Children’s Message – Healer

Scripture: Proverbs 12:18, II Corinthians 1:3-4

Props:  Stethoscope

Who can tell me who would use this?  [Hold up stethoscope] That’s right ‑ a doctor or a nurse.  Is anyone here a doctor?  We might have to work on that because today we are going to talk about Jesus’ healing ministry.  Can anyone tell me what kind of healing Jesus did?  [Responses might include healing the lame, the blind) What other kind of healing did Jesus do?  (Probably no response here]   When you fall down and skin your knee what do your mother and father do?  Do they put  a bandage on it?  Maybe put their arm around you or give you a hug?  Sometimes you get cookies and milk! Do you feel better then?  [If you don’t get a positive response here you are in trouble]  But your knee is still skinned, isn’t it?  So you’re telling me that even though your sore hasn’t been healed you feel better because your mom or dad was nice to you and gave you a hug.  That’s called comforting someone.  And that is the other kind of healing that Jesus did.  He showed love for those around him and comforted them when they were feeling bad.

Has there ever been a time when you didn’t have any bumps or scrapes but you still felt bad?  Maybe you were lonely or discouraged because something bad happened to you.  Those are the times when it would really be nice to have a friend come up to you and cheer you up, right?  A lot of times we adults forget that. When something bad happens to one of our friends we stay away from them because we don’t know what to say.  Many times the best thing we can do for someone who is feeling lonely or depressed is just to listen to them and pray with them.  Here is what the Bible says to us in II Corinthians  (Read scripture) The apostle Paul who wrote that verse had a lifelong ailment.  We don’t really know what it was.  We do know he prayed to get over it, but it didn’t go away. Sometimes the physical hurts aren’t cured even when we pray about them.  But if we have faith and find comfort in Jesus, then we will be able to deal with the pain just as Paul did.  When other people who are suffering see how God gives us the strength to deal with our pain, it will give them hope that they can deal with theirs, too.

Prayer:  Dear God, our comforter, thank you for bringing healing to us and to our families.  Thank you for giving us the strength to handle whatever pain we have.  Guide us as we try to bring comfort to others who are hurting.  Help us say the right words, and to know when to just listen.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.