Use this free Sunday School Bible lesson on the healing of Naaman to teach kids about God’s power from 2 Kings 5:1-14. Download the PDF lesson for this week and teach in your children’s ministry or kids church this Sunday.
The healing of Naaman is an interesting Old Testament story that reminds us of a couple important truths. Naaman had to trust God and follow some strange instructions, even though he was skeptical. When he did, his leprosy was cured! There are times that we have to trust and obey the Lord, even in unknown or strange circumstances. This story also reflects on Baptism. Naaman was healed in the Jordan River (oh, who else do we know that was baptized in the Jordan?? That’s right…), but it wasn’t the waters of the dirty river that made him clean. It was the power of God! In our lives, we can’t wash ourselves from sin, but God heals us and makes us new.
Lesson focus: In this lesson, students will hear the story of Naaman, and discuss what it means to have faith in God and follow His guidance. Even when we don’t fully understand His plans for our lives, we can trust that His Word is true and His instruction good. This lesson reminds children to lean on the Lord and to look for help in unexpected places!
Bible Story: 2 Kings 5:1-14
Target Audience: Elementary School, adaptable for K-6th Grades
Materials Needed: Construction paper, decorative materials, paper plates, popsicle sticks, glue, baking soda, water, scissors, Bible (all optional, depending which activities you choose to use—except for the Bible, you need that for sure).
More Bible Teaching Activities about Naaman for Children’s Ministry
- Watch our children’s sermon lesson and Bible craft directions on 2 Kings 5:1-14
- Compare our full Naaman Healed Sunday School Lesson and Children’s Bible Lesson on Naaman
- Browse all the lesson activities on the Story of Naaman for kids from Ministry-To-Children
- Compare the Mission Bible Class lessons on the Healing of Naaman
- Read the Bible Story of Naaman from 10 Bible Verses
Bible Story Video: God Heals Naaman “We Can Obey God”
Game Activities and Lesson Introduction
Lesson Opening: This lesson includes an interesting story involving water, leprosy, and faith. Open up with a fun illustration or activity. Some of these suggestions can be done throughout or at the end of the lesson, as well as near the beginning.
Here are some activities to get kids thinking…(select the best ones for your audience and age group):
- “Elisha says” game: play a game of Simon Says, replacing “Simon” with “Elisha”, and providing children with odd and unusual instructions to follow.
- Do it seven times: have students participate in a relay race, with kids lined up in teams and taking turns going from one end of a room to another. At the end of the room kids race to, have them complete various tasks (hop on one foot, clap hands, etc.), repeating the actions seven times in a row.
- Wash it off! Remember the story element of bathing by taking a dirty item and washing it clean. This could also become a competitive game by splitting into teams, as well.
- “Leprosy experience”! Mix baking soda with a little bit of water, and spread the paste in small amounts onto students. Pretend that these are the spots of leprosy. You might want to use this within the story, wiping clean when Naaman is healed.
Explain that today’s story involves a special healing by God. The man in this story had to do something a little strange and trust that God’s instructions were reliable. God worked through several people to bring this man to faith, healing him physically as well as spiritually.
Ask: Have you ever been given instructions to do something that sounded very strange? Whose directions do you have to follow in life?
Children’s Sermon Object Lesson about Naaman in the Bible
These Bible Craft Ideas can be used in your Sunday School or children’s ministry to teach the Bible story about Naaman’s healing from 2 Kings 5. These crafts are based on the theme of “Take a Bath!” This will make a great lesson for your children’s church.
It is interesting to talk about the story of Naaman being healed from leprosy. Naaman believed in God despite his doubts and was healed by an unanticipated miracle. Baptism is also reflected in the Jordan cleansing. The water by itself is not enough to do great things, but water mixed with the blessings of the Holy Spirit can make amazing things happen! These crafts are meant to celebrate and recall the story of Naaman. The “healed puppet” is Naaman’s representation of Naaman before and during healing. The “Naaman cup”, a reversible popsicle stick puppet, retells the story. Have fun and learn something new!
Naaman Healed Sunday School Lesson (2 Kings 5:1-14) for Kids
Bible Lesson: As always, how you choose to experience the passages will vary according to the ages and abilities of your children (and how many are participating). This story is a fun one to act out, either with puppets or with students taking on roles. As you read or act, discuss the significance of the action happening. Open it up by describing that Elisha was a prophet who took over for Elijah.
