Daily Devos: GOD HEALS NAAMAN IN THE JORDAN RIVER

PRAYER OF THE WEEK:

Dear God, we thank you for your power to heal.  Work your healing in us, in those we know and love, and for all who need your care.  Amen.

COLORING PAGE OF THE WEEK: 

Download the Coloring Page here:  https://craftingthewordofgod.com/2015/02/26/naaman-is-healed-coloring-page/

BIBLE STORY OF THE WEEK:  2 Kings 5:1-4, 10-14 NRSV

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said.  10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

Tell about a time when you were hurt and needed healing.  What did you do?  Tell about a time when you did not believe something that you were told?  How did you learn that it was true?  How can you help someone who might not be nice to you?

Family God Time: God Heals Naaman in the Jordan River: 2 Kings 5:1-4, 10-14

For the next three weeks, we will be remembering what we learned in Bible School at the beginning of the summer.  Have fun learning more about each story from your children; they are sometimes our greatest teachers!

Gathering Prayer: (Do this prayer repeat-after-me style)

Dear God, we thank you for your power to heal.  Work your healing in us, in those we know and love, and for all who need your care.  Amen.

Bible Story:  2 Kings 5:1-4, 10-14

Read about Naaman in a children’s Bible or online here:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+5%3A1-4%2C+10-14&version=ERV

Here is a video to show you the story:

Questions to Ponder:

1. Tell about a time when you were hurt and needed healing.
2. What did you do?
3. Tell about a time when you did not believe something that you were told.
4. How did you learn that it was true?
5. How can you help someone who might not be nice to you?

Song:  Peace Like a River

Since God healed Naaman in the Jordan River, and received the peace that only God can give, I thought this was the perfect song!

Activity:  First Aid Kit

Since God worked healing in Naaman in this story, I thought it might be great to work together with my family to make a First Aid Kit for the car.  That way, we can be God’s hands and feet of healing in the case of an emergency.  There are some great ideas on how to do this here:  http://myfrugaladventures.com/2015/04/diy-car-first-aid-kit-be-prepared-this-summer/

Closing Prayer: (Do this prayer repeat-after-me style)

God be in my head, and in my understanding.
God be in my eyes, and in my looking.
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking.
God be in my heart, and in my thinking.
God be at my end, and at my departing.  Amen.

God Heals Namaan’s Leprosy: II Kings 5

For Vacation Bible School this summer, our parish used Group Publishing’s curriculum “Everest:  Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power.”  This is the third week of family devotions based on the five Bible stories that we learned at VBS.  (If you missed last week’s, find it here: https://familygodtime.wordpress.com ).  Enjoy learning from your kids; you might be surprised what they have to teach you!

Supplies:  God Time pillows, candle and holder (see “Gathering,” below), My First Hands-On Bible (or other children’s or family Bible), access to the internet, a box of dollar store adhesive bandages (I got 60 for $1), a permanent marker, a camera

Gather:  We like to sit in a circle on the floor for God Time.  Finding some pillows or cushions to sit on makes it even more comfortable.  My kids like to use pillow pets for this purpose!  Once you are in a circle, light a candle (or turn on a battery-operated one; we use an LED tea light in a pretty metal container).

Story:  Read the story of the God Heals Naaman’s Leprosy from II Kings 5 in My First Hands-On Bible or another children’s or family Bible.  If you are using the My First Hands-On Bible, feel free to do the activities and questions described there.  If you don’t have a children’s Bible, check out this version:  II Kings 5:1-15

Discuss:  What do you think it would have been like to have leprosy?  What did Elisha tell Naaman to do to be healed?  Did he want to do it?  Why or why not?  Did what Elisha told him to do work?  Do you think that we can pray to God for healing, too?

Song:   Vacation Bible School Dance Party:  If you want to, you and your family can take this opportunity to have your very own VBS Dance Party.  Play the music, do the actions, or just get up and dance!

If you want to learn a new song, you could learn my prayer song for healing, available on youtube:

Activity:  Pictures of Healing

To help us to remember this story, I got a box of 60 adhesive bandages from the Dollar Store for $1.  We opened the packages, and drew crosses in the center, and stuck them all over our bodies.  Some we just stuck on, and others, we stuck on in the shape of a cross.  Then, we took a bunch of pictures to remind us that God heals!  You can see some of the pictures, below:

        

Prayer:  (You can do this all together, or as a “repeat after me” prayer, depending on reading ability) You can use the “Heal Me, Jesus” song as a prayer, substituting names of people you know who need healing.  Or you can simply pray:  Dear Jesus, we know that there are lots of people who need to be healed.  Please heal (name people you know here; or you can use the names from Sunday’s bulletin).  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.