Father God Protects from the Lions

Teacher, dad, mom: today's story has lions — and today's class has no scare at all. No roaring in the child's ear, no scary voice, no turning off the lights to "set the mood". The lion in this room is the lion that lay down and slept.

It is worth agreeing on this beforehand, because a five-year-old child knows very well that lions bite. Told carelessly, this story leaves fear in the place of faith — and fear is the exact opposite of what Daniel 6 teaches. The rule is simple: fast on the danger part, slow on the care part.

The lesson fits in one sentence: Daniel talked with Father God every day — and, on the hardest day, Father God was there.

I — The prayer poster in the circle (welcome, praise and verse)

Arrive early and have everything ready. Make two giant craft-foam hands and welcome each child with them, by name, with a big hug. Tell each child how important his or her presence there is.

Ask them to stand in a circle and say the first prayer of the day giving thanks for the deliverances of the week. Explain while holding the giant hands: "sometimes we go through a danger and nothing happens — it is because Father God is keeping us safe. His hands are bigger than these right here, and they do not let go."

Then sing songs of praise that speak of God's care and protection, collect the offerings and take attendance with the children.

Now show the verse poster, with the pictures glued around it — a child taking a test, a child eating, a sick child, the family together. Read together: "When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him." (Psalm 91:15)

Those are three big words in a single verse. Translate them one by one, with your body:

• Call upon is to call out. (Ask them to call out loud: "Father God!")
• Answer is Father God listening and speaking back. He never leaves us without an answer.
• Trouble is the moment when the heart feels tight — when we are scared, when it hurts, when we feel sad. (Ask them to press their little closed hand to their chest.)

Repeat it three times while clapping hands. Then cover the poster and ask them to repeat it without looking.

🙏 Class agreement. Before the story, agree out loud and ask them to repeat: "when my heart feels tight, I call on Father God — and I tell an adult." Repeat it at the end. This is the most important sentence of the day after the verse.

Point to each picture on the poster and ask: "can we talk with Father God about this?" We can talk about everything. And it is not only asking: it is also thanking Him and saying that He is good. If any child wants prayer for someone, pray right there, on the spot, nice and short.

II — The story: the friend who did not stop praying

Tell it like this, in a storytelling voice. A calm voice on the danger part, a joyful voice on the care part.

Long ago, in a city very far away, there lived a man named Daniel. He loved Father God more than anything. And do you know what his favorite thing was? Talking with God. And how do we talk with God? That's right: by praying!

Daniel did not just pray a little bit and stop. He prayed three times a day. Let's count together on our little fingers: in the morning — one! In the afternoon — two! At night — three! He opened the window, knelt down and talked with Father God. Kneel down with us and put your little hands together: "Father God, thank You."

Daniel asked for help, asked for protection, and also gave thanks — because God is good all the time.

The king of that place was named Darius. He liked Daniel so much that he decided to put him in a very important place in the kingdom. But some men became jealous and wanted to harm him.

Those men knew one thing about Daniel: that he prayed every day, without fail. So they went to talk to the king and asked for a new order: for thirty days, no one could ask anything of anyone — not even of God — only of the king. And whoever disobeyed would go to the lions' den. The king signed it without realizing the trap, and afterward not even he himself could undo it.

So I ask you: did Daniel stop praying? No! He went home, opened the window just the way he always did, knelt down and talked with Father God. Do it with me: open the little window with your hands, kneel down and say softly: "Father God, I love You."

The jealous men saw it and ran to tell the king. The king was very sad, because he liked Daniel, but the order had already been signed. So Daniel was taken to the den, and they rolled a very heavy stone over the entrance. Push the stone with me, with both hands: one, two, three!

(Move quickly through this part — without describing the lions, without roaring and without darkness.)

But Daniel was not alone in there. Father God, who created all the animals — including the lions — sent an angel. And the angel shut the mouths of the lions. Grab the invisible zipper with your hand and zip it shut with me: zzzzip! Shut. The lions lay down nice and quiet, and not one of them laid a finger on Daniel.

All night long the king could neither sleep nor eat, thinking so much about Daniel. As soon as the sun came up, he ran to the den and ordered the stone to be removed. And he called out, with his voice trembling:

— Daniel! Was your God able to deliver you?

And from inside came Daniel's calm voice: "My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king." (Daniel 6:22)

Daniel came out of the den without a single scratch. Not one hurt, not even a tiny mark. Clap your hands really loud for our God!

The king was so happy that he ordered a new decree to be written for the whole kingdom: everyone should honor the God of Daniel, because He is the living God who endures forever (Daniel 6:26).

