Job Prays for His Friends 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: “Job prayed for his friends.”
Job lived in the land of Uz. He honored God and stayed away from evil. Job had very many sheep and camels, oxen and donkeys.
But very sad things happened to him. He lost almost everything he had, and he got very sick. He sat on the ground in the ashes.
Job had three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Each one lived in a different place. They heard about Job’s trouble. So they met together and came to comfort him. To comfort means to help someone who is sad.
When they saw Job from far away, they did not know him at first. He looked so different! They cried out loud. They tore their robes and threw dust up over their heads.
Then they sat down with him on the ground. They sat there for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word. Shh. Can you sit very still and quiet, like Job’s friends?
But then the friends began to talk. They talked and talked. They said Job must have done something very bad. That is why all this trouble came, they said. But that was not true. Their words hurt Job.
Then God spoke to Job from a whirlwind. That is a wind that spins round and round. And God spoke to the friends too. He spoke to Eliphaz. “You have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.”
God told them, “Take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams.” And he said, “Go to my servant Job.” Rams are big father sheep. Let’s count seven on our fingers: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven!
“My servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him,” God said.
So the three friends came to Job. They had hurt him with their words. What would Job do? What do you think?
Job prayed for them. And the LORD accepted Job. Job prayed for his friends.
When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD made things good for him again. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Twice means two times! Can you show one hand? Now show two hands! Job prayed for his friends.
All his brothers and sisters came. His old friends came too. They ate with him in his house, and they comforted him. Each one gave him some money and a ring of gold. Job prayed for his friends.
God gave Job seven sons and three daughters. His daughters were named Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren Happuch. Jemimah means dove. Keziah is a sweet-smelling spice. In all the land, no girls were as beautiful as Job’s daughters. Job gave them a share of his things, just like their brothers.
After this, Job lived one hundred forty years. What a long, long life! He saw his children, and his grandchildren, and their children too.
So the LORD blessed Job’s last years even more than his first years. Job prayed for his friends.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think Job felt when his friends said hurtful things?
- How do you think the friends felt when Job prayed for them?
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 Job’s 7 sons and 3 daughters.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“The LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” — Job 42:12 (the LORD blessed → hands open, palms up; more than → arms spread wide)
Dear God, thank you for my friends. Please bless them today. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Forgiving brings joy
Memory verse: “So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.” — Job 42:12 · WEB
The Bible story
After all his sadness, Job prays for the friends who wrongly blamed him, and God fills his life with blessings again.
Talk about it
- How many friends had said unkind things to Job? — Three
- What had happened to Job before the story? — He lost almost everything
- How did Job's friends treat him? — They blamed him for his trouble
- What did Job say to God after God spoke to him? — I know You can do all things
- What did God show Job? — The world and animals He made
- What did Job learn about God? — God is bigger than every worry
Where is Jesus in this story?
Job forgave his friends and prayed for them, even though they had hurt him. This points us to Jesus, who forgave the people who were unkind to Him and prayed for them too. Jesus teaches us to love and forgive one another, and because of His great love, God brings us new joy and never lets us go.
What God wants to tell us
Job shows us that even when people hurt our feelings, we can choose to forgive them and pray for them instead of staying angry. God loves it when we are gentle and kind, just like Him. When we let go of grumpy feelings and forgive, God fills our hearts with fresh peace and joy. God never stops caring for us, and He always has good things waiting up ahead, even after our saddest days.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You that You are always good, even on my hardest days. Please help me to forgive people when they hurt my feelings, just like Job did. Fill my heart with kindness and joy, and help me to trust You always. Amen.
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