Congratulations on completing the 2nd Annual Kids’ Tour of the Holy Land! We hope you enjoyed the journey and that you’ll join the tour again next summer. The best feature of these online tours is the ability to revisit each site any time you like. Just follow the Tour icons for either 2008 or 2009.

This month, since we’ll all be back in school, we are emphasizing prayer. Prayer is our moment-by-moment conversation with God. It can take place any time and any where. It’s a moment of stillness in the midst of a busy day and a busy world. An important part of prayer is listening. We will look at the short prayer of Jabez along with some Bible characters who talked with God as a way of exploring what it means to pray. Memorizing the prayer of Jabez is a good way to begin our conversation with God.

Bible Verses
Work with your child and your students to learn each verse. Then, discuss the meaning of the verse and how it can be applied to everyday lives. On Sundays during class, riding in the car, or at dinner, it's fun to share stories of how the children have used the verse in their lives that week.

We provide memorization verses for each week. You can add your own.

Bible verses for summer will include specific verses to help us on our travels.  Whether we’re headed to camp, taking the on-line Kids’ Tour of the Holy Land, traveling with parents or family or friends these verses are great ones to pack for day in day out use.

September 6
(HCSB) 1 Chron 4:10 Jabez called out to the God of Israel: "If only You would bless me, extend my border, let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm, so that I will not cause any pain." And God granted his request.

• What are the four parts of Jabez’s prayer?
• What does it mean to extend our borders today?
• How is this prayer similar to other prayers you know?

September 13
(KJV) Ps 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

• How do we bless God?
• What does it mean to bless?

September 20
(NLB) Ps. 119:125 I am Your servant. Give me understanding so I may know Your Law.

• What does it mean to be God’s servant?
• How do you understand God's commandments?

September 27
(AB) Ps. 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.

• How do you draw near to God?
• Who have you told of God’s wonderful works?

Translations used:
AB Amplified Bible
HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible
NLB  New Life Bible
KJV  King James Version

Bible Stories
The Bible Stories this month are representative of conversations with God.

Jacob Wrestles
Read Genesis 32:24-30; Jacob and the Angel; A Midnight Wrestling Match

Samuel Listens and Responds
Read 1 Sam 3:1-19; A Voice at Night; The Little Boy with a Linen Coat

Moses and the Red Sea
Read Ex. 14:19-31; The Red Sea; How the Sea Became Dry Land

Jonah
Read Jonah 1-4; Inside a Fish; The Prophet Who Tried to Run Away From God

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Exercise: Is It OK to Ask God? – 1st line of the Prayer of Jabez
Write down what they learned. Draw pictures of what they saw. Discuss how the Bible is coming to life.

Print/Download - Is It OK to Ask God?

Asking is one way of praying. When you ask God for help, are you really expecting an answer, one you will listen for and then obey when you hear the answer? The Bible says that God answers when we ask. The only condition is to ask for something kind, loving, helpful to you and to others. In other words, if your request fits the requirements of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20) and the Beatitudes (Matt. 5), then go for it!

Now, this is not at all a new idea. Let’s explore how several Bible characters asked God for assistance in reaching a goal. Jabez (I Chron. 4: 9, 10) prayed a prayer that’s only one sentence long, though it includes four requests. It begins: “Oh, that you would bless me indeed…” This is not just idle daydreaming along the lines of “how nice it would be, God, if you would make me happy, prosperous, successful, abundantly supplied with all my deepest wishes.” Jabez was emphatic—no nonsense, no beating around the bush. He was definite and specific, and “indeed” meant “NOW” -- big time! Others used different words for ask, such as give me, lead me, show me, teach me, but they were still asking God for something.