❤ For the child's heart. Notice one thing: God did not take Daniel out of the problem from the outside — He kept Daniel safe inside the problem. It is like that with you. When your heart feels tight, He does not stand watching from far away: He is right by your side.

III — Praying is talking with Father God

Praying is not a hard text that we have to memorize. Praying is talking. You already talk with mom, with dad, with your teacher and with your friends — with Father God it is the same way, except that He listens at any time and is never too busy.

And you can talk about everything with Him:

• Asking — "Father God, help me", "take care of my grandma".
• Thanking — for the food, for the house, for mom, for the beautiful day.
• Just saying that He is good — that is prayer too, and it is one of the most beautiful kinds.

At the size of a five- or six-year-old child, today's lesson is very concrete:

• Calling on Father God in times of trouble. It is the verse with legs: whoever calls is heard. He answers and stays close.
• Telling an adult when something scares you. Did something happen that is scary, that hurts or that felt strange to you? Talk to dad, mom or your teacher right away. The adult is the one who solves it; the child tells — and telling is being brave.
• Not going along with what is wrong. If your little friends are going to do something ugly, you do not go along. You do not need to fight with anyone, yell or confront them: walk away and tell an adult.

One thing we do not teach here: prayer is not a trade. We do not pray to force God to do what we want. God always listens and answers according to His will, which is very good — sometimes with a "yes", sometimes with "wait", sometimes in a better way than we asked for. And no one should put himself or herself in danger on purpose to test whether God protects. Daniel did not choose the den; he only chose to keep praying.

Christ in the Lesson

Daniel went into a dark den, they closed the entrance with a stone and everyone thought it was all over right there. In the morning the stone was removed — and Daniel was alive.

Keep that stone in the child's memory, because it comes back in the most important part of the Bible. Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross to save us from our sins. They placed His body in a tomb and rolled a very large stone over the entrance. Everyone thought it was all over right there. But early on Sunday morning the stone was rolled away — and Jesus was alive! He rose again.

Daniel overcame the lions because God was with him. Jesus overcame something much greater: He overcame death, and He overcame it for us.

✝ Christ in the Lesson. The angel shut the mouths of the lions to keep Daniel safe for one night. Jesus overcame death to keep us safe forever. That is why we can call on Him at any time, from anywhere — He is alive and He listens.

Practical Application

1. Three little talks a day. In the morning, in the afternoon and at night, just one sentence. It is Daniel's habit at the size of a child — and a habit learned at five years old stays for life.

2. Calling an adult when the matter is serious. Name with the child, one by one, the trusted adults in his or her life. The child tells; the adult solves it.

3. Giving thanks for deliverances. At the end of the day, ask: "how did Father God keep you safe today?" Give thanks together.

Closing Prayer

Father God, thank You for this class. Thank You because You heard Daniel and sent Your angel, and because You also hear every child in this room. Teach each one to call on You when the heart feels tight, in the morning, in the afternoon and at night, and to tell dad, mom and the teacher when something is scary. Now we are going home: keep us from all evil. And thank You for Jesus, who died for us and rose again, and is alive forever. In Jesus' name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Essence of the class

Daniel talked with Father God every day — and, on the hardest day, Father God was there with him.

Map of the class

Time	Stage
0–5 min	Welcome at the door with the giant craft-foam hands
5–12 min	Standing circle: prayer for the week's deliverances, songs of praise about protection, offerings and attendance
12–16 min	Conversation: "who do you talk with every day?" + the class agreement
16–22 min	Verse of the day on the prayer poster (Psalm 91:15)
22–30 min	Bible story: Daniel and the lions' den
30–34 min	Quarterly activities: the animal in the den and the pictures outside the scene
34–42 min	Game of the animals that obey + free drawing
42–45 min	Wrap-up, prayer holding hands and farewell

Start like this

Hold the giant craft-foam hands up high and ask: "Who do you talk with every day?" Let four or five answer — you will hear mom, dad, grandma, a friend from school, the dog.

Welcome each answer and ask the second question: "And can we talk with God?" They will say yes, and someone will say "by praying". That is exactly where the class needs to arrive. Then say: "Today I am going to tell you about a man who talked with Father God three times a day — and about the day when that left everyone amazed."

If the class freezes up, start yourself: "I talk every day with my mom... and I talk every day with Father God too."

