Hezekiah Spreads the Letter Before God 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: “Hezekiah took his trouble to the LORD.”
Hezekiah was the king in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the LORD’s eyes. He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. And the LORD was with him.
But a big, strong king came against him. His name was Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. He had already taken many towns of Judah. Now his great army came all the way to Jerusalem.
One of the enemy captains stood near the city wall. Many people sat up on the wall and listened. Hezekiah’s helpers went out to the captain. “Please speak in your own language,” they said. “Not in our language. The people on the wall can hear you.”
But the captain did not listen. He shouted even louder, in the people’s own language. “Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD!” he called.
The people on the wall stayed quiet. They did not answer a word. The king had told them, “Don’t answer him.” Shh! Can you be very quiet, like the people on the wall?
Hezekiah’s helpers told the king the scary words. Hezekiah tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth – rough, sad clothes. People wore them when they were very upset. Then he went into the LORD’s house. Hezekiah took his trouble to the LORD.
He sent his helpers to Isaiah the prophet. A prophet is a man who tells people God’s words. Isaiah sent back a message. “The LORD says, ‘Don’t be afraid of the words that you have heard.’”
Then the enemy king sent Hezekiah a letter. It was full of proud, scary words. It said that God could not save Jerusalem.
Hezekiah read the letter. Then he went up to the LORD’s house. He spread the letter out before the LORD. Can you spread out your hands, like opening a big letter? Hezekiah took his trouble to the LORD.
Hezekiah prayed, “LORD, the God of Israel, you are the God, even you alone. You have made heaven and earth.”
“Incline your ear, LORD, and hear. Open your eyes, LORD, and see.” That means: please listen, and please look! Can you put your hand behind your ear, as if you are listening?
“Now therefore, LORD our God, save us, I beg you.” Hezekiah wanted the whole world to know that the LORD is God. Hezekiah took his trouble to the LORD.
Then Isaiah sent Hezekiah a message from God. “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘You have prayed to me, and I have heard you.’”
And about the enemy king, God said, “He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there. He will return the same way that he came.” And God said, “I will defend this city to save it.” Defend means to keep it safe.
That night, the LORD’s angel went out to the enemy camp. The great army was struck down. So the king of Assyria went back home, to his city called Nineveh. He never shot one arrow at Jerusalem.
The LORD heard Hezekiah’s prayer, and he kept his city safe. Hezekiah took his trouble to the LORD.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think Hezekiah felt when he read the scary letter?
- What would you like to tell God when something makes you afraid?
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)
Draw King Hezekiah spreading out the letter before the LORD.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Incline your ear, LORD, and hear.” — 2 Kings 19:16 (Incline your ear → hand behind your ear; and hear → nod your head slowly)
Dear God, when I am afraid, I can tell you. Thank you that you hear me. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Take your worries to God
Memory verse: “Now therefore, LORD our God, save us, I beg you, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are God alone.” — 2 Kings 19:19 · WEB
The Bible story
When a mighty army and a boastful, scary letter arrive, King Hezekiah does the bravest thing of all: he takes his big worry straight to God.
Talk about it
- What kind of king was Hezekiah? — A good king who loved God
- Which city did Hezekiah rule over? — Jerusalem
- What scary news came to the palace? — A huge army was coming
- Who was the proud king of the Assyrian army? — Sennacherib
- What did the boastful messenger shout to the people? — Your God cannot save you
- What did Sennacherib send to King Hezekiah? — A boastful letter
Where is Jesus in this story?
Hezekiah asked God to save Jerusalem “so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God” (2 Kings 19:19). He cared most about God's name. Jesus taught us to pray the same way: “Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9–10). And Hezekiah belonged to David's family line, the line that led to Jesus (Matthew 1:9).
What God wants to tell us
When something feels too big and scary, we can do exactly what Hezekiah did. Instead of holding our worry inside or trying to fix everything on our own, we can bring it straight to God in prayer. God is bigger than any problem, any bully, or any fear. He loves to listen when His children come to Him, and He is always ready to help. You never have to carry a heavy worry alone, because God is right beside you and He hears every word you say.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You that You are bigger than anything that scares me. When I feel worried, help me remember to bring it straight to You, just like Hezekiah did. Thank You for always listening and always loving me. Amen.
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