Dorcas Helped People

Acts 9:36-41

Our story comes from a book of the Bible called Acts. That name is short for “the Acts of the Apostles.” The word "Apostle" is another word to describe a helper of Jesus.

There was a by the water called Joppa. It was a busy city. Many boats came and went.

In Joppa was a Jewish woman who loved Jesus. Her name was Tabitha, which means gazelle. Tabitha also means “one who sees clearly.” Tabitha had many Greek friends who also loved Jesus. They called Tabitha by their Greek word for gazelle, Dorcas. In Greek, Dorcas also means beauty and grace.

Dorcas showed her love for Jesus by helping others. When Dorcas saw children with ragged clothes, she sewed new coats for them.

When Dorcas saw grown-ups with ragged clothes, she sewed new clothes for them, too.

Snip, snip, snip. Dorcas cut some material. Sew, sew. Dorcas made clothes for the people that needed them.

One day, Dorcas became very sick. Her friends tried to help her. But Dorcas was so sick, she died. Everyone felt sad. Her friends washed her body and put her in an upstairs room. Everyone remembered all the good things that Dorcas did for them. They missed their friend Dorcas. They also wondered who would help them.

The people heard Peter was in a nearby town called Lydda. Peter was a special helper to Jesus. He told people about Jesus’ love for them.

Peter would know how to help. They decided to send two men to find Peter and bring him back to Dorcas’s house.

When Peter got to Dorcas’s house, he was taken upstairs to the room where Dorcas was. Her friends stood around Peter crying. They showed him the nice clothes Dorcas had made. They said, “Dorcas really helped others. Now she is gone. Can you help us, Peter?”

Peter asked the friends to wait outside the room where Dorcas was. He kneeled down and asked God to make Dorcas alive again. Then Peter turned toward Dorcas’s body and said, “Dorcas get up!”

Dorcas opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up. Peter took her hand and helped her stand up. God’s power had mad her come alive!

Peter called her friends to come and see. Everyone was happy and praised God.

Peter helped Dorcas through his prayers. Our prayers can help others, too.

Bible Paraphrase: Let us do good to all people. (Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. – Galatians 6:10 NIV)

Text Truth: Our prayers can help others.

Family Devotional

What do you do when a crisis arises? The one thing we can all do at any time is pray. It should be the first thing that we do.

Both Dorcas and Peter helped others. Think about what Peter did—he got down on his knees and prayed. God healed Dorcas!

Never underestimate the power of prayer. 

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the LORD. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the LORD will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. — James 5:13-17

You may never know how your prayers will impact someone. But your prayers are the most important way you can help!

Pray for the many people and situations the Lord brings to your mind.

Activities You Can Do at Home

Help Others

Dorcas helped provide clothing to those who didn’t have money for clothes. Talk with your child about ways you might help needy people have clothes, such as gathering outgrown clothes for a charity or people you know are in need. Remember to pray for the recipients.

Pray for Others

When you say bedtime prayers, pray for others. You may want to use a picture list to help remind your child of people to pray for.

Sew Clothes

You’ll Need: construction paper, safety scissors, hole punch, shoelaces or yarn (optional: clear plastic shelf liner or clear laminate sheets)

Cut pieces of clothes out of construction paper. For extra durability, laminate them. Punch holes around the outside of each piece of clothing. Tie a shoelace or yarn to each item. As you travel, your child can “sew” clothes just like Dorcas did.

Tell the Story of Dorcas

Actively involve your child in reviewing the Bible story. Read the story and act out cutting, sewing, and giving clothes to needy people, just as Dorcas did. Then pray together for others as Peter did.

Make Praying Hands

You’ll Need: paper, pencil or crayons or washable markers, safety scissors (optional: glue, magazine pictures)

Fold a piece of paper in half. Trace your child’s hand with the pinkie finger on the fold. Cut out the hands. (Don’t cut along the fold.) Let your child draw people or glue pictures of people to pray for inside the hands.

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Story illustrations are the copyright of Sweet Publishing and licensed by FreeBibleimages (http://freebibleimages.org) for free download under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike 3.0 unported licence.

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