“The Lord Watches Over You – Psalm 121 Bible lesson and activity resource for children ages kindergarten through sixth grade. The lesson focuses on the importance of trusting in God for help and protection, as highlighted in Psalm 121. The lesson includes a discussion about where people go for help, the limitations of human help, and the promises of God’s protection. It also includes activities such as a prayer journal and a door hanger to help children remember God’s love and care.
“The Lord Watches Over You” Psalm 121 NIV Bible Lesson & Activities for Children
Where do we go for help? Young children are familiar with the concept of needing assistance with things, and depending on age, might be quite accustomed to asking for help. Sometimes we need support physically, or we might want help answering a question or figuring out how to do something. These days, people of all ages might seek help from the internet when questions arise. There are people we can go to with questions or worries. However, all of our human help (and technology guidance) is imperfect and can let us down. This lesson highlights how our true support and protection come from the Lord our God, who made all things and promises to be with us always.
We are not alone! Children and adults often find ourselves in need of support. We can turn to a lot of things seeking help, but it is God who promises to always come to our aid. He never rests or sleeps, and will always be with us and guide us. Night or day, he keeps us from harm and loves us. It is a hopeful and wonderful reminder to kids that no matter what goes on around us, God is present and ready to help!
Passage: Psalm 121:1-8
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade
Materials Needed: Construction paper; lined paper; glue; markers or crayons; pictures of hills or mountains; books, maps, or research resources; tape; scissors; decorative supplies; blindfolds; small soft balls; Bibles. Object lesson props can include: Toolbox, books, phone, map, computer/tablet, etc.; Bible
More Resources Online
- Watch the video demonstration of the object lesson.
- Watch the video example for the craft projects.
- Watch the video Bible Story “God Loves Us“ from Crossroads Kids Club
- Watch the video Bible Story “Don’t Worry” from Saddleback Kids
- For more free Bible illustrations, visit Christian Clip Arts and Ministry-To-Children’s Coloring Pages
Object Lesson (5 minutes)
Greet children, and discuss things that require assistance…
Hello, children of God! Where do you go when you need help with something? I guess it sort of depends what you need help with, since there might be different things that require assistance. For instance, if I wanted help cooking something, I might look in a cookbook to find a recipe (hold up props as you go, according to what you have available). The cookbook will tell me what ingredients I need to make something, and will guide me through how to put them together. A cookbook would help me know how to cook. Or let’s say I wanted to know more about a place, or how to do a hobby. I could look at a map to see where things are, or I could read a book that tells me more about something. Well, okay, these days, I could probably find a lot on the internet, too… Or maybe I need to fix something. I might have a toolbox full of items that could help me…but what if I don’t know how to use the tools, or pick the right ones? I guess then I’d be back to the internet search. Or I could call someone that might know. I could use my phone to ask a parent, or friend, or expert who knows more than I do…
The problem is, a lot of these “helpers” are not always reliable. I mean, I might call someone who doesn’t wind up answering their phone. Or maybe I look up the wrong fact, or the wrong recipe, and I wind up making a mistake. Perhaps I find an unreliable website and don’t really get the help I need. These human “helpers” will not always come through for me. But I know of one source of help that will always be reliable. You can probably guess who it is… God!
The Lord has promised to always be with us, and we know that we can trust Him for anything and everything we need in our lives. We don’t see God with our eyes, and we might not hear Him like we hear our mom or dad, but we know that He is always there and wants to hear from us. We have God’s Word, the Bible, to guide us through questions we might have. There is a wonderful passage in the Bible, in the book of Psalms, that reminds us how we can look to God for help. It says that our help does not come from looking up at the hills, but from looking up at Him, the one who made all things. The Psalm goes on to say that God will not let anything happen to us. In fact, He doesn’t even sleep! We need daily rest, but God does not. He never goes to sleep. He is always watching over us and taking care of us. In the daytime or the nighttime, He is there. He wants to help us, and loves us more than we can imagine. He wants to hear our prayers and always listens when we call to Him.
There might be times when we don’t quite think we “feel” or hear God, and that’s okay. We rely on His word to know that He is with us and He is for us. He is there in good times and in bad, and promises to keep us and comfort us. Other helpers might fail or flee, but He is always there. Why don’t we talk to God and ask for His help right now?
Prayer: (Invite the children to repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for promising to be with us
And for always helping us
I can peacefully sleep, because you never do!
Thank you for being our help
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
Game & Activities Suggestions
(10 minutes)
This passage reminds us that God is our source of help. He never sleeps, but always watches over us, night and day, and will not let anything happen to us. It is encouraging to recall that God promises to protect and provide for us. Open with some activities to spark thought and introduce themes. Some possible ideas include:
- Protect your neighbor: This active game reminds us that God protects us. Have students play a round of dodgeball, but in pairs. Only one student in the pair can throw the ball, while the other partner must block him or her. The blocker can be hit and remain in the game, but once the thrower is hit, both are eliminated. For extra excitement, play this game with the thrower blindfolded!
- Trust leadership: This is another paired activity. Have partners help each other through a simple maze or obstacle course, but blindfold one of the pair, and have the other guide with verbal directions.
- What protects you? Look at and talk about several items that would be worn or used for protection, such as helmets, umbrellas, jackets, or even bulletproof vests. Discuss how the various items can protect our bodies, but only God can protect our souls.
