Huge Hands, Huge Prayers – A Fun Bible Object Lesson for Your Kids

Teaching our children about the glory of God is a pretty weighty topic.  I found this simplistic definition of the glory of God online that I like.  It says, "God's Glory represents, besides His unbelievable beauty, all His power (complete energy), His righteousness, perfection, holiness (without blemish) goodness and love. This is God's Glory and our God and loving Father. " (http://www.biblestudy.org/question/what-is-the-glory-of-god.html)  The glory of God surpasses anything our minds could even conceive.  Psalm 72:19 says this: "Praise his glorious name forever!  Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.  Amen and amen!" Wow!  This psalmist knew how to pray big prayers!  But shouldn't that be the cry of every Christian's heart?  I think so.  Here is a fun Bible object lesson to teach your kids this important truth.

Here's what you do:

The object you will use for this lesson will be 2 big hands.  I suggest you try and make these out of foam or heavy cardboard.  Slip them onto your hands while you give the lesson.  (Remember, the bigger, the better.)

Ask the following questions to help stimulate discussion:

1.     Do you see anything different about my hands? (Wait for a response and giggles too.)  You're right.  My hands are huge.

2.     Do you know why my hands are huge?  (Wait for responses.)

3.     My hands are huge because I've got some pretty big prayers I want to pray to God.  Sometimes we see people fold their hands together while they're praying. I wanted my hands to be extra big so I could pray extra big prayers.  I was inspired by Psalm 72:19.

4.     Ask a child to read Psalm 72:19.

5.     Say the following:  Have any of you ever prayed a prayer for God to do something in the whole earth?!  Let's learn a little more about this portion of Scripture and how it teaches us to live our lives for God.  Here are 3 important points about this truth.

Point 1: Our Scripture today is a really, really big prayer request to God.  In case you don't know or have forgotten, a prayer request is just a prayer you pray asking God to do something.  For example, you might ask God to heal your grandma's arthritis or maybe you might pray that God will help you with your math test.  Well, the writer of this Psalm was asking God to do something very huge!

Point 2: Psalm 72:19 asks God to fill up the whole earth with His Glory.  The writer of this psalm wants every country, every nation and every person, know matter who they are, to know God.  Wow!  What an awesome prayer request!

Point 3: Would you like to see this prayer answered?  If you would, you need to be doing your part to tell others about Jesus.  And if sometimes you feel sad because people aren't listening to you, don't give up.  Just remember the cross.  Remember that Jesus died for you and all your friends.  It wasn't easy, but He continued to stay on the cross until His job was done.  Don't give up.  Keep praying and someday the whole earth will be filled with His glory.

This 3-Point Bible Object Lesson for Kids was inspired by my reading of C.H. Spurgeon's devotional on Psalm 72:19 from his book Morning and Evening.  You too can be inspired by your favorite Christian authors and come up with your own 3-Point Sermon for Kids.