see it at first.
Why It Matters For Younger Primary
Young children need one simple feeling: Heavenly Father and Jesus help me. Keep the lesson focused on obeying, trusting, and feeling safe with the Lord, using movement, pictures, and very short activities.
Full Lesson Flow
Teaching Outline
Work through the lesson in order, with each section building on the last.
Happy Opening
Hold up a small toy doctor kit or a bandage and ask, “Who helps us when we hurt?” Let children answer. Then say, “Jesus can help us too. Sometimes He helps through prophets.”
Sing one verse of “If You’re Happy” with a simple change: “If you know God loves you, clap your hands.” Let them clap, smile, and wiggle.
Say the big idea right away: “Jesus can help me when I obey.” Have children repeat it with motions:
- Jesus = point upward
- help me = hands on heart
- obey = nod head
Simple Scripture Story
Tell the story of Naaman from 2 Kings 5:1–15 with very simple actions.
“Naaman was very sick. A little girl said, ‘The prophet can help him.’ Naaman went to Elisha. Elisha sent a message: wash in the river Jordan seven times. Naaman felt upset. He wanted something big and fancy. But his servants said to obey. So Naaman went into the water.”
Count with the children and pretend to dip down seven times. On the seventh time, have them pop up and smile.
Read the key line:
“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).
Then briefly connect the second story from 2 Kings 6:16–17: “Later, Elisha’s servant felt scared because an army was around them. Elisha said not to fear. The Lord was helping them.”
Read:
“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16).
Ask:
- “Did Naaman obey?”
- “Did God help him?”
- “When we feel scared, is Jesus with us?”
Big Idea
Jesus can help me when I obey.
Repeat it all lesson long. Connect both stories:
- Naaman obeyed and was healed.
- Elisha trusted God and was not afraid.
- Just like in our story, we can obey Jesus and trust that He helps us.
Wiggle and Learn Activities
River Dip Count
What to do:
- Put a blue blanket, paper, or scarf on the floor for the Jordan River.
- Let children take turns stepping to the “river.”
- Everyone counts to seven while the child bends knees or dips hands.
Materials: Blue scarf/blanket/paper
What to say: “Naaman obeyed, and Jesus helped him. Jesus can help me when I obey.”
Connection: This lets them act out the story they just heard.
Clean Heart Object Lesson
What to do:
- Show a paper heart with scribbles on it.
- Tape a clean heart over it as you talk about Jesus helping us become clean.
- Let each child hold the clean heart for a moment.
Materials: Two paper hearts, tape
What to say: “Jesus helps us be clean inside when we listen and obey.”
Connection: After pretending to wash in the river, children see that Jesus gives clean hearts too.
Chariots of Fire Freeze Game
What to do:
- Have children march around the room like horses.
- When you say, “Fear not!” they freeze and make strong arms.
- When you say, “Open his eyes!” they point to their eyes and look around.
Materials: None
What to say: “The Lord was with Elisha. I am not alone.”
Connection: Now they move from Naaman’s healing to Elisha’s protection.
Prophet Helper Craft
What to do:
- Give each child a small paper with a simple drawing of a prophet or a heart.
- Help them color it and add the words: “I can obey.”
- Let them hold it up and say the big idea together.
Materials: Paper, crayons
What to say: “God speaks through prophets. I can obey, and Jesus helps me.”
Connection: After hearing about Elisha, children make a simple reminder to take home.
Picture Time
Show the picture “Naaman and Elisha” or “Elisha and the Lord’s Army” from this week’s Come, Follow Me materials/Gospel Library.
Ask:
- “What do you see in this picture?”
- “How do you think Naaman felt before he obeyed? After?”
- “Who was helping Elisha and his servant?”
Remind them: “Jesus can help me when I obey.”
Song and Actions
Sing “Dearest Children, God Is Near You” (Hymns, no. 96) or a familiar simple song about God’s love if needed for younger attention spans.
Simple actions:
- “God” = point up
- “near you” = hug self
- “pray” words = fold arms
- “love” = hands on heart
Say, “This song helps us remember that we are not alone.”
Jesus Loves Me Moment
Gather children close. Speak softly: “Naaman obeyed and Jesus helped him. Elisha was scared for his servant, and the Lord helped them too. Jesus helps us when we obey, and we are not alone.”
Invite each child to finish one sentence:
- “I know Jesus loves me because…”
- “I can be like Jesus when I…”
Take-Home Hug
Invite them to do one tiny thing this week: obey quickly when a parent asks for help and then give a big hug.
Teacher Survival Tips
- Keep each activity very short; it is fine to do only one turn per child.
- Repeat the same big idea with motions often to bring wandering attention back.
- If children get extra wiggly, skip ahead to the marching game or song and return to the picture afterward.