Theme: Healthy living: Water, teeth and hygiene
Bible Story: Daniel and the king’s food
Value: Be a good steward
Daniel and the king’s food
Daniel was a young man who loved God very much. One day, Daniel and his friends were taken to live in the palace of a king. The king didn’t follow God. He wanted them to eat the rich, fancy food from his table. But Daniel knew that eating this unhealthy food wouldn’t please God and would be bad for his body.
Daniel spoke to the king’s cook and said, “Please let us eat vegetables and drink water instead.” The cook was worried. “What if you become weak?” he asked. But Daniel said, “Please test us for ten days.”
For ten days, Daniel and his friends ate only vegetables and only drank water. They prayed and thanked God for His healthy food. At the end of the test, Daniel and his friends looked stronger and healthier than everyone else!
The king’s cook was amazed. He let them continue eating their simple, healthy food. Daniel’s choice showed that he was a good steward of his body. He wanted to honour God by caring for his body. God blessed Daniel and his friends with wisdom and strength because they honoured Him.
(Daniel 1)
- Opening
What are some of your favourite foods to eat? Do you think they make you big and strong?
Today we will learn about a boy and his friends who made a smart choice about what to eat. Let’s read the Bible story.
- Discovery
Can you remember the story that you heard yesterday?
Yes, we talked about Daniel and his friends who only ate healthy food. Let’s read the Bible story again.
What is your favourite part of the story?
Which healthy foods do you see in the picture?
- Retell
Can you tell me what happened in our story yesterday? (Ask leading questions and guide the child using the picture and story.)
What happened when Daniel and his friends only ate healthy food?
What are some of the healthy foods that you like to eat?
Why is it important to eat healthy food and drink lots of water?
- Value
This week we’ve been talking about how Daniel and his friends only ate healthy food and drank plenty of water. Daniel knew that his body was a gift from God. He showed us how to be a good steward of our bodies, by choosing to eat healthy food. And because he took care of his body, he could grow big, strong and smart.
How can you look after your body like Daniel did?
- Activity
In our story this week Daniel and his friends made a smart choice to only eat healthy food and drink lots of water.
Do you want to become big, strong and smart? Well, then you need to eat healthy food, like a crunchy apple, a yummy green broccoli or bright orange carrots.
Let’s see if you can guess which healthy fruits or vegetables you’re tasting!
(Take turns blindfolding the children and give them a piece of fruit or vegetable to taste. Let them guess what it is and say if it is healthy or not.)