Light three candles.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
when we are bad,
or sad or mad,
forgive us,
and give us your peace.
Read this Bible thought from Psalm 30:4-5.
Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Praise the Lord!
Always give thanks to God!
When we are bad,
God doesn't stay mad.
God's love makes us glad!
Tell your child this story from the Old Testament book of Genesis, or use your own Bible story book.
Once there was a young man named Joseph.
Joseph’s brothers did mean things to him. Once, they threw him into a deep, dark pit! Some of his brothers even wanted to leave him there! Instead his brothers decided to sell him.
So Joseph was taken away to the land of Egypt, to be a slave.
The Bible tells us a long story about Joseph after that. God helped him many times, and, after a long time, Joseph wasn't a slave anymore. He was rich and important!
A long time later Joseph’s brothers were in trouble. Those were the same brothers that had hurt him long ago. They needed his help.
So Joseph’s brothers went to Joseph and they begged him and said "Please forgive us!"
Do you know what it is to "forgive" someone? It's like when someone does something bad and you don't do something back to them. It's like being friends again.
Anyway, Joseph's brothers begged him to forgive them and to help them. They didn't have any food and Joseph was rich and could help them.
So they said “Joseph please forgive us.” And Joseph told them “Don’t be afraid, I will take care of you and your children.
And he spoke to them kindly, and made them feel better.”
Joseph forgave his brothers!
He didn't stay mad, did he?
That story in the Bible is there to show us how God forgives us too.
He doesn't want us to do bad things, and he wants moms and dads to teach their children to do good, but he doesn't want us to stay made either.
Because of Jesus, God forgives us. And we forgive each other too.
Talk together about times when you've had to lovingly discipline your children and then you have forgiven them, or about times when your child forgave someone who hurt them.
Pray this prayer. Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Dear Jesus,
when we are bad,
or sad or mad,
forgive us,
and give us your peace.
Add your own thoughts and prayers, perhaps including a prayer for forgiveness or friendship or peace.
Read this Bible thought from Psalm 30:4-5.
Have your child repeat phrase by phrase.
Praise the Lord!
Always give thanks to God!
When we are bad,
God doesn't stay mad.
God's love makes us glad!
Put out the candles.
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