- He never slumbers… Play a twist on the “What Time is it, Mr. Wolf?” game. Have one student be the watcher, and invite them to stand on one end of a playing area with their back facing the other students. Have the students line up and call out to the watcher, “are you awake yet?” The line of students will advance slowly, calling to the watcher. The watcher will choose a point to turn and chase the approaching students, trying to tag them before they reach the safety of the starting point. Any tagged students join the watcher until all students have been tagged (or play ends).
Explain to students that today’s lesson reminds us of how God is our helper, and is always with us. Sometimes we might feel scared or uncertain, and sometimes things that we turn to for help let us down. But God always wants to help us, and He will never let us down! We look to Him for hope and help, always!
Main Bible Teaching
(15 minutes)
This passage is from the Psalms, and contains some memorable (and good to memorize) verses. It’s great to go through verse by verse, offering younger students some additional description or information. You might have students take turns reading these verses, or you could choose to read them out loud and pause to explain and discuss what is being said.
Psalms 121:1-2 NIV I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? (2) My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Provide a little background for this psalm. The Israelites would recite these words as they journeyed to visit Jerusalem, the Holy city. The roads were dangerous, and the travelers would pray this psalm as an encouraging reminder of God’s presence and power in their midst. These opening verses are a reminder that our help and strength come from the Lord, who made and controls all things. The journey was hard, but the people knew that God was with them.
Ask: What’s the hardest thing you have ever had to do?
Sometimes we face scary challenges. There are things in our lives that might be uncertain or difficult, but we can trust in God and be certain that He is worthy of our hope. Why? He gives us His promise!
Psalms 121:3-4 NIV He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
There are a lot of human helpers that can assist us in times of need. Our parents, teachers, friends, or siblings might offer support when we feel scared or anxious. However, these helpers have struggles of their own. They grow weak and weary and make mistakes. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go to them for aid, but we recognize that they are not perfect. These verses offer the comfort of knowing that God does not sleep! He has no need for rest, and does not get tired. Because of this, He is all the more capable of caring for us, and won’t ever let anything happen to us!
Ask: Who do you turn to for help in tough situations? What gives you hope and strength?
Psalms 121:5-6 NIV The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
Refer back to the elements of protection that were discussed earlier in the lesson. God is a greater armor than any of those things ever could be! Of course, we know that the sun and moon still shine, but this verse encourages us with the hope that they will not harm us. The Lord will shield and protect us from elements that threaten to harm us physically or spiritually. He is our “shade”, our “umbrella” in times of fear.
Psalms 121:7-8 NIV The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Ask: Who knows the most about you?
There are a lot of people who know a great deal about us, but no one knows more than God. He knows us better than our families or friends, better than our teachers and pastors, better even than we know ourselves! Because God knows all about us, He will keep us safe and secure, no matter what. This is a beautiful promise and a message of hope at all times! Close with prayer, thanking God for His presence and promises of protection.
Craft Activities (15 minutes)
Where can we go for help? Assistance might come from a variety of sources, depending what we require help with. However, our earthly supports can disappoint. We have another source of aid that will always provide for us and never let us down…we lift our eyes to the maker of Heaven and Earth, the Lord our God, who never slumbers or sleeps! These precious promises from Psalm 121 are the inspiration behind these crafts, which remind children of the hope we have in God’s presence and love. A special prayer journal celebrates God’s care for us, and a “God does not slumber” door hanger recalls who protects us so we can rest.
Craft Captions to Consider… (Psalm 121)
- I am sleeping…but God isn’t! He is watching over me.
- God does not slumber or sleep…rest in Him!
- I lift my eyes to God…He always helps me!
- Trust in the Lord!
Craft one: “Lift Your Eyes” Prayer Journal
You will need:
- Construction paper or cardstock
- Scissors
- Lined paper
- Markers or decorating materials
- Stapler
- String, yarn, or ribbon (Optional)
Procedure:
- Arrange lined paper into a stack, cutting if needed for size.
- Place construction paper or cardstock around the outside of the lined paper, either surrounding with a fold as one large piece, or placing on both sides of the stack.
- Staple the stack to create a booklet.
- Decorate the outside of the booklet with labels, verses, stickers, or other adornments.
- If desired, add a string or ribbon to finish off. Use as a prayer journal or verse collection.
Craft Two: “God Does Not Slumber” Door Hanger
You will need:
- Paper, cardboard, or cardstock
- Scissors
- Google eyes (optional)
- String or pipe cleaner
- Glue and/or tape
- Decorative materials (markers, crayons, stickers)
Procedure:
- Cut cardstock or paper into a long rectangle, gluing multiple pieces together as needed. Cut a hole in the top of the rectangle to accommodate fitting over a doorknob.
- Decorate the cardstock or paper with verses and captions. Add stickers if desired.
- For extra design, glue google eyes onto the door hanger.
- Attach a string or ribbon as desired. Use the door hanger to remember that God watches over us at all times, and does not need to rest!
Psalm 121:1-2 NIV
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Word Search Puzzle
EARTH – EYES – FAITH – GOD – HEAVEN – HELP – HILLS
LORD – MAKER – PSALM – SAVE – TROUBLE