Activity Bible Time Influence Others Drawing/Dramatization Experience

Day 5: What Do We Do When God Says "No" or "Wait"?

Because GOD IS FAITHFUL, I can be sure He always keeps His promises!

Read or quote the memory verse.

God is always faithful to answer our prayers, but His answer is not always "Yes." Sometimes it's "No" and sometimes it's "Wait."

Let's read a story about how God answered the prayer of a young girl named Hannah.

Hannah's Faith Tested
Hannah, her brother, and her mom were desperate as they knelt down to pray. The house payment was due soon, and there was no money to pay it. The business trip her dad was on was their last hope. If the meeting tomorrow didn't go well, they didn't know where the money would come from.

The prayer time was about to end when Hannah had a sense that she was to ask God for more. "God, I know You can provide what we need," she said, "but would you provide double what we need this time? Thank You."

When they rose from their knees, they were excited to see what God was going to do. All of them felt that God would provide.

"How did dad's meeting go?" Hannah and Michael asked in unison as they got in the car after school the next day.

Their mother's face answered before her voice could, and the news wasn't good. "They were very impressed with what your dad had to say, but they can't invest right now."

"So we get nothing?" Hannah asked.

"Not now," her mother said quietly, "but we have to trust that God knows what He's doing. Remember, you prayed for double, Hannah. Maybe He plans on doing that, but this person didn't have the ability." Her voice didn't sound nearly as confident as her words.

Hannah sat in silence as they drove home. God had let her down.

The next day Michael was looking for his favorite toy car and couldn't find it anywhere. Hannah joined in the search, but the car was no where to be found.

"Let's pray and ask God to help us find it Hannah," Michael suggested.

"You can pray if you want to, but I can't trust God to answer my prayers. I just don't have faith in Him anymore," Hannah responded sadly.

We will read the rest of the story in a minute, but first:

How would what you've learned about God's faithfulness help Hannah?

What would you encourage her to do?

Let's read the rest of the story:

Hannah's Faith Tested continued

Hannah's mom could barely contain her excitement. "You won't believe what we received in the mail today." "A check for double the amount of our house payment!"

Hannah's mouth dropped. "That's right--double!!" her mom said again. "The people who sent the check didn't know about our need. They said that they felt God wanted them to send us the money, and so they did! Hannah, God answered your prayer. It just took some time to get all the pieces in place!"

That night as the family gathered to pray, Hannah was the first to tell God she was sorry for not counting on Him and to thank Him for hearing her prayer and for being faithful even when she was not.

A long time ago, a man named Abraham heard God tell him to leave his home and move to a far away land. God promised him that He would give the land to Abraham and his family. Let's read what God says about Abraham's faith.

Hebrews 11:8-10 says:

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith--for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. Discover God Bible, (NLT).

What did God ask Abraham to do? (Leave his homeland and go to another land.)

What did God promise? (That Abraham would inherit the new land.)

God promised Abraham the new land, but he did not live to see it happen. Abraham faithfully trusted in God's promise and believed it would happen, even if he didn't see it himself!

There is another little detail that made God's promise even more amazing! God promised the land for Abraham and his children. The problem was, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were very old and still didn't have any children! So how could their children have the promised land? They still had faith that God would do what He promised.

Listen to the rest of the story. Read Hebrews 11:11-13.

It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep His promise and so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead--a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it.Discover God Bible, (NLT).

Abraham and Sarah did have a son in their old age, but they never did see the great nation that God promised. That all came hundreds of years later.

What do you learn about God's promises from the story of Abraham and Sarah? (We don't always get to see them ourselves.)

Just because you don't see the fulfillment of a promise right away, does that mean God is not faithful to His promises? (No!)

Faith Thermometer:
Read Philippians 4:6.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.Discover God Bible, (NLT).

What are you suppose to do if you are worried about something? (Pray!)

If you continue to worry about it, what does that tell you about your faith in God's promises? (You don't really believe Him.)

If you are worried about something, ask yourself:

What attribute of God am I having trouble believing is true in this circumstance?

Ask God to help you have faith that He is who He says He is and that He will do what He promises He will do.

Why does it matter?

Because God is Faithful, I can trust He will do what He promises even when I don't see it right away.

Talk with God and Stay Connected
to the Vine!

Are you having trouble believing God for one of His promises because you aren't seeing it happen right now? Talk to Him about it and ask Him to help you to be faithful to trust in His faithfulness.

Action Point

Because God is Faithful, I will ________________________.

(Note: Fill in the blank by sharing a specific action point.)


"ABIDE" for God is Faithful
Memory Verse Table Talk
AActivity … Family Fun Activities!
BBible Times … Exploring God's Word together
IInfluencing Others … how can you make a difference?
DDrawing/Drama … exploring your creative side!
EExperience … finding the teachable moments
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