Point 1 — Daniel talked with God every day

• In the quarterly: the verse topic, with the explanation that praying is talking with God — asking, thanking and praising — and the beginning of the story, with Daniel praying three times a day.
• What to teach: praying is not a memorized formula, it is conversation. Daniel had this habit in the morning, in the afternoon and at night, and he did not drop the habit even when it became dangerous. God hears the request, the thank-you and the praise.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before." (Daniel 6:10) Read it straight from your Bible.
• Key question: "What do we say when we talk with Father God?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "I ask for things", "thank You for the food", "I ask for grandma to get better". Accept them all and go deeper: "And can we talk with Him just to say that He is good? Yes, we can! That is prayer too."
• If no one speaks: kneel down yourself, put your hands together and say a one-sentence prayer out loud. The class will imitate you right away and the conversation will open up.

Point 2 — Father God sent the angel

• In the quarterly: the final part of the story, with Daniel in the den, the angel who shut the mouths of the lions, the exit without a single scratch and the king's new decree honoring the God of Daniel.
• What to teach: God did not take Daniel out of the den beforehand — He kept Daniel safe inside it. And all the credit belongs to God: Daniel himself said that it was God who sent the angel.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king." (Daniel 6:22) Read it straight from your Bible.
• Key question: "What do we do when something is scary?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "I call mom", "I run", "I hide", "I cry". Welcome them all, without correcting any, and go deeper: "All of that is valid. And we can do both things together: call an adult and call on Father God."
• If no one speaks: share first yourself — "once I got scared and the first thing I did was pray" — and the class will open up.
• Caution in this part: do not describe the lions, do not use a scary voice, do not imitate a frightening roar and do not turn off the lights. Move quickly past the stone and linger on the angel. Do not tell what happened to the accusers (Daniel 6:24) — that part does not belong in this class. If any child gets scared, stop and call him or her close to you.

Class activity

• Goal: to imprint, through the body, that the lions obeyed the voice of God — and to reinforce their favorite part of the story through drawing.
• Materials: a device to play music, A4 sheets of paper, crayons, poster board and the story pictures. No real animals and no turning off the lights.
• Step by step: (1) sit in a circle and play a cheerful song; (2) while it plays, everyone moves around; when you stop the music, you name an animal and everyone imitates it together — dog, cat, little bird; (3) when you say lion, the agreement is different: everyone lies down on the floor and goes "shhh", because the lion in our story lay down nice and quiet; (4) repeat as long as there is interest, always with everyone participating together, no one alone in the middle; (5) then hand out an A4 sheet and crayons and ask for a free drawing of the part of the story they liked best, with the pictures in view to help; (6) while they draw, retell the story softly and write each child's name on the drawing.
• Wrap-up (back to the text): "You obeyed right away when I spoke. The lions obeyed too — except that the voice they heard was the voice of God. He created the lions and they do what He commands. That is the God who listens to you when you call."

Wrap-up + challenge of the week

• Wrap-up: "Daniel talked with Father God in the morning, in the afternoon and at night. When the hardest day of his life came, God was right there inside the den with him and sent the angel. They rolled a stone over the entrance of the den and Daniel came out alive — and they rolled a stone over the tomb of Jesus, and Jesus came out alive too, because He overcame death for us. That is why we call on Him at any time. And do not forget our agreement: when my heart feels tight, I call on Father God — and I tell an adult."
• Challenge: dad and mom, choose one day this week to be the three-prayers day, like Daniel's. On that day you pause three times with your child — when he or she wakes up, in the afternoon and before going to sleep — and it is the child who speaks, just one sentence: "Father God, thank You for taking care of me." If possible, do it near a window of the house, the way Daniel did.

Teacher's kit

• Before: read all of Daniel 6 and the topic in the quarterly. Decide beforehand the exact sentences for the den part — that part is not improvised. Make at home the giant craft-foam hands and the verse poster with the pictures glued around it.
• Bring: a Bible, the giant craft-foam hands, the verse poster, the story pictures, poster board, A4 sheets, crayons and the music for the game.
• Pray beforehand: ask God for a calm voice for the stone part and attentive eyes for the fearful child in the room. The closing prayer of the study can be reused at the end of the class.

Homework

Your mission for the week

Dad and mom, choose one day this week to be the three-prayers day, like Daniel's. On that day you pause three times with your child — when he or she wakes up, in the afternoon and before going to sleep — and it is the child who speaks, just one sentence: "Father God, thank You for taking care of me." If possible, do it near a window of the house, the way Daniel did.

Why

Daniel talked with God in the morning, in the afternoon and at night (Daniel 6:10) — and because of that, on the hardest day, he already knew whom to talk to. It is the verse of the week becoming a habit: "When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him." (Psalm 91:15)

How to know you did it

At the end of the day, the child counts on his or her little fingers: one, two, three. If he or she remembers the three little talks, it is done.

On Sunday, come back with the story

On Sunday the class begins with the question: "what did you say to Father God on your three-prayers day?" Come back with the story.