Day 1
Faith Fact:
God speaks to me.
Faith Verse:
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question of the Day:
Who can I take my worries and sadness to?
Read:
1 Samuel 1:1–18
Think about a time when you were sad. How did you respond? Some people like to be alone. Some like to have people around to talk to or just sit with. Or you may like some of both. You have a family you can talk to about being sad, but you also have a God that wants you to bring your worries and sadness to Him. He loves to comfort His children, and there’s nothing too small that you can’t bring it to Him.
Hannah was sad about not having kids. It was even worse because Peninnah would make fun of her about it. Maybe you’ve seen other people that you know being made fun of. Being made fun of hurts, but we have someone we can bring that hurt to. He always hears us, is always listening, and always cares.
Think about it:
Question 1. What was the name of Hannah’s husband?
Answer 1. Elkanah (1 Samuel 1:1)
Question 2. Why was Hannah sad?
Answer 2. She did not have any kids. (1 Samuel 1:2–7)
Question 3. Where would Elkanah’s family travel each year, and why?
Answer 3. They went to the tabernacle in Shiloh to worship God and offer sacrifices. (1 Samuel 1:3)
Question 4. How did Hannah react after Eli blessed her?
Answer 4. She said, “Thank you!” and went back to eating, no longer sad. (1 Samuel 1:17–18)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•Do you have anything the family can pray with you about?
•What do you do when you are sad?
•Have you tried giving your worries to God?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for being the One we can bring our cares to. You care about us and we sense your great and perfect love. Help us to remember You when we are in pain or sad. You want us to talk to you about any problem we have. You always hear our prayers and are close to us. We love You. Amen.
God speaks to me.
Faith Verse:
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question of the Day:
Who can I take my worries and sadness to?
Read:
1 Samuel 1:1–18
Think about a time when you were sad. How did you respond? Some people like to be alone. Some like to have people around to talk to or just sit with. Or you may like some of both. You have a family you can talk to about being sad, but you also have a God that wants you to bring your worries and sadness to Him. He loves to comfort His children, and there’s nothing too small that you can’t bring it to Him.
Hannah was sad about not having kids. It was even worse because Peninnah would make fun of her about it. Maybe you’ve seen other people that you know being made fun of. Being made fun of hurts, but we have someone we can bring that hurt to. He always hears us, is always listening, and always cares.
Think about it:
Question 1. What was the name of Hannah’s husband?
Answer 1. Elkanah (1 Samuel 1:1)
Question 2. Why was Hannah sad?
Answer 2. She did not have any kids. (1 Samuel 1:2–7)
Question 3. Where would Elkanah’s family travel each year, and why?
Answer 3. They went to the tabernacle in Shiloh to worship God and offer sacrifices. (1 Samuel 1:3)
Question 4. How did Hannah react after Eli blessed her?
Answer 4. She said, “Thank you!” and went back to eating, no longer sad. (1 Samuel 1:17–18)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•Do you have anything the family can pray with you about?
•What do you do when you are sad?
•Have you tried giving your worries to God?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for being the One we can bring our cares to. You care about us and we sense your great and perfect love. Help us to remember You when we are in pain or sad. You want us to talk to you about any problem we have. You always hear our prayers and are close to us. We love You. Amen.
Day 2
Faith Fact:
God speaks to me.
Faith Verse:
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question of the Day:
Does God answer our prayers?
Read:
1 Samuel 1:19–28
Have you ever wanted something really, really badly? What was it? (Talk about it as a family).
Hannah wanted a son so badly that she cried to God and asked Him to give her a son. She knew who to bring her troubles to. God answered her prayer and gave her a son. God loves for us to bring our hopes, dreams, and sadness to Him, but He doesn’t always answer our prayers in the way we think He will. Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to Samuel, and praised God for it.
But, sometimes we don’t get the answers we expected. Sometimes His answer is just that He will be with us in whatever it is we’re going through. Also, sometimes He shows up in miraculous ways!
Think about it:
Question 1. What did Hannah name her son?
Answer 1. Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20)
Question 2. Did Hannah go back to Shiloh the next year?
Answer 2. No, she stayed at home until Samuel was old enough to be weaned (1 Samuel 1:21–23)
Question 3. What did Hannah take with her to the tabernacle with Samuel?
Answer 3. A three-year-old bull, a basket of flour, and some wine (1 Samuel 1:24)
Question 4. What did Hannah say to Eli?
Answer 4. She asked if he remembered her, and told him she was there to give Samuel to the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:26–27)
Question 5. What did Eli and Hannah do after that?
Answer 5. They worshipped the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:28)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•How have you seen God answer your prayers?
•Is there something you have forgotten to pray to Him about?
•How can our family help you remember to take your needs to Him?
Pray about It:
God, our family wants to bring You our needs first. We know that You are the One who can answer our prayers and we worship You. You are great, and yet You care about us. You love us with a perfect love. We thank You. Amen.
