Life in the Spirit for Children
Suggested for small groups in a home.
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
1. Praise and Worship
Praise and worship the Lord using whatever music you have for children i.e. This Little Light of Mine. Encourage the children to dance and use hand motions. Jesus Loves Me (the Bible tells me so) is a good introduction to focusing on Scripture.
2. God Loves Me (Jesus too)
Scripture:
“You are precious in my eyes and I love you.” Isaiah 43:4
“I love loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3
“I have called you by your name you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b
“Before I formed you in the womb (you were born) I knew you…” Jeremiah 1:5
“Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Romans 8:39b
Sample Talk: God’s Love
God loves you! Why? Because He made you, you are very special. “Before you were born, I knew you. I put you together in your mother’s womb” (Psalm 139: 13-15). No one even has your fingerprints. He made you wonderful and good. God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to show us how much He loves us and also how to live.
We can read in the Bible about how much God loves us. The Bible is a love letter from God. God has a special plan for your life. “I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for peace, not disaster” (Jeremiah 29: 11). He prepares you for that plan as your life unfolds. Jesus is always there for you. Ask for His help, He will work things out for you. Jesus wants to live in you. God made a special place in your heart just for Jesus. Ask Jesus to come into your heart. He will guide you like a good shepherd. He will protect you just like a shepherd protects his sheep.
3. The Holy Spirit
Scripture:
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another ‘Helper’* to be with you forever…” John 14:16
“The ‘Helper,’* the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name - he will instruct you and remind you of all that I told you…” John 14:26
“I will pour out a portion of my spirit on all mankind. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.” Acts 2:17-18
* Older children love the word “paraclete”.
Sample Talk: Who is the Holy Spirit?
Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came to Him in the form of a dove. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the Apostles at Pentecost to give them supernatural power. You were also given the Holy Spirit when you were baptized but sometimes the Spirit needs to be stirred up. If you take a glass of milk and pour chocolate syrup into it, where does it go? To the bottom, right? But, if you stir it up, then the white milk becomes chocolate milk. That is what will happen when you get the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit you received at baptism will be stirred up in you too.
How do you get supernatural power? From Jesus - He will baptize you with His Holy Spirit. Jesus knew you would need the Holy Spirit’s help all during your life to help you live and make right choices. He will also give you spiritual gifts so you can do His will and help other people. You can call on the Holy Spirit anytime and He will help you.
4. The Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Scripture:
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
“The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” Romans 5:5
“I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God bestowed when my hands were laid on you. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:6-7
“One who speaks in tongues speaks not to men but to God... he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 14:2
“By the same Spirit another is given the gift of healing” 1 Corinthians 12:9
Instructions:
Lead the children in an age appropriate prayer of repentance. Lay hands on each child and ask God to pour out the Holy Spirit into their hearts. Teach the children to pray in tongues by encouraging them to repeat a simple sound. Know the Lord will inspire them; as they repeat it, they will realize that it begins to flow freely. Encourage them to make the effort. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He never comes uninvited.
Show the children how to pray and lay hands upon little wounds or the sick. If not in tongues, tell them to simply ask Jesus out loud to heal the sick person - repeat the Name of Jesus over and over or praise Him in any way that is comfortable. Some may be healed instantly. Others may realize a decrease in pain levels - from ten to one. Keep on praying until it reaches zero or a low number. Sometimes the prayer is just a beginning and healing happens over time. If nothing happens, be persistent. (Fr. John Talamo’s mother prayed for years to the Blessed Mother every single night over her son’s terrible eye sight. One day she noticed he ran outside to play football with his brothers leaving his thick lensed glasses on the kitchen counter. Praise God!). Have confidence! Jesus has given the authority.
From Mary Healy’s book, Healing, published by Our Sunday Visitor:
“To pray for healing with confidence is not to give someone a guarantee or promise that they will be healed…. even those who are not healed at that moment usually leave feeling encouraged and built up. They have a renewed sense of God’s love, and they also experienced the love and care of the body of Christ through others praying over them.”
Unforgiveness and resentment are often obstacles to healing.
“To forgive someone is not to minimize or deny an offense. Sometimes it’s not okay, and sometimes the person did not mean well. But to forgive means I let go of my right to hold the offense against him or her. It is between that person and God. I choose to let God deal with it, since God alone judges with perfect wisdom, justice and mercy.”
