Free Bible lesson for kids · Elijah and Elisha
The Widow’s Meal and Oil
God sent Elijah to a poor widow in Zarephath who had only a handful of meal and a little oil left for herself and her son. Elijah said, “Fear not,” and asked her to make him a little cake first, for God promised that the barrel of meal would not waste nor the cruse of oil fail until the rain came. She obeyed, and they ate many days; and later, when her son fell sick and stopped breathing, the LORD heard Elijah’s prayer and the child revived.
- Bible passage
- 1 Kings 17:8–24
- Big idea
- When we trust God and share, He provides all we need.
- Memory verse
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalm 34:8 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
God sent Elijah to Zarephath, where a widow was gathering sticks at the city gate (1 Kings 17:9–10). She had “an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse,” enough for one last meal with her son (1 Kings 17:12). Elijah said, “Fear not,” and asked her to make him a little cake first, for the LORD promised the meal and oil would not run out until rain came (1 Kings 17:13–14).
She obeyed, and they ate for many days (1 Kings 17:15). Later her son grew so sick that no breath was left in him (1 Kings 17:17). Elijah laid the boy on his bed and cried to the LORD, and the LORD heard him, and the child lived again (1 Kings 17:19–22). The woman said she knew “that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17:24).
Read it in the Bible: 1 Kings 17:8–24 (KJV)
8And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. 15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. 18And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? 19And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. 20And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? 21And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. 22And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. 24And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
Questions to ask
What was the widow doing at the gate of the city?
Gathering sticks to bake her last meal for herself and her son (1 Kings 17:10–12).
What did God promise about the meal and the oil?
The barrel of meal would not waste and the cruse of oil would not fail until the LORD sent rain (1 Kings 17:14).
What did the woman say after her son lived again?
“Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17:24).
What this story teaches
- God can provide in ways we never expect (1 Kings 17:9, 14).
- Trusting God sometimes means giving to others first (1 Kings 17:13, 15).
- God always does exactly what He says (1 Kings 17:16).
- God hears our prayers, even in our saddest times (1 Kings 17:20–22).
- God has power over life and death (1 Kings 17:22).
Jesus Is the Resurrection
God gave life back to the widow’s son. Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and whoever believes in Him will live.
John 11:25
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God that He provides for us, and ask Him to help us trust Him and share. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “When we trust God and share, He provides all we need.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Psalm 34:8 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes
The Jar That Never Ran Out
You need: A jar of dry rice or beans, spoons, a small bowl for each child, a hidden bag to refill the jar
- Pass the jar around. Each child scoops a spoonful into their bowl to “make a cake” for Elijah.
- While the kids aren’t looking, a leader quietly refills the jar.
- Keep passing. It never runs out! Then explain the trick, and tell what God really did.
The widow gave first, and God kept her barrel of meal full and her oil flowing, just as He promised.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 60 minutes
Give-First Bake
You need: Simple cookie or muffin ingredients, a kitchen, bags and tags
- Bake together, but before anyone eats, bag up the first batch to give away.
- Deliver them to neighbors, staff or first responders.
- Then enjoy the rest together.
The widow made Elijah’s cake first, and God provided. Giving first is trusting God.
Pray
Thank God that He provides for us, and ask Him to help us trust Him and share.