Jacob, who lived before Jabez, wrestled one long night with his fear of seeing Esau, his twin brother. Esau was the one who, by tradition, should have received his Father’s blessing, but Jacob tricked Isaac and received the blessing instead. He had to run for his life! Now after many years, he was asking God to bless him, and God wiped out fear and resentment, replacing them with confidence and forgiveness. He even gave Jacob a new name, Israel. (Gen. 32: 24-30)

Do you remember David? The same David who slew Goliath? When he prayed, listened, and obeyed, everything was great. He asked God to bless him. He knew the customary military armor wasn’t his protection. How could he run and fight with all that stuff on that he had never used? He convinced the King to let him fight as he knew best from his shepherd’s experience—with the slingshot. Bottom line was he was already prepared to deal with this frightening giant. And you know the end of the story. (I Sam. 17: 32-49)

Then there was Solomon, the youngest of David’s children, who, as a child, became king and ruled for 40 years. In I Kings 3, we have the story of Solomon realizing he was young and inexperienced as the new King, so he really needed help, and right now. His prayer started, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart…” God not only gave him wisdom, but also prosperity and abundance in all things.

Elisha knew he was going to continue in Elijah’s footsteps, but doing that was pretty scary for him; so scary that he asked for a “double portion” of wisdom. He wasn’t taking any chances! (II Kings 2: 9)

Daniel was minding his own business and praying to God several times a day. He was successful in his duties in the palace (that was his office), and he was being promoted. Others became jealous and created an unfair law, which the King approved. Daniel refused to buy into worshipping the King instead of God. The poor King was tricked and really upset when Daniel had to spend the night in the den with hungry lions. Daniel prayed. Wouldn’t you? His obeying the commandments, especially number one, saved him. And the King was relieved to find him safe, happy, and not upset with him the next morning. (Daniel 6)

Let’s move into the New Testament. Jesus taught his disciples and the multitudes to “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt. 7: 7) James says: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1: 5)

So, if asking God to give us what we need has been taught and practiced successfully for at least 2000 years before Jesus, and Jesus, the Master Teacher, taught and practiced it successfully, don’t you think it is perfectly OK to ask in the 21st century? It’s not a sin, it is not being greedy. It is opening the door of our thoughts to accept all the wonderful things God has already prepared for each one of us. It is as normal as eating every day, and not just once a day, but maybe three times plus a few snacks. Are you daily ready, willing, and able to ask and knock? Absolutely! Ready, get set, ASK!

Jeanne Sparks

Exercise: What Do You Want? – 2nd line of the Prayer of Jabez

Print/Download - What Do You Want?

Have you really asked God to bless you since we discussed last month that it is absolutely OK to ask? Remember, that was just the first part of Jabez’ prayer. Let’s talk now about the second part of this one sentence prayer: “and enlarge my territory.” Those are probably some pretty big words for you, so let’s play a game.

Here is a chart showing two columns; on the left is a list of words that mean the same thing as “enlarge” and on the right is a list that could be considered different kinds of “territory.” You probably already understand them, but maybe you have never thought you could use them when you ask or call God for help.

Now you can draw lines from the left hand column to the right hand column. They may criss-cross, or go in any direction. You can have several lines going to one word in the other column. Every single answer is Right. You cannot make any mistakes. The neat thing is that you are always the winner because you are asking for exactly what you want or need.

Perhaps you want to improve your skills in soccer (or any sport), in dance (in a group or as a couple), on a musical instrument, or taking tests at school. Maybe you would like to have some very close friends to do things with. That would be a desire to deepen those friendships. This prayer is all about being very specific and direct as to what we are asking for. Obviously, territory does not just mean having more land. I have used this prayer very often to ask God to increase my understanding and skills in training my horses, and, boy, do I get some very clever answers that really work. This is how we break through limitations, barriers or obstacles that would block our path to accomplishing our heart’s desires. Yes, you will be moving out of your “comfort zone” to new and exciting experiences you never thought would come to you. Just like baby birds who must spread their wings to fly out of the nest.

What friends in the Bible do we know who were specific in asking for their ideas to bless others?