“So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
www.magnificatwst.org
Suggested for small groups in a home.
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
1. Praise and Worship
Praise and worship the Lord using whatever music you have for children i.e. This Little Light of Mine. Encourage the children to dance and use hand motions. Jesus Loves Me (the Bible tells me so) is a good introduction to focusing on Scripture.
2. God Loves Me (Jesus too)
Scripture:
“You are precious in my eyes and I love you.” Isaiah 43:4
“I love loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3
“I have called you by your name you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b
“Before I formed you in the womb (you were born) I knew you…” Jeremiah 1:5
“Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Romans 8:39b
Sample Talk: God’s Love
God loves you! Why? Because He made you, you are very special. “Before you were born, I knew you. I put you together in your mother’s womb” (Psalm 139: 13-15). No one even has your fingerprints. He made you wonderful and good. God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to show us how much He loves us and also how to live.
We can read in the Bible about how much God loves us. The Bible is a love letter from God. God has a special plan for your life. “I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for peace, not disaster” (Jeremiah 29: 11). He prepares you for that plan as your life unfolds. Jesus is always there for you. Ask for His help, He will work things out for you. Jesus wants to live in you. God made a special place in your heart just for Jesus. Ask Jesus to come into your heart. He will guide you like a good shepherd. He will protect you just like a shepherd protects his sheep.
3. The Holy Spirit
Scripture:
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another ‘Helper’* to be with you forever…” John 14:16
“The ‘Helper,’* the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name - he will instruct you and remind you of all that I told you…” John 14:26
“I will pour out a portion of my spirit on all mankind. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.” Acts 2:17-18
* Older children love the word “paraclete”.
Sample Talk: Who is the Holy Spirit?
Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came to Him in the form of a dove. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the Apostles at Pentecost to give them supernatural power. You were also given the Holy Spirit when you were baptized but sometimes the Spirit needs to be stirred up. If you take a glass of milk and pour chocolate syrup into it, where does it go? To the bottom, right? But, if you stir it up, then the white milk becomes chocolate milk. That is what will happen when you get the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit you received at baptism will be stirred up in you too.
How do you get supernatural power? From Jesus - He will baptize you with His Holy Spirit. Jesus knew you would need the Holy Spirit’s help all during your life to help you live and make right choices. He will also give you spiritual gifts so you can do His will and help other people. You can call on the Holy Spirit anytime and He will help you.
4. The Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Scripture:
“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
“The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” Romans 5:5
“I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God bestowed when my hands were laid on you. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:6-7
“One who speaks in tongues speaks not to men but to God... he utters mysteries in the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 14:2
“By the same Spirit another is given the gift of healing” 1 Corinthians 12:9
Instructions:
Lead the children in an age appropriate prayer of repentance. Lay hands on each child and ask God to pour out the Holy Spirit into their hearts. Teach the children to pray in tongues by encouraging them to repeat a simple sound. Know the Lord will inspire them; as they repeat it, they will realize that it begins to flow freely. Encourage them to make the effort. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He never comes uninvited.
Show the children how to pray and lay hands upon little wounds or the sick. If not in tongues, tell them to simply ask Jesus out loud to heal the sick person - repeat the Name of Jesus over and over or praise Him in any way that is comfortable. Some may be healed instantly. Others may realize a decrease in pain levels - from ten to one. Keep on praying until it reaches zero or a low number. Sometimes the prayer is just a beginning and healing happens over time. If nothing happens, be persistent. (Fr. John Talamo’s mother prayed for years to the Blessed Mother every single night over her son’s terrible eye sight. One day she noticed he ran outside to play football with his brothers leaving his thick lensed glasses on the kitchen counter. Praise God!). Have confidence! Jesus has given the authority.
From Mary Healy’s book, Healing, published by Our Sunday Visitor:
“To pray for healing with confidence is not to give someone a guarantee or promise that they will be healed…. even those who are not healed at that moment usually leave feeling encouraged and built up. They have a renewed sense of God’s love, and they also experienced the love and care of the body of Christ through others praying over them.”
Unforgiveness and resentment are often obstacles to healing.
“To forgive someone is not to minimize or deny an offense. Sometimes it’s not okay, and sometimes the person did not mean well. But to forgive means I let go of my right to hold the offense against him or her. It is between that person and God. I choose to let God deal with it, since God alone judges with perfect wisdom, justice and mercy.”
“So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
www.magnificatwst.org
