God can use you as a key to unlock hearts for Him

This is a talk given in a family service and therefore geared towards little children rather than adults. It had to be translated as well, and consequently had to be kept short. But basic stories like this can speak even to adults, right?

Psalm 42            2 Kings 5:1-19a

God can use you as a key to unlock hearts for Him

Introduction:

Have you ever been scared? 

Who did you want to comfort you when you were scared?

Lesson: 

Many, many years ago, in a country far, far away from here, there lived a young girl who was very scared. Her mommy and daddy were not with her. They were far away in her home country. You see, she was as servant, living and working in the home of a stranger in a foreign country. She felt very alone. 

To make matters worse, the master and mistress of the house did not believe in God. But the mistress of the house was kind to her even though she was a servant in the household.

The master of the house was a very important man in the government of his country. His name was Naaman. Naaman was the top commander of the army of the King of Aram. But Naaman was very, very sick and nothing could make him well again.

But the little girl knew and loved God very much and she knew that God could do anything…that God could heal her master, Naaman. She also knew that God wanted everyone in the world to know him and perhaps, if Naaman was healed through prayer, God might use the healing as a key to unlock his heart so that he would believe in him and serve him. 

“But”, she thought, “who would listen to a little servant girl like me?” 

Every day she prayed and asked the Lord to give her the courage to speak to her mistress about her master…and then one day, she plucked up enough courage and said to the lady of the house, “There is a man of God in my home country. If my master would go to see him, he would pray to God and he would be healed.” 

And do you know what happened?

Yes, Naaman listened to the little girl’s advice and he got permission from his king to go to her home country to meet with the man of God. 

Does anyone know what the man of God told Naaman to do?

Yes, he told Naaman to go and dip himself in the Jordan River seven times. And Naaman was healed! Isn’t that wonderful?

Now, do you think it was the water that made Naaman well? 

What do you think made Naaman well?

Yes, it was God that healed Naaman. God healed Naaman because Namaan obeyed the words of the man of God. But, after Naaman was healed, his heart opened up to the Lord and he believed in God and served him for the rest of his life.

But the key that unlocked Naaman’s heart was the courage of a scared little servant girl who knew God and loved God. A little servant girl who knew that God loved the whole world and wanted everyone in the world to love Him too. If the little girl had not spoken to her mistress, Naaman would not have known about the man of God who would pray for his healing. 

Application:

Do you sometimes want to tell other people about God? 

Is that easy, or are you sometimes a little afraid of what they might say or do…or what they may think of you if they know you believe in God?

I think this little girl was afraid too, don’t you?

But that did not stop her from telling her mistress about God, did it? 

But what did she do? 

Yes, she prayed and asked God for courage…for him to help her.

You too can pray and ask God to help you tell others about God.

God can use anyone as a key to unlock the hearts of those who do not yet know Him.

God can use even you!