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. -2 Kings 5:1
This story begins with a military man. Naaman was a great commander, but he had a horrible disease. Describe how leprosy would often make spots come out on skin, or could even make body parts fall off! It was also extremely contagious, so people with leprosy couldn’t be around others much.
Ask: What do you do when you get sick? What if you had a sickness that had no cure?
Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” -2 Kings 5:2-6
Explain how this little girl had been kidnapped and forced into service. You’d think that might make her upset or bitter towards her masters, but she actually wanted to help Naaman! She suggested that he see Elisha, a renowned prophet. Perhaps Naaman had heard about the people of Israel, or maybe he was just desperate to try anything. Either way, he prepared to visit Israel, taking a lot of money and a hope that he might be cured.
Ask: If you were the servant girl, would you have offered to help? What kind of man do you think Naaman was?
As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” -2 Kings 5:7-10
The king of Israel had no answer for Naaman. He was upset that Naaman had even come that way. But Elisha knew better. Elisha knew that God could do great things, and that He had sent Naaman to Israel for healing. Elisha sent out a messenger to give Naaman the prescription: wash seven times in the Jordan River. Well, this was not the most orthodox of instructions, and it actually made Naaman pretty upset.
Side note: What other events took place in the Jordan River? (See if anyone remembers that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan.)
But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. -2 Kings 5:11-14
Naaman was almost insulted. He wanted Elisha to call on God with lightning and excitement, or maybe say some “magic words” to miraculously heal him. Washing off in a murky Israel river? Fortunately, his servants were able to talk some sense into Naaman. What could it hurt to try what Elisha described? He had come for healing. Why not try it? Naaman did, and he was completely restored! This made him realize that God was mighty and powerful, and could do anything. Naaman had to take a leap of faith, and through it recognized that God works wonders. It was not the water that cured his disease, but God!
We can remember that God cures the sin disease in our hearts. We know that no matter what happens, He restores us and makes us clean!
Ask: How can we listen for God’s voice? How do we follow His instructions, even when they might seem confusing?
If time allows, continue the story with the description of what happened next: Naaman tried to offer Elisha a reward, and he wouldn’t take it. When Elisha’s greedy helper tried to accept it, he came down with leprosy instead! (This could actually be a whole lesson of its own, and is an interesting passage!) Close with a prayer thanking God for healing us from sin, and for always providing what we need. Ask for His help in having faith and trust.
Sunday School Crafts on Naaman’s Healing
Crafts: Crafts accompanying the story of Naaman include representation of the healing/transforming element or something with a watery connection. Consider one of these options:
- Make a paper plate or paper bag puppet of Naaman, depicting one side as sad and sick, and the other side healed and happy.
- Make a Naaman cup puppet. Draw or print a small Naaman and decorate both sides, one with spots and one healed. Cut the figure and attach to a popsicle stick. Decorate a cup and place the popsicle stick puppet in the cup so that it can go in and out of the “water.”
- Decorate a water bottle to remember the healing waters of the Jordan (and healing waters of Baptism). Alternately, make the water bottle a fun “lava lamp” by adding oil, glitter, and other decorations to the bottle.
The story of the healing of Naaman’s leprosy is an interesting one to discuss. Naaman had faith following his doubts, and received cleansing in an unexpected way, which solidified his beliefs. The cleansing in the Jordan is also reminiscent of Baptism. Although the water alone does nothing, the water with the blessing of the Holy Spirit makes great things possible! These crafts recall and celebrate the story of Naaman. A “healed puppet” represents Naaman before and after the healing. A “Naaman cup” re-tells the story with a unique reversible popsicle stick puppet. Learn something new and have fun!
Bible Verses or Craft Captions to Consider… (2 Kings 5:1-14)
- So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. -2 Kings 5:14
- Naaman had leprosy…but he followed God’s instructions and was healed!
- Naaman is healed in the Jordan River!
- Naaman healed!
- Trust and obey!
Bible Verses about Naaman Healing King James Version KJV
A wonderful lesson not only for kids, to adults too.May God bless you