When I was younger, I used to be afraid of the dark. At night in my bedroom, the darkness would create shadows that scared me, and it was hard to fall asleep. My mom would sing to me and pray with me every night, and I knew that Jesus would be with me. If I felt afraid, I could talk to Jesus and He would hear my prayers.
Now that I’m older, the darkness doesn’t scare me so much. But I still count on Jesus to help me when I am afraid.
Your friend, Abby
—Psalm 119:105
does the sun drink out of?
Sunglasses
Have you ever been camping? It can be hard to see outside when it is dark, but if you carry a flashlight, it will help show you the way. This Bible verse says that God is kind of like a flashlight. When you are in darkness or cannot see the way forward, you can talk to God and He will help guide you.
I Spy … Circle the objects that produce light. Match each camping object to its shadow.
18-05/04/24
Just for Kids is a Ready to Explore resource, published weekly by The Salvation Army, Canada and Bermuda, 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto, ON, M4H 1P4. Phone: (416) 422-6119; fax: (416) 422-6217; email: justforkids@salvationarmy.ca. Lyndon Buckingham, General; Commissioner Lee Graves, territorial commander; Geoff Moulton, editor-in-chief; Abbigail Oliver, editor; Rivonny Luchas, designer. International Headquarters, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, England, EC4P 4EP. Subscription for one year, Canada $12 (includes GST/HST); USA $15; foreign $17. Agreement No 40064794. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, unless otherwise stated. Illustrations: stock.Adobe.com and gettyimages.ca unless otherwise stated. ISSN 2368- 626X
Find the way to the tent!
How do you like to pray? It isn’t a trick question—there is no right or wrong way to pray.
You can pray however you want to and in any way that makes you feel close to God. I like to pray before bed, when I can reflect on my day and talk to God without any distractions. I also like to pray on long walks, during church or in the morning while I have my breakfast. You can talk to God anywhere and at any time. He is always with you and will hear your prayers.
In the Bible, Jesus taught His disciples a special prayer that they can use called the Lord’s Prayer. Read this issue of Just for Kids to learn what it means.
Set aside some time each day to say a prayer, whether it is at bedtime, in the morning or before you eat a meal.
Try keeping a prayer journal. Write down three things each day that you want to tell God, thank Him for or pray for.
Turn your favourite activities into praying time!
If you like to go for walks, write stories, colour pictures or play an instrument, find a way to bring prayer into it.
Ask a parent, your corps officer or youth leader to pray with you. Then, ask if you can pray for someone else together.
Which two are identical?
Luke 11:1-4
One day, Jesus was praying. When He was finished, one of His followers, called a disciple, spoke to Him. “Lord,” he said. “Teach us how to pray.”
Jesus said to His disciples, “When you pray, this is what you should say: Father, may Your name be honoured. May Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive our sins, as we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.”
What does the Lord’s Prayer mean?
The Lord’s Prayer is a common prayer that many Christians say. It gives us some simple instructions:
• Honour God
• Ask for forgiveness
• Forgive others
• Trust in God
• Avoid being tempted to do wrong things
Hi kids!
Let’s get to know each other better. I’ll tell you my name and three fun facts about myself. By now, you probably already know that my name is Abby. Here are three things you might not know:
• My middle name is Faith, like the faith we have in God.
• When I was six, I lost my two front teeth. It felt like forever until they grew back!
• I can’t play any instruments, but I like to sing.
What is your name? A name helps us know who someone is. One day, Jesus asked His disciples who people thought He was.
“Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked. One of the disciples, named Simon, had an answer. “You are the Messiah. You are the Son of the living God,” he said. Simon knew Jesus’ name. How? Because God had told him. You can read the full Bible story in Matthew 16:13-20.
The question Jesus asked His disciples many years ago still applies today. Who do you think Jesus is? If you know who Jesus is, take time this week to practise telling someone about Him.
Your friend, Abby
Hi, My Name Is Write your name in the blank space.
Help name the kids by writing each letter in the correct box.
Knock, knock Who’s there?
Philip Philip who? Go Philip the tank
Knock, knock Who’s there?
Doris Doris who?
Doris locked, that’s why I’m knocking
Knock, knock Who’s there?
Justin
Justin who?
Justin the neighbourhood and thought I’d stop by
Can you find one of a kind in this group of people?
I have a major sweet tooth. My favourite treats are cookies, especially chocolate chip. Imagine you have a whole box of cookies, and I ask you to share one with me. I know you would be a good friend and give it to me. You would still have a lot of cookies left for yourself, so it might be an easy decision.
But what if you only had one cookie? It would be a big sacrifice to give it away to someone else.
In the Bible, there is a story about a woman who was very poor. She only had two coins, and she chose to give them to the church. Jesus saw that she was very generous—she had given the only money she had, and He praised her for her sacrifice. You can read the full story in this issue of Just for Kids.
I hope this week you get to eat a yummy cookie and share one with a friend. I will, too!
Your friend, Abby
Mark 12:41-44
One day, Jesus went to the temple with His disciples. He sat down across from the place where people put their temple offerings. He watched the crowd putting their money into the offering boxes. Some rich people came into the temple. They put large amounts of money into the offering boxes.
Then a woman came in. She was a widow and was very poor because she had no one to look after her. She put two small copper coins into the offering box. These coins were worth much less than a penny.
Jesus asked His disciples to come to Him. He said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. That poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. The rich people gave a lot because they have a lot of money. But she gave even though she is poor. She put in everything she had. She gave all she had to live on.”
“God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Generous Widow Word Search
Don’t
—Hebrews 13:16
With