Joseph was not very delighted to find himself tossed into a deep pit by his own brothers. Even when he had been sold and was taken to a different country, he had a tough time being recognized for the good he was supposed to be doing. Ending up in prison did not seem to be such a good place either. However, each chapter of his life was a step in progress until he was promoted to a high position. His territory was expanded to help not only the people in that foreign country but also his own brothers who came to buy food. (Gen. 37-45)

Moses had some really big challenges while taking the children of Israel out of Egypt and guiding them through the wilderness. He had to grow in patience because the people were not interested in obeying the Ten Commandments. Yet he knew that those laws came from God and absolutely had to be obeyed. Also, he had to feed thousands of people, and that’s when God brought the manna (which was good for just one day or it spoiled) and also a supply of water in the desert. There was no McDonald's or Taco Bell! (Ex 14-20)

Elisha asked for a double portion of wisdom and understanding, and it was given to him. Elisha ended up doing more “big” things than Elijah did, and his good deeds were a preview of coming attractions for what Jesus would do. He purified water; he increased the supply of oil that the widow had so her sons would not be sold as slaves; he raised the son of the Shunamite woman, to name a few things. (II Kings 2-8)

In the New Testament, as Peter and John were going into the temple, a man, lame from birth, was begging for money. These two disciples of Jesus turned to him and healed him right there on the spot. The man went leaping and running into the temple, praising God. He did not have to go to a rehab clinic for therapy. The healing was done, complete! Now that is expanding your territory! (Acts 3)

Paul, who used to be Saul—the one who did mean things to the Christians, needed to have his eyes opened to see, to understand what Jesus had been teaching. He ended up healing, teaching, traveling, and helping a lot of people in different countries. He even survived a shipwreck and a close encounter with a poisonous snake. (Acts 27-28)

We might not think we want such adventure stories for ourselves, but let’s be willing to at least ask to increase our patience and abilities to do what we must do as well as what we dream of doing.

So daily play the game and Win!

Jeanne Sparks

Exercise: Help! Hang on to My Hand Please! – 3^rd line of the Prayer of Jabez

Print/Download - Help! Hang on to My Hand Please!

We have asked to be blessed and to have our territory expanded. Do you believe just how BIG this territory has become? Wow! Now what do you do? It is so much bigger than you ever dreamed, and how are you supposed to deal with it all? It is rather scary at this point and you are thinking you are going to fall flat on your nose. So, now you realize you need help -- big time. There is no way you can do it all by yourself. Who are you going to call? Where is the help you need? Right Now! The third line of Jabez’ prayer is “that Your hand would be with me.”

What we want and need now is that touch or sense of security, rightness, guidance, and confidence about what we are doing in our newly expanded territory. Sure, each of us has special talents and skills, and we know what, how, and when to use them. The challenge comes when the new task requires more skill, knowledge, and imagination, and it looks absolutely impossible to us. Are you sorry you asked for this opportunity? Be happy! This is just our “wake up” call. All we need is God’s hand to guide and support us. We have to hang on so tightly that we cannot fail or look dumb, because we are not alone. We are right there with God. Now you understand, as Moses did when he had to go to Pharaoh, that God is your mouth, so you can say and do the right thing in the right way at the right time.

The word “hand” has a lot of meanings, such as protection, guidance, security, leadership, cuddling, power, assistance, help, and something to hang on to or hold. You remember when you were little that you had to take Mom or Dad’s hand when crossing the street, going up and down stairs, walking through a crowded shopping mall. You probably do not remember learning to walk and often falling down. That is when Mom or Dad helped you by holding your hand. Just like that, God does the same thing with us, no matter how big or small we are right now. No, we cannot see His hand, just as we cannot see the wind, but we can certainly feel it and know that it is here. We hang on to God’s hand by listening and obeying all the good and productive thoughts that we hear.

Just think of all the different things you do with your hands: build sandcastles; steer your bicycle, take a bath, eat your food, play ball, sew, play a musical instrument, accept a gift. Oh, yes, we have to have our hands open to receive a gift (blessings), and we have to have our hands open to be able to hang on to our friend’s hand. God’s hand is His touch that gives us the knowledge and skills we need right now to be able to deal with all this growth and expansion.

We talk about touch in different ways, too. The artist’s “touch” is shown by the way he blends colors and what size brush he uses. The interior decorator’s “touch” is putting the right furniture in the right place. The pianist’s “touch” quiets and soothes or excites with a driving rhythm. The mare licks her foal to tell him that all is well and to stay with her because she will keep him safe. A touching remark is a comment that makes you feel very special and appreciated. God’s touch is the best!