God speaks to me.
Faith Verse:
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question of the Day:
Does God answer our prayers?
Read:
1 Samuel 1:19–28
Have you ever wanted something really, really badly? What was it? (Talk about it as a family).
Hannah wanted a son so badly that she cried to God and asked Him to give her a son. She knew who to bring her troubles to. God answered her prayer and gave her a son. God loves for us to bring our hopes, dreams, and sadness to Him, but He doesn’t always answer our prayers in the way we think He will. Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to Samuel, and praised God for it.
But, sometimes we don’t get the answers we expected. Sometimes His answer is just that He will be with us in whatever it is we’re going through. Also, sometimes He shows up in miraculous ways!
Think about it:
Question 1. What did Hannah name her son?
Answer 1. Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20)
Question 2. Did Hannah go back to Shiloh the next year?
Answer 2. No, she stayed at home until Samuel was old enough to be weaned (1 Samuel 1:21–23)
Question 3. What did Hannah take with her to the tabernacle with Samuel?
Answer 3. A three-year-old bull, a basket of flour, and some wine (1 Samuel 1:24)
Question 4. What did Hannah say to Eli?
Answer 4. She asked if he remembered her, and told him she was there to give Samuel to the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:26–27)
Question 5. What did Eli and Hannah do after that?
Answer 5. They worshipped the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:28)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•How have you seen God answer your prayers?
•Is there something you have forgotten to pray to Him about?
•How can our family help you remember to take your needs to Him?
Pray about It:
God, our family wants to bring You our needs first. We know that You are the One who can answer our prayers and we worship You. You are great, and yet You care about us. You love us with a perfect love. We thank You. Amen.
Day 3
Faith Fact:
God speaks to me.
Faith Verse:
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question of the Day:
Is it enough to know what is right?
Read:
1 Samuel 2:12–26
Have you ever been with some other people, and they did something you knew was wrong? How did it make you feel? Were you tempted to go along with the crowd? Or did you resist temptation to do the wrong thing, and instead did the right thing?
We know the difference between right and wrong, but that’s not enough! We actually have to do the right thing. The Bible tells us that if we love God, we will obey His commands. That doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes. Everyone has sinned, and God will forgive us when we ask Him to. But we also need to honor God with our lives, and that means doing our best to listen to His words, and then go and do them.
Eli had a problem with his sons. Eli’s sons knew what was right and they chose not to do it. That’s sin. And because they didn’t repent, they were in big trouble with God. But, we find out that Samuel was different than Eli’s sons.
Think about it:
Question 1. What would Eli’s sons do to the sacrifices people would bring to God?
Answer 1. Take parts of it for themselves, even before the sacrifice was ready to be presented to God. That was against God’s law. (1 Samuel 2:12–16)
Question 2. What did Hannah make for Samuel each year when the family visited Shiloh?
Answer 2. A coat (1 Samuel 2:19)
Question 3. What would Eli say to Elkanah and Hannah before they returned home?
Answer 3. “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:20)
Question 4. Did Eli know what his sons were doing? What did he say to them? Did they listen and change their ways?
Answer 4. Yes, Eli knew. He told them to stop. They didn’t listen or change what they were doing. (1 Samuel 2:22–25)
Question 5. Did Samuel take part in the bad choices of Eli’s sons?
Answer 5. No, he grew in favor with God and the people. (1 Samuel 2:26)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•How can you resist temptation when given the choice between right and wrong?
•How can the family partner with you to help you make good decisions? (Parent Note: This may be a good time to have a private, one-on-one conversation with each kid about choices. A good question is: What is something you haven’t told me that you need to? Keep your tone nonthreatening and show yourself as wanting to help them.)
Pray about It:
God, thank You for helping us to know the difference between right and wrong. We don’t just want to hear Your words, but we want to do what You say. Your ways and plans always work out best for us. You deserve our obedience and we give our lives to You. Amen.
God speaks to me.
Faith Verse:
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question of the Day:
Is it enough to know what is right?
Read:
1 Samuel 2:12–26
Have you ever been with some other people, and they did something you knew was wrong? How did it make you feel? Were you tempted to go along with the crowd? Or did you resist temptation to do the wrong thing, and instead did the right thing?
We know the difference between right and wrong, but that’s not enough! We actually have to do the right thing. The Bible tells us that if we love God, we will obey His commands. That doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes. Everyone has sinned, and God will forgive us when we ask Him to. But we also need to honor God with our lives, and that means doing our best to listen to His words, and then go and do them.
Eli had a problem with his sons. Eli’s sons knew what was right and they chose not to do it. That’s sin. And because they didn’t repent, they were in big trouble with God. But, we find out that Samuel was different than Eli’s sons.
Think about it:
Question 1. What would Eli’s sons do to the sacrifices people would bring to God?
