If we don't teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to.
GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL (Day 10)

Because GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL, He can help me stand strong.

Preparation: ( If you have a power tool in your home, pull it out for use later) Think of the last time that your home was without power. Our homes depend on a central source for electrical power. When it is not available, our homes become dark and cold. The power passes through cables into our homes. These cables can break because of storms or wearing out.

God's power is not like the power we use in our homes. God's power is a part of Who He is. He IS all-powerful. His power comes from no other source; He IS the source! In fact He is the greatest source of power in the universe. We can always rely on His power being available and at full strength to meet our needs.

Read the Bible Memory Verse below.

BIBLE MEMORY VERSE
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power
and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. (Jeremiah 32:17)
Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit was going to come, live within them, and give them His power to do whatever He asked them to do.

Read Acts 1:8.
  • When does a person receive the Holy Spirit? (the moment that they are saved)
  • When you ask Jesus into your life, to forgive your sins, and to help you obey Him, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. You have His power in you to do whatever He asks you to do!

Do you have a favorite power tool at your home? What is it? Discuss it for a minute ( If you have one available, show it to your family)

God always gives us what we need in order to do what He asks us to do. In the Bible, He tells us exactly what tools we need to be strong. He uses the example of a soldier to show us how these tools protect us and give us strength.

Read Ephesians 6:10-13. Ask your children to listen for who God says is our enemy.

So, who does God say is our greatest enemy?
  • Is our greatest enemy a hurricane? No. Although a hurricane is very powerful, God is the creator of hurricanes and has more power than any force in nature.
  • Is our greatest enemy an evil king or ruler? No. Although kings and rulers have power and authority to make laws and wars, God is the One who gives them this power. No king is more powerful than God.
  • Is our greatest enemy a disease? No. God showed all through the Bible that He alone has power to overcome any disease, even death itself.
  • The devil (or Satan) is our greatest enemy.

What does God's Word tell us about the devil and his power? Let's play a little game. I will call out a word and you tell me it's opposite. Let's see who can answer each one the fastest. Ready?
  • Up (down)
  • Left (right)
  • Good (bad)
  • Night (day)
  • Big (small)
  • God

Most people answer the last one with "the devil" or "Satan". But God has no equal and He has no opposite. The devil is a created being; God is not. The devil has great power, but God's is greater; God is all-powerful.

God has provided us spiritual armor to protect us from the devil. According to the verses in Ephesians 6, when we are wearing God's Armor, we can always stand firm against the devil's attacks.

Why does the devil want to attack us?
  • The devil doesn't necessarily want to beat up your body; he wants to beat up your soul. He wants to discourage you and focus on how bad you feel.
  • He wants to fill your heart and mind with lies and make you doubt God.
  • Once you accept Jesus as your Savior, the devil cannot take that away, but he does try to make you stop talking with God and hurt your relationship with Him!
  • Satan doesn't want you to help others to have a relationship with God.
  • He does not want you to be happy. If you're happy, others might want to know why.

So let's check out God's Armor to protect us!
  1. Open a picture of the Armor of God by CLICKING HERE.
  2. Point to each piece or let them find it as you read Ephesians 6:14-17.
  3. Explain each piece as follows:
  • Belt of truth (Knowing God's truth and practicing it by what you say and do)
  • Breastplate of righteousness (Knowing what God says is right and doing it)
  • Feet ready with the gospel of peace (Being ready to tell others about His message of peace)
  • Shield of faith (Trusting that God really is who He says He is)
  • Helmet of salvation (Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior)
  • Sword of the Spirit (Knowing God's Word, the Bible, and reading it everyday. It is our greatest weapon against the devil.)

NOTE: When you are finished with today's devotion, print out the Armor of God picture and let them color it as a reminder.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER:
Because God is the strongest, His strength will be enough to help you do whatever He asks you to do. There is nothing too hard for God. You can take every problem to Him and know that He has the power to help.

TAKING ACTION:
  1. Thank God today for providing the armor needed in order to stand strong against Satan and his evil tricks. Choose a piece of armor that you need to put on today, and ask God to help you put that piece of armor on to stand strong for God!
  2. Which part of God's Armor do you need to practice using this week?
  3. What is one thing you can do different?
adapted from Discover God 4 Kids
A Sample Prayer to Conclude Your Time
Dear God, You are to be praised forever and ever. Yours is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on the Earth is yours. With You in control, we have nothing to fear. Help us to trust You with every detail of our lives. We adore You and thank You for being a great God, filling our lives with Your purpose. Amen.