Kidzone Week 4

Our daily bread

So over the past month while we have been in KidZone we have been talking about what? Prayer. and in particular we have been focusing on what prayer specifically? The Lord’s Prayer. Every week we have watched that short little video over it before we have our lesson right? Does anyone know why we are focusing so much on this prayer? Parent’s/big church also walking thru same lessons on Sunday and Wed. nights. Isn’t it cool how the Bible can be for both you guys and your parents/grandparents at the same time? What an awesome book!!

So today we’re in the gym which means we don’t have our screens or big speakers, but I’d still like to start off our lesson with reading thru the Lord’s prayer so we can know what we are talking about and have it fresh on our brains.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

10  Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11  Give us this day our daily bread,

12  and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13  And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen

Today I wanted to skip ahead in the prayer and talk about the line ‘Give us this day our daily bread’. Does anyone have an idea about what this part of Jesus’ prayer means?

Think about when an Olympic athlete is getting ready for their competition what are the most important things for them to make sure they are ready to go out and win a Gold medal?

They have to practice sure

Have to be in good shape and mentally sharp

Have to have the right stuff/right fuel on the inside

Have you ever had a day at school where you woke up late and missed breakfast? What about a day where you didn’t feel like listening to Mom/Dad and ate chocolate for breakfast or just had cookies for lunch? How did you feel going thru your day that day? Those cookies might have tasted really good at the time, but they didn’t give you the energy and nutrients you needed to get you through your day. You can think of prayer in kind of similar way, just like your mom and dad know what you need to eat to get you thru your day with a full belly of good healthy food, God knows what you need for EVERYTHING before we even ask him. God even knows when what we are asking him for isn’t something that we need or that is good for us. By praying we see that God takes care of us always and always provides for us too.

I wanted to share with you guys a story from the Old Testament that also talks about God providing for us. Now remember Old Testament means the part of the Bible that was before Jesus was born, but just because this is a story from before Jesus doesn’t mean it isn’t any less amazing or important to us today.

Prophet Elijah was talking to God, God told Elijah there will be no rain for years.

Elijah told the bad king this news and then left, as God told him to.

God told Elijah to go to a small river and hide and that he would have ravens feed him there as he commanded them to. So Elijah left and lived by this river, and every morning birds would bring him breakfast, and at night they would bring him dinner.

HOW crazy is that?!? God provided for Elijah then. BUT… then the river started to dry up because there was no rain. So what happens now? Elijah is praying with God when God reveals to him the next way he is going to take care of Elijah.

Go to a widow’s house in Zarephath and ask her for food and something to drink.

The woman tells Elijah we only have enough flour and oil to make one last meal. Elijah tells her make him some first! HOW crazy is that?!? but when the woman did what he asked her to do. Elijah told her that her flour would not run out and her oil container wouldn’t be empty until it rains again. And GUESS WHAT… God provided for Elijah, this woman and her family.

Thru Elijah’s faith in God and Elijah trusting that God would provide for him he was able to show that to other people too. Your faith and belief in God can show itself to others thru your actions and how you trust in God.

What a cool story right? this story shows us that we don’t need to worry, that God will provide and take care of us.

What are some things you guys might worry about?

who is in your school class next year?

will you be on the same bus as your friend?

are you and your friend gonna be on the same soccer team?

Our story today and our prayer life with God tells us that we don’t need to worry about these things. That God will take care of us and provide for us, even if sometimes we don’t see the plan that he has right away we need to trust in God and in his plan for us because he has shown so many times that he cares for us and will always be there for us.

Prayer - include thanks for always being there for us and always providing what we need even if we might not see it at the time.