“With” is a funny word to say, but oh, it is so important. When we are “with” God’s hand, it means there is no separation. His hand is always right with us. It is constant, consistent, and right here, no matter if we are at home, at school, at camp, or in a boat or airplane. So we are never alone!

Let us look at a few Bible verses showing the same thoughts as Jabez had about God. You see we are not alone!

“Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live:  and let me not be ashamed of my hope.  Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe:” (Psalms 119: 116, 117)

“Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me…..If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (Psalms 139:5,9,10)    

“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” (Isaiah 41:13)

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:” (Isaiah 59:1)

‘Ah Lord God!  Behold, thou has made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”  (Jeremiah 32: 17)

So, here you are, right in the center of the kingdom of heaven, and God has stretched His hand out to you. He heard your cry of “HELP!” Now, grab His hand! Hang on tight! You are on your way to the ride of a lifetime!

Exercise: “Do I ‘Haff’ to?” –  4th line of the Prayer of Jabez

Print/Download - “Do I ‘Haff’ to?

"Do I have to hold on to Daddy’s hand? Why? What did I do wrong?”

This is a very common complaint of young children who deep down want to look like they are in total control of the situation.

Now let’s look at this from a different point of view. We have asked for God’s big blessings; we have asked for growth in our skills, understanding, and influence. And when things looked way beyond our abilities, we wanted God to hold our hand to guide and protect us. Jabez knew that he could do everything right only when he hung on to God’s hand. In his prayer, the fourth line is “that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”

So what is evil? Evil is being naughty, saying mean things because we are upset, lying, cheating on quizzes, stealing, or killing. It sounds like the “Thou Shalt Not’s” from the Ten Commandments Moses was told to teach the children of Israel when they were out in the wilderness. Deep down, we really do want to be happy and to do what is right even if it means more patience, better behavior, and re-thinking the situation. We also want to be protected from hatred and bad behavior in others.

And what is pain? It is whatever hurts, physically or emotionally. That could include being thrown down, kicked, slapped, bit, or beaten. It is also hurt feelings because of what someone has said to us or about us or because we’ve been given “the look.”

We certainly want to be kind and loving as we grow, learn, and expand our territory. We also want others to respect us. The Golden Rule is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12). Just our wanting to do well in everything we do is hanging on to God’s hand and the result is always only good—for us and for everyone. As long as we are hanging on tight to God’s hand, we cannot get ourselves into trouble, and He will quickly move us out of the way of danger or an accident or away from someone who wants to hurt us. It is a “win-win” situation. God does it all, and we just follow where He leads us.

Let’s look in the Bible for people who really trusted God, who held His hand.

Noah was told to build an ark because there was going to be a lot of rain that would wash people and their homes away. The ark was a boat bigger than a football field. In addition, there was no rain in sight. But he listened and kept working on the project, and it all came true (Genesis 6-8).

Abraham certainly did not want to sacrifice his son Isaac, but he was ready to do it; then God said he didn’t have to. Good thing he listened (Genesis 22)!

Jacob had pretended to be his twin brother, Esau, and took their father, Isaac’s, blessing. That hurt Esau, and Jacob had to leave home for years. You can imagine that Jacob was not looking forward to seeing Esau again, and he had a tough time facing the situation. Yet he had no choice because he had to learn a big lesson. When they did meet again, Esau had forgiven him (Genesis 27-33).

Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” As long as we are holding on to God’s hand, we just cannot be tempted. Therefore, we are delivered from thinking and doing evil (Matthew 6:13).

Now another neat thing is the result of Jabez’ prayer: “And God granted him that which he requested.” And God is and will always be answering our prayer.

But we have to ASK!

To summarize this series of four discussions on Jabez’ prayer in I Chronicles 4:10:

1. ASK God to bless, help, guide, inspire, and supply your needs regularly and in a big way, right now.
2. ASK to do, say, see, touch, and hear only good as you listen, learn, and grow as a person. This makes everything you try to accomplish bigger and better than you ever dreamed possible, right now.
3. ASK to hold on really tight to God’s hand—even when it is super hard to do—right now.
4. ASK to be safe, healthy, peaceful, and loving in every single situation because there is no space for being a trouble maker or bully and hurting others or your being hurt while you are hanging on to His hand, right now.

