Manasseh Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Manasseh Sunday school lesson teaches kids that God hears a humble prayer. King Manasseh "was twelve years old when he began to reign" and "did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD" (2 Chronicles 33:1–2). He would not listen to God, until he was bound with fetters and carried to Babylon. There he "humbled himself greatly" and prayed, and God brought him home: "Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God" (33:12–13). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a turn-around game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a short memory verse ("Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God") with motions, and a drawing activity.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Which Way? game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Bring Him Home memory verse walk, and a Back to Jerusalem review game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a turn-back hiding game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story ("they would not hearken," "humbled himself greatly," "he repaired the altar of the LORD"), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read 2 Chronicles 33 out loud themselves, then look closer at Hezekiah's son choosing evil, God speaking first, God's promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14, and Amon, who "humbled not himself." Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (2 Chronicles 33:13 and 7:14).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: 2 Chronicles 33:1–20
• Main point: God hears a humble prayer. It is never too late to turn back to God.
• Memory verse: 2 Chronicles 33:13 (KJV), with 2 Chronicles 7:14 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about turning around and going the right way.
2. Bible story: the twelve-year-old king who "did that which was evil" (2 Chronicles 33:1–2), the idol in the house of God (33:7), the fetters and Babylon (33:11), his humble prayer (33:12–13), and the idol cast out and the altar repaired (33:15–16). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn 2 Chronicles 33:13.
5. What this means for us: humbling ourselves, turning back to God, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Manasseh craft, a back-to-Jerusalem game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching King Manasseh

• Read 2 Chronicles 33:12–13 straight from your Bible. It is the heart of the story: he humbled himself, prayed, and God heard him.
• Name his sins briefly, in the Bible's words. The lessons leave out the darker details of 2 Chronicles 33:6, which are not for children.
• Show that his turning was real: he took the idol out and repaired the altar of the LORD (33:15–16).
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.