Answer 1. Take parts of it for themselves, even before the sacrifice was ready to be presented to God. That was against God’s law. (1 Samuel 2:12–16)
Question 2. What did Hannah make for Samuel each year when the family visited Shiloh?
Answer 2. A coat (1 Samuel 2:19)
Question 3. What would Eli say to Elkanah and Hannah before they returned home?
Answer 3. “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:20)
Question 4. Did Eli know what his sons were doing? What did he say to them? Did they listen and change their ways?
Answer 4. Yes, Eli knew. He told them to stop. They didn’t listen or change what they were doing. (1 Samuel 2:22–25)
Question 5. Did Samuel take part in the bad choices of Eli’s sons?
Answer 5. No, he grew in favor with God and the people. (1 Samuel 2:26)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•How can you resist temptation when given the choice between right and wrong?
•How can the family partner with you to help you make good decisions? (Parent Note: This may be a good time to have a private, one-on-one conversation with each kid about choices. A good question is: What is something you haven’t told me that you need to? Keep your tone nonthreatening and show yourself as wanting to help them.)
Pray about It:
God, thank You for helping us to know the difference between right and wrong. We don’t just want to hear Your words, but we want to do what You say. Your ways and plans always work out best for us. You deserve our obedience and we give our lives to You. Amen.
Day 4
Faith Fact:
God speaks to me.
Faith Verse:
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question of the Day:
Does God speak to me?
Read:
1 Samuel 3
Have you ever played the game Telephone? It’s funny how someone saying, “I like to eat hot dogs” can turn into something like, “My armpits smell like hamburgers.” That’s because you’re not hearing the sentence directly from the person who said it first! It’s always best to get a message straight from the source.
God gave Samuel a message, but Samuel didn’t recognize God’s voice. I wonder how many times God has been trying to tell us something, but we didn’t recognize His voice. Do you talk to God? Do you listen to what He’s telling you? God does speak, and He speaks to you!
How cool is that?
Think about it:
Question 1. What was Samuel doing when he heard his name being called?
Answer 1. He was sleeping. (1 Samuel 3:3)
Question 2. What did Samuel do when he heard the voice?
Answer 2. He got up, ran to Eli, and said “Here I am. Did you call me?” (1 Samuel 3:5)
Question 3. How many times did Samuel go to Eli? What did Eli tell him to do the last time?
Answer 3. A total of four times. “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord your servant is listening.’ “(1 Samuel 3:8–9)
Question 4. What message did God give to Samuel?
Answer 4. God would bring judgment against Eli and his family. (1 Samuel 3:11–14)
Question 5. What did Eli say when Samuel told him what God had said?
Answer 5. “It is the Lord’s will. Let him do what he thinks best.” (1 Samuel 3:17–18)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•How does God speak to you?
•How can you be listening to His voice? (Share stories as a family about times God has spoken to you and you responded.)
Pray about It:
God, we love it when You speak to us. And we are glad that You talk to each one of Your sons and daughters. Let us be like Samuel and say to You, “Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening.” Amen.
God speaks to me.
Faith Verse:
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question of the Day:
Does God speak to me?
Read:
1 Samuel 3
Have you ever played the game Telephone? It’s funny how someone saying, “I like to eat hot dogs” can turn into something like, “My armpits smell like hamburgers.” That’s because you’re not hearing the sentence directly from the person who said it first! It’s always best to get a message straight from the source.
God gave Samuel a message, but Samuel didn’t recognize God’s voice. I wonder how many times God has been trying to tell us something, but we didn’t recognize His voice. Do you talk to God? Do you listen to what He’s telling you? God does speak, and He speaks to you!
How cool is that?
Think about it:
Question 1. What was Samuel doing when he heard his name being called?
Answer 1. He was sleeping. (1 Samuel 3:3)
Question 2. What did Samuel do when he heard the voice?
Answer 2. He got up, ran to Eli, and said “Here I am. Did you call me?” (1 Samuel 3:5)
Question 3. How many times did Samuel go to Eli? What did Eli tell him to do the last time?
Answer 3. A total of four times. “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord your servant is listening.’ “(1 Samuel 3:8–9)
Question 4. What message did God give to Samuel?
Answer 4. God would bring judgment against Eli and his family. (1 Samuel 3:11–14)
Question 5. What did Eli say when Samuel told him what God had said?
Answer 5. “It is the Lord’s will. Let him do what he thinks best.” (1 Samuel 3:17–18)
Talk about It:
•What did today’s devotion make you think about?
•How does God speak to you?
•How can you be listening to His voice? (Share stories as a family about times God has spoken to you and you responded.)
Pray about It:
God, we love it when You speak to us. And we are glad that You talk to each one of Your sons and daughters. Let us be like Samuel and say to You, “Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening.” Amen.