Your requests are being granted, right now. Wonderful adventures are waiting for you! You have a lifetime guarantee of happiness and success 24/7. It’s a promise!

KEEP ASKING!

Exercise: Bible Characters’ Prayers
Put the names of the students’ favorite Bible characters on cards. Put the cards face down. Then ask the students to draw a card from the stack. They must tell a little about the character and then write or say a prayer about how that person would have prayed. For example, what kind of prayer did Daniel pray before he was caught and after he was put in the lions’ den? What kind of a prayer did Esther pray? How did the three Hebrew boys pray when they were put in the furnace?

Exercise: Learning How to Pray

Print/Download - Learning How to Pray

If you want to learn something, teach it. I find that maxim particularly true when helping young children learn how to pray by having them teach a doll or stuffed animal. I use this exercise with 3-5 year-olds and it always produces great results.

I start out by asking each child how he or she prays. Some give specific examples of prayers they have learned, which they say before meals or before bed at night. Then we start to look at what we put into a prayer.

• Who are we praying to?
• What do we want to tell God?
• Do we have to ask for something in order to pray?
• We talk about prayers of gratitude, support, comfort, and for others.

Then we say a prayer together.

Next, I give each child an 18"-24" cloth doll. Boys get boy dolls and girls get girl dolls. I introduce each child to a doll. I tell the child the doll's name and a little background information. Example: "Scott, this is Wesley. I've known Wesley since he was a little boy. He likes to play most sports besides enjoying biking and reading." Then I have Wesley say something. The words may come out of my mouth, but I move Wesley as though he were talking to Scott. Wesley might say, "Hi Scott, do you like to play soccer?" (I talk about something I know about the child, so the child opens up and starts talking with the doll). "Jacquelyn, this is Channing. Channing spends time playing with her Barbie dolls and likes to wear hats and pretty dresses." Channing might say, "Hi Jacquelyn, I like your shoes. Do you like to shop?"

I then ask them to talk with their dolls and teach them how to pray.

The key is to listen closely to what they are teaching, so you can make a group comment -- not just single out one child and say, "No, we don't pray like that." The collective comment will usually help the child get on the right track. The important thing is to help them see prayer as a conversation with God -- that prayer isn't just asking for something; it is sharing moments with God.

I've heard the sweetest prayers, as the youngsters become the voices for their dolls. After they've practiced with their dolls, they show us how their dolls pray. One little boy had the doll kneeling as he held the doll's hands together with one hand and put his hand over the doll's eyes with the other - since his eyes didn't close - and said, "Hi God, this is Kurt. I'm in Sunday School. They sure talk a lot about you here. You are Love. I like that. Bye! Oh, Amen."

Exercise: Trusting and Listening to God

"...And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." -- I Kings 19:11-12

In our Sunday School class, we are learning to trust God and listen for His direction. We may not be able to physically see or touch God, but if we listen expectantly, we can always hear His "still small voice" guiding us.

To illustrate this concept, I brought a few toddlers' toys (stacking cups, shape sorter, wooden puzzle, etc.) and a blindfold to class. Each student had to follow my step-by-step directions to complete a task blindfolded, just by listening. The students were not allowed to see the toys beforehand. Others in the class were very quiet and still while each one took his turn.

The students were amazed at what they could achieve -- whether it was a completed puzzle or tall tower -- by listening only to my directions. This helped them understand that even though we cannot see God or may be unsure about a path to take, He is always speaking gently to us. God is always guiding us to accomplishments beyond our expectations.

Susie S. Quitter

Exercise: People Who Prayed (older children)

• Ask them to list people who prayed in the Bible.
• What did they pray for?
• What were the results of their prayers?

