Listen. If you missed the Children’s Message on Sunday, you can listen to a recording of it here: www.pacificunionchurch.org/churchsmall starting Monday.

Review

What kind of prayer is Psalm 4? What is it for?

[Hint to parents: Psalm 4 is a bedtime prayer for a long, bad, frustrating day.]

Have you ever had a bad frustrating day? What happened that day?

Let’s find out how Psalm 4 can help us pray and go to sleep, even when we are mad and frustrated. 

Lesson

The first step in praying after a long, bad day is to tell God how you feel. He already understands how you feel. He won’t be mad. He loves you. 

Read Psalm 4:1-2 together.

How is David, the author of this psalm, feeling?

How does he tell God how he feels? 

What does he ask God to do?

The next step is to be quiet and listen to God. Read Psalm 4:4 together. 

Is it OK to be angry? 

[Hint to parents: Yes, sometimes bad things happen and we are right to be angry. But we have to let go of that anger, otherwise we might start sinning. When we pray, we admit to God that we are angry.]

How should we let go of our anger?

[Hint to parents: there are two things – the first is to be quiet, listen and give ourselves to God, that is what “offering right sacrifices to God” means.

The next step is to remember God’s promises to us and trust him.] 

Read Psalm 4:3, 7 and 8 together.

Make a list of the promises God makes to us that you see in these verses.

The last step is to fall asleep knowing that God watches over you! 

Respond. Let’s do a bedtime prayer together. 

Follow this outline.

• Tell God how you feel (happy, sad, angry, frustrated, scared, etc.) and ask God to listen to your prayer.
• Take time to be quiet for a little while and listen to God. 
• Thank God for the promises he makes to us. Come up with specific things to be thankful for. (eg. “God you protect us and keep us safe.” “You provide for us.”, etc.)
• Recite Psalm 4:8 together as you end your prayer, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety.” 

Share. What is one simple thing you learned this week that you can share with someone else? Who will you share it with? Make a plan to share what you learned this week with this person.