Our Eyes Are on You: Jehoshaphat's Singers
2 Chronicles 20:1-30 Old Testament PrinciplePrayer
A huge army came to attack King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. Jehoshaphat was afraid, but he turned to the LORD. He gathered everyone, even the little children, and prayed, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." God answered through a prophet, "Do not be afraid. The battle is not yours, but God's." The next morning, Jehoshaphat sent singers out in front of the army, praising God. As soon as they began to sing, the LORD defeated the enemy armies. When we don't know what to do, we can pray and keep our eyes on God.
Prayer is talking to God and turning our eyes to Him. When we feel powerless and don't know what to do, we can tell Him honestly, trust His promises and praise Him before we see the answer.
- CreationGod made it
- FallWe broke it
- RedemptionJesus fixes it (this lesson)
- RestorationJesus makes it new
Memory verse
“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
2 Chronicles 20:12 BSB
Christ Connection · Picture
Judah faced an enemy it could not beat, and God won the battle while His people praised Him. Our greatest enemies are sin and death, and we can't beat them either. Jesus fought that battle for us on the cross and rose again, so we give thanks to God, "who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:57; Colossians 2:15; Philippians 4:6-7; Hebrews 13:15
The Big Story · Redemption
God's people kept facing enemies too strong for them, and again and again God fought for them. He was showing them that rescue comes from Him, a lesson that leads all the way to Jesus, who won the battle against sin and death for us.
Teacher Guide
This version includes:
- Background and context for the passage
- Hidden in Plain Sight: the detail most people miss
- The Christ Connection: how this story points to Jesus
- A 45-minute class plan and prep checklist
- A map of where it happened
- Object lesson: What would you put in front?
- Theo’s Workshop (build challenge): Harps and trumpets
- A skit to act out the story
- Review game: Praise march
- Pronunciation help, tips for every age, song ideas and a note for parents
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
Preschool (ages 3–5)
When I'm scared, I pray to God!
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 4-minute Bible story written for this age
- 3 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Sing and march, Color the singer
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at home, at church
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
Free preview · Kindergarten – 2nd grade
A huge army came to fight King Jehoshaphat. He was afraid, so he called all the people to pray, even the little children. He prayed, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." God answered, "Don't be afraid. The battle is not yours. It is God's!" The next morning, the king sent singers out in front of the army. As soon as they began to praise God, God beat the enemy armies. When we don't know what to do, we can pray and look to God.
Start here
Ask, "Have you ever had a problem and didn't know what to do?" Let a few kids share. Say, "Today a king had a huge problem. Watch what he did first."
Bible story 6 min
Jehoshaphat was a king who loved God. One day a messenger ran to him. "A huge army is coming to fight you! Three nations are coming together!"
Jehoshaphat was afraid. But he did not run. He did not hide. He turned to God. He told all the people, "Come! Let's pray!"
People came from every town. Dads and moms came. Kids and babies came. They all stood before the LORD.
The rest of the story, discussion questions, songs, Live It and prayer are for members.
Dasch Digs Up: Did You Know?
When the people prayed, even the little children stood before the LORD with their families.
2 Chronicles 20:13
Try an activity
Act it out 10 min
You’ll need: Shoeboxes or small sturdy boxes, Paper cups
- Choose a messenger, King Jehoshaphat, Jahaziel and three singers. Everyone else is the people of Judah.
- Act out the skit. The singers march in front with their instruments.
- Switch so more kids get a turn.
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
3rd – 4th grade
When three nations marched against Judah, King Jehoshaphat was alarmed, but he set his face to seek the LORD. He called a fast, gathered the whole nation, even the little ones, and prayed, "We are powerless before this vast army. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." Through the prophet Jahaziel, God answered, "The battle does not belong to you, but to God." The next morning, singers led the army, praising God, and the LORD defeated the enemy. Prayer turns our eyes to God when we feel helpless.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 8-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 5 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Jehoshaphat's prayer, Praise march
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at school, at home, at church
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
5th – 6th grade
Facing three invading armies, King Jehoshaphat was alarmed, but his first move was prayer. He led all Judah, down to the little ones, in a prayer that remembered God's power, God's past faithfulness and God's promises, and ended with honest helplessness, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." God answered through Jahaziel that the battle was His. Jehoshaphat responded with faith, putting singers ahead of the army, and the LORD acted the moment they began to praise. Prayer is turning our eyes from the threat to God.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 10-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 6 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Eyes on God, My vast army
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at school, at home, online and on screens
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
More lessons on Prayer
The same principle in other Bible stories.
Kings and ProphetsHannah Prays1 Samuel 1:1-28; 1 Samuel 2:1-11; 1 Samuel 2:18-21Sad and longing for a child, Hannah poured out her heart to God in prayer, and God heard her and gave her Samuel.Old TestamentPrayer
Kings and ProphetsDaniel and the LionsDaniel 6:1-28When a law made prayer to God a crime, Daniel kept praying as he always had, and God shut the lions' mouths and kept him safe.Old TestamentPrayer
The Church BeginsPeter Escapes PrisonActs 12:1-19; Exodus 12:11King Herod put Peter in prison, chained between soldiers. The church prayed hard for him, and God sent an angel to lead Peter out. When Peter knocked at the door, the praying friends could hardly believe it!New TestamentPrayer
With Building BricksNehemiah Rebuilds the WallNehemiah 1:1-6:16; Psalm 127:1Jerusalem's walls lay in ruins. Nehemiah prayed, and God opened the way for him to go and rebuild. He prayed at every step while the people worked, and in just 52 days the wall was finished. Everyone could see that God had done it.Old TestamentPrayer
His Name Is John: Zechariah and ElizabethLuke 1:5-25; Luke 1:57-80Zechariah the priest and his wife Elizabeth loved God, but they were old and had no children. One day, while Zechariah burned incense in the temple, the angel Gabriel told him, "Your prayer has been heard." They would have a son named John, who would get people ready for the Lord. Zechariah didn't believe it, so he couldn't speak until it happened. When baby John was born, Zechariah wrote, "His name is John," and right away he could talk again, and he praised God with a song about the Savior who was coming. God hears our prayers and keeps His promises, right on time.New TestamentPrayer
The Lord’s PrayerMatthew 6:5-15; Luke 11:1-13When His disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," Jesus gave them a prayer that begins "Our Father in heaven." Because of Jesus, we can talk to God as our loving Father about everything, from His glory to our daily bread.New TestamentPrayer