Put the list on a white board and add some of your own and see if they know the individual and circumstances. For example:

• Abraham prayed for…
• Sarah prayed for…
• Hagar prayed for…
• Isaac prayed for…
• Rebekah prayed for…
• Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, Deborah, Elijah, Elisha, Hannah, Samuel, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Ruth, Job, Nehemiah, Daniel, the three Hebrew boys, Jonah, Joel, Mary, Jesus, Peter, Nicodemus, John, Paul and so on.

Exercise: Get out your crayons and enjoy coloring the picture of Bless Me!

Print/Download - Coloring Page, Bless Me!

Exercise: Break the Code – Jacob

Print/Download - Break the Code – Jacob
Print/Download - Break the Code – Jacob Answer Sheet

Exercise: Hidden Message – 1^st line of Prayer of Jabez

Print/Download - Hidden Message – 1^st line of Prayer of Jabez
Print/Download - Hidden Message – 1^st line of Prayer of Jabez Answer Sheet

Exercise: Break the Code – 2^nd line of Prayer of Jabez

Print/Download - Break the Code – 2^nd line of Prayer of Jabez
Print/Download - Break the Code – 2^nd line of Prayer of Jabez Answer Sheet

Exercise: Picture Code – 3^rd line of Prayer of Jabez

Print/Download - Picture Code – 3^rd line of Prayer of Jabez
Print/Download - Picture Code – 3^rd line of Prayer of Jabez Answer Sheet

Exercise: Jabez Unscramble – 4^th line of Prayer of Jabez

Print/Download - Jabez Unscramble – 4^th line of Prayer of Jabez
Print/Download - Jabez Unscramble – 4^th line of Prayer of Jabez Answer       Sheet

Exercise: Red C, Red Sea!

Print/Download - Red C, Red Sea!
Print/Download - Red C, Red Sea! Answer Sheet

Exercise: A Voice in the Night

Print/Download - A Voice in the Night
Print/Download - A Voice in the Night Answer Sheet

Exercise: Oh No, Jonah!

Print/Download - Oh No, Jonah!
Print/Download - Oh No, Jonah! Answer Sheet

Exercise: Jonah and the Great Fish

Print/Download - Jonah and the Great Fish

Exercise: Repent or Be Destroyed

Print/Download - Repent or Be Destroyed
Print/Download - Repent or Be Destroyed Answer Sheet

Prayer of Jabez 
Read 1 Chronicle 4:9;  Shep and Lily Prayer of Jabez

• What does it mean to be blessed?
• Why do we ask God to bless us?
• Why would we want our borders extended?
• Do you ask God to stay close to you?
• Why do we want to be kept from evil?

Jacob Wrestles
Read Genesis 32:24-30; Jacob and the Angel; A Midnight Wrestling Match

• Why was Jacob wrestling with an angel?
• When you feel afraid or feel guilty about something you’ve done, do you wrestle with your thoughts?
• Why was it important for Jacob to feel blessed?
• Did this blessing mean more to him than the one he stole from his brother?
• Why is it important to see everyone as though we are seeing God face-to-face?

Samuel Listens and Responds
Read 1 Sam 3:1-19; A Voice at Night; The Little Boy with a Linen Coat

• How do you think Samuel felt each time he heard someone call his name?
• Have you ever heard God call your name?
• Would you be willing to say, “Speak Lord, I am listening”?
• Which is more important: listening to God or talking to God?
• What can you do to improve your ability to listen to God?

Moses and the Red Sea
Read Ex. 14:19-31; The Red Sea; How the Sea Became Dry Land

• How did Moses communicate with God when he got to the Red Sea?
• Why were the people upset?
• Do you believe God could open the sea?
• Would you have been willing to walk through the path God created?
• Is there anything that keeps us from walking down the paths God has created for us today?

Jonah
Read Jonah 1-4; Inside a Fish; The Prophet Who Tried to Run Away From God

• What did God ask Jonah to do?
• Why didn’t he obey God?
• What did he do instead?
• Why were the sailors afraid to throw Jonah overboard?
• What do you think Jonah’s prayers were like inside the fish?
• How would you have prayed if you were in the belly of a fish?
• Are you ever afraid to do what is right to do?