Elijah Fed by Ravens — and the Widow’s Flour Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “God took care of Elijah.”
Elijah was a prophet. A prophet tells people God’s words. King Ahab and many people had turned away from God. So Elijah went to King Ahab.
Elijah said, “There shall not be dew nor rain these years.” Dew is the tiny drops of water on the grass in the morning. No dew and no rain! Soon the plants dried up, and there was very little food.
The LORD said to Elijah, “Hide yourself by the brook. You shall drink from the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” A brook is a little stream of water. Ravens are big black birds. Caw, caw!
So Elijah went and lived by the brook. It was far away, near the Jordan River. Every morning the ravens brought him bread and meat. Every evening they brought bread and meat again! And he drank water from the brook. Can you flap your wings like a raven? God took care of Elijah.
After a while, the brook dried up, because there was no rain. Drip … drip … and then no more water at all. What do you think God will do now?
Then the LORD said, “Go to Zarephath. I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.” Zarephath was a town far away, by the sea. A widow is a woman whose husband has died. To sustain means to give food.
So Elijah walked and walked to Zarephath. At the town gate Elijah saw the widow. She was picking up sticks. “Please get me a little water, that I may drink,” he said. She went to get it.
Then Elijah called to her, “Please bring me a morsel of bread.” A morsel is a little bite.
The widow said, “As the LORD your God lives, I don’t have anything baked. Only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil.” Meal is flour for baking. She was picking up two sticks for a fire. It was just enough for one last little meal for her and her son.
Elijah said, “Don’t be afraid. Make me a little cake from it first. Afterward make some for you and for your son.” Then Elijah told her what God had promised. The LORD says, “The jar of meal will not run out. The jar of oil will not fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain.”
So the widow did what Elijah said. She baked a little cake for him. And there was still flour in the jar! There was still oil too! Glug, glug! Can you pretend to pour the oil? God took care of Elijah.
The next day, there was still flour. And the next day. And the next day! Day after day, there was enough food for Elijah, the widow and her son. They ate for many days.
The jar of flour did not run out. The jar of oil did not fail, just as the LORD had said. God took care of Elijah.
God took care of all three of them. A little flour and a little oil, every single day! God took care of Elijah.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think Elijah thought when the ravens came with his food?
- How do you think the widow felt when she saw her jar still had flour?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Color the 2 sticks the widow gathered and her 2 jars of flour and oil.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning” — 1 Kings 17:6 (The ravens → flap your arms like wings; bread and meat → pretend to eat; in the morning → stretch and yawn)
Dear God, thank you for my food every day. Thank you that you take care of us. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God gives us what we need
Memory verse: “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.” — 1 Kings 17:6 · WEB
The Bible story
When a long drought dried up the land, God sent black ravens to carry food to Elijah and kept a poor widow's flour jar from ever running empty.
Talk about it
- What was the weather like in Elijah's land? — Very dry, with no rain
- Where did God first tell Elijah to hide? — By the brook Kerith
- Which birds did God send to feed Elijah? — Ravens
- What did the ravens carry to Elijah? — Bread and meat
- Why did the little brook dry up? — It still had not rained
- Where did God send Elijah next? — To the town of Zarephath
Where is Jesus in this story?
Jesus Himself talked about this story. In His hometown synagogue He reminded people that during the long famine, God sent Elijah to a widow in Zarephath, a woman from outside Israel (Luke 4:25–26). Jesus was showing that God's kindness reaches every nation. The same Jesus who said this came to bring God's love to people everywhere, including you.
What God wants to tell us
God took wonderful care of Elijah and the widow, even when the rain stopped and food ran low. He sent birds to carry bread and kept a tiny jar of flour full day after day. This story shows us that God sees us, loves us, and provides for us in ways we could never imagine. When things feel scary or empty, we can trust that God is still holding us close and giving us exactly what we need.
Prayer
Father God, thank You for always giving me what I need, even when I cannot see how. Help me to trust You like Elijah and the kind widow did. Thank You for loving me and caring for me every day. Amen.
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