Hannah and Samuel – Bible lesson for teens

The books of Samuel mark the transition from a judge-led period to a monarchy. It opens with Hannah’s struggle to have a child.  Her faith in God was eventually rewarded with the birth of a son. Chapter 3 details how God called upon the young Samuel to become a prophet.

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 1-3

MEMORY VERSES: “I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him, I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there. 1 Samuel 1:27-28

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BIBLE STUDY NOTES FOR TEENS

OVERVIEW OF HANNAH AND SAMUEL

• Barrenness and Mockery (1 Samuel 1:1-8): Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, faces the pain of barrenness and mockery from Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah.
• Faithful Petition (1 Samuel 1:9-18): Hannah fervently prays to God and promises to dedicate her potential child to God’s service.
• Answered Prayer (1 Samuel 1:19-28): God hears and responds to Hannah’s prayer, blessing her with a son, Samuel. True to her promise, Hannah presents Samuel to the Lord.
• The Sins of Eli’s Sons (1 Samuel 2:12-26): Eli’s sons misuse their priestly responsibilities, engaging in theft and immoral behaviour.
• The Calling of Samuel (1 Samuel 3): Despite his youth, Samuel is chosen by God to be a prophet. He receives a divine message concerning the downfall of Eli’s household due to Eli’s failure to discipline his sons.
• Samuel’s Prophetic Ministry (1 Samuel 3:19-21): Samuel grows, and God is with him. His prophetic words come to all Israel, and he is recognized as a prophet of the Lord.

KEY POINTS

1. GOD HEARS PRAYER – 1 SAMUEL 1:10-11

2. KEEP YOUR PROMISES TO GOD – 1 SAMUEL 1:24-28

3. RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL – 1 SAMUEL 3:10

4. GOD KNOWS YOUR NAME – 1 SAMUEL 3:4-10

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YOUTH GAMES AND ACTIVITIES – Hannah and Samuel

WHO IS CALLING ME?

Materials needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Have all players sit in a line.
2. Choose one player to come to the front and sit with their back to the other players.
3. The players in the line should take turns calling out the name of the player at the front while trying to disguise their voices.
4. The player at the front must then guess who called their name. If they guess correctly, the player who called their name goes to the front and the game continues.
5. If the player at the front guesses incorrectly, the game continues with the next player in line calling out the name.
6. The game can go on as long as you like, giving each participant the opportunity to be at the front.
7. Discuss Samuel’s experience of recognizing God’s voice and call.

REMEMBER YOUR PROMISES

Materials needed: None.

Instructions:

1. Have all players sit in a circle.
2. The first player will begin by making a promise. For example, “I promise to brush my teeth.”
3. The next player must then repeat the previous player’s promise and add one of their own. For example, “I promise to brush my teeth and make my bed.”
4. The game continues with each player repeating all the promises in the exact order and adding a new promise.
5. If a player forgets a promise or says them out of order, they are out of the game.
6. The last person remaining who can correctly list all the promises is the winner.
7. After the game, discuss the importance of remembering and keeping our promises to God, just like Hannah kept her promise to God.

PRAYER JOURNAL CREATION

Materials needed: Notebooks, pens, markers, stickers, coloured pencils.

Instructions:

1. Encourage each person to decorate their notebook.
2. After the decorating is done, ask each member to write their first entry. This could be a prayer request, a note of gratitude, or a reflection on the Bible study of Hannah and Samuel.

Discuss the importance of keeping a prayer journal as a way of remembering God’s faithfulness, similar to how God remembered Hannah.

Example Worksheets in the lesson pack

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