Healing

CONNECT

Prepare:

• A band-aid
• A picture of an animal, a cartoon character, or a person
• An eye cover

What to do:

• Place a big picture of an animal, a cartoon character, or a person on a wall.
• Pin the band-aid on the animal's or person's heart in the image.
• Stand five feet or about five arm spans away from the starting point.
• Blindfold one child at a time and hand them a band-aid.
• See who can get closest to attaching the band-aid to a designated spot on the picture.

Things like medicine and band-aids help us get better, but ultimately, it is God who heals us. He not only heals our bodies; He heals our hearts, too. Let’s read this story about how He healed a crippled man.

READ THE WORD

In today’s story, we will see how God uses people to bring healing and show His love to His beloved children. Let’s read Acts 3:1–10:

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. It was the time for prayer. A man unable to walk was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful. He had been that way since he was born. Every day someone put him near the gate. There he would beg from people going into the temple courtyards. He saw that Peter and John were about to enter. So he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, and so did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man watched them closely. He expected to get something from them. Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold. But I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk.” Then Peter took him by the right hand and helped him up. At once the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. He went with Peter and John into the temple courtyards. He walked and jumped and praised God. All the people saw him walking and praising God. They recognized him as the same man who used to sit and beg at the temple gate called Beautiful. They were filled with wonder. They were amazed at what had happened to him. Acts 3:1–10

The man was crippled from birth. Can you imagine not being able to walk your whole life? When he met Peter and John, everything changed. For the first time, he could walk! God used Peter and John to heal the crippled man’s body. But do you know that more than him being able to walk, something greater also took place? Many people came to know about God, who loves and heals us and wants to bless us!

HUDDLE

Parents to Kids

2–6 years old

• Who takes care of you when you are sick or hurt?

7–12 years old

• When you are not feeling well, what are the things that help you feel better?
• Have you ever helped take care of someone who was sick or hurt?

Kids to Parents

• When was the last time that Jesus healed you or a member of our family from a sickness? How did He do it?

Many of us know that God can heal. We pray to Him when we, or the people we love, are sick. And we praise Him when He heals us. But we should not let the healing end with us. Our healing should prompt us to share the miracle with others so they may also know Jesus!

PRAY

Dear Jesus, thank You for loving us and healing us from sickness. Help me to always remember that You are powerful and faithful, and help me to share Your goodness and love with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

DISCOVER

Since we are talking about healing, what do you normally do when you get a wound?

The best way to clean a wound or a cut is to apply a mild soap and hold it under a slow stream of cool or cold running water. Leave it there for at least five minutes. This gently cleanses the wound, and the cool water temperature causes the capillaries to constrict, which helps to slow bleeding. Doing this accomplishes the first step of caring for a cut—or any type of wound—to stop the bleeding.

While we treat our wounds, we can also pray and ask God to heal them.

Now, you know what to do the next time you get a cut or wound.

Source:

Glazier, Eve and Elizabeth Ko. “Ask the Doctors: No need to use rubbing alcohol on cuts.” The Spokesman Review, February 8, 2020.