Naaman and the Little Servant Girl: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · 2 Kings 5:1-14
An interactive 45-minute lesson on 2 Kings 5:1-14 where children hear how Naaman was healed by obeying God's simple word. They play an obedience game, make a Seven Dips bookmark, discuss, and learn 2 Kings 5:14.
Memory verse
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:14, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell the story of Naaman, the little maid, Elisha and the Jordan in the right order.
- Explain that Naaman was healed when he obeyed God's word, even though it was not what he expected.
- Choose one simple way to listen to and obey God this week.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Simple or Silly? (4 min)
Seat the children in a circle.
Say: Welcome! Today's story is about a powerful man who needed help.
Say: Has anyone ever been asked to do something that seemed too easy or too silly? Raise your hand. (Let 2-3 children share.)
Say: Let's try one. Stand up, turn around once, and sit down. That was simple! Sometimes God's instructions are simple too.
Say: Our story is in 2 Kings 5. Listen for who helps a great man, and what he is told to do.
Now let's hear the story.
The Story: Naaman and the Jordan (8 min)
Setup: Lay the blue cloth on the floor as the Jordan. Read or retell 2 Kings 5:1-14 in order. Children make a wave with their arms at "Jordan" and hold up seven fingers at "seven."
Say: Naaman was captain of the Syrian king's army. He was a great, honourable man and a mighty man of valour, but he had leprosy. (Background: leprosy was a serious skin disease.)
Say: A little maid from Israel, taken captive, served Naaman's wife. She said, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy."
Say: Naaman's king sent him to the king of Israel with a letter, silver, gold and ten changes of clothing. The king of Israel tore his clothes, troubled by the letter.
Say: Elisha, the man of God, said, "Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." Naaman came with his horses and chariot and stood at Elisha's door.
Say: Elisha sent a messenger: "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." Naaman was wroth and went away. He had thought Elisha would come out and wave his hand over the place.
Say: His servants asked, "If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?"
Say: Naaman dipped seven times in the Jordan, and his flesh was like a little child's. He was clean!
What Does This Mean? (6 min)
Say: Three things stand out in this story.
Say: First, God used a little girl. She was far from home, yet she spoke up and pointed to God's prophet. Small people can do big things for God.
Say: Second, Naaman wanted something fancy. His silver and gold could not buy healing. It came when he trusted God's word and obeyed.
Say: Third, obeying is better than arguing. His servants helped him listen, and then he was healed.
Say: Naaman could not fix himself, and we cannot clean our own hearts from wrong. Jesus spoke about Naaman in Luke 4:27. The Bible says the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). God's cleansing is a gift we receive by trusting Him.
Ask: What simple thing did Naaman have to do? (Dip in the Jordan seven times.)
Now let's play a game to practice listening and obeying.
Game: Obey the Messenger (8 min)
Setup: Put a masking-tape line "Syria" about 3 meters from the blue cloth "Jordan." Time: 8 minutes. Children walk only, no running.
1. Children stand on the Syria line. You are Elisha's messenger.
2. Call out simple actions (clap three times, touch toes, turn around). Children obey only when you begin with "The man of God says." Otherwise they stay still.
3. Play 3-4 rounds, then add a surprise: "The man of God says: whisper your name." Say: Even small commands matter when God gives them.
4. Say: Now let's go to the Jordan! Children walk slowly to the cloth and stand beside it.
5. Everyone crouches and stands seven times, counting aloud, then cheers, "He was clean!"
Say: Naaman had to listen, then do. That is obeying.
Craft: Seven Dips Bookmark (8 min)
Setup: Precut cardstock strips and blue paper drops (seven per child). Safety: supervise scissors and glue, keep small paper pieces away from mouths, and check for allergies to any materials before starting.
1. Write "2 Kings 5:14" at the top of the strip.
2. Color a river along the bottom and draw Naaman standing beside it.
3. Number seven blue drops 1-7 and glue them in a column up the strip.
4. Write "Obey God's word!" and your name on the back.
5. Show a partner and retell the story using the seven drops.
Say: Put this in your Bible or a favorite book. Each time you see the drops, remember that Naaman obeyed and was clean.
Talk About It (5 min)
Ask each question and let several children answer.
1. Who first helped Naaman, and how? (A little maid from Israel. She told him a prophet in Samaria could heal him.)
2. Why was Naaman angry? (He expected Elisha to come out and do something big. Washing in the Jordan seemed too plain.)
3. Who helped Naaman change his mind? (His servants. They asked him to do the simple thing.)
4. When might it be hard to obey God because it seems too simple or not what we wanted? (Being kind to someone, saying sorry, telling the truth, reading the Bible.)
Say: Thank you for sharing. Let's finish with our verse and a prayer.
Verse and Prayer (6 min)
Teach 2 Kings 5:14 by echo, one phrase at a time, with motions:
"Then went he down," (step forward)
"and dipped himself seven times in Jordan," (crouch, show seven fingers)
"according to the saying of the man of God:" (hold hands like an open book)
"and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child," (rub arms, then rock an imaginary baby)
"and he was clean." (arms up)
Repeat twice. Say: Try to learn the whole verse this week.
Say: Let's pray. Repeat after me, a line at a time.
- Thank You, God, for using even small people to help.
- Help us to listen to Your word and obey, even when it is simple.
- Thank You, Jesus, for cleansing our hearts from all sin.
Amen. Dismiss with the bookmarks.
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- Blue cloth or butcher paper (the Jordan river)
- Masking tape
- Cardstock strips for bookmarks (about 5 x 18 cm)
- Blue construction paper (precut water drops)
- Crayons
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue sticks
Teacher notes
- Describe leprosy simply as a serious skin disease. Do not act it out or show scary pictures, and do not add details the Bible does not give.
- Safety: supervise scissors and glue, check for allergies to craft materials, and keep the game to walking only.
- Adaptation: for children who find movement hard, let them count the seven dips with fingers or a card. Pair younger children with older buddies in the craft, and show the story with simple pictures.
- Read the story aloud from your Bible and stay close to the text. Keep the gospel connection gentle: Naaman was healed by God's gift, not by his silver and gold.
Send it home with parents
Today we studied 2 Kings 5:1-14. Naaman, a mighty Syrian commander with leprosy, was helped by a little maid from Israel who pointed him to God's prophet Elisha. He was angry when told to wash in the Jordan seven times, but he listened to his servants, obeyed and was healed. Children learned that God can use anyone, that His ways may be simple, and that obeying His word is the right response.
- Who helped Naaman, and what did she say?
- Why do you think Naaman did not want to wash in the Jordan at first?
- What is one thing God asks us to do that seems small but matters?
Play "The man of God says" at home, taking turns as the leader. After seven dips (crouches), read 2 Kings 5:14 together and say it in phrases.
Each day, obey one simple instruction right away, such as helping at home or being kind, and tell your family how it went. Practice 2 Kings 5:14 a little each day.
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