Open Your Mouth (to receive the Holy Ghost) | Object Lesson

Needed:

• Two balloons (one yellow and one black work great for contrast)
• A helper or volunteer from the class
• One of the balloons should be tied shut ahead of time (the knot should not be visible to the audience)
• The other balloon should be open and ready to inflate

Preparation:
Before class begins, tie one of the balloons in a knot so that no air can enter it. Leave the other untied and ready for use. Hide both balloons until you’re ready for the demonstration. Practice blowing up the open balloon quickly and confidently so the visual difference is clear to the children.

Lesson:
Begin by telling the class you’re going to have a “balloon-blowing race.” Select one student volunteer to come to the front and hand each of you a balloon. Make it playful—tell the class you’re sure you’ll win because you’re “the world’s greatest balloon blower.” Count down together and start the race.

As you both begin to blow, the volunteer’s balloon will fill with air easily while yours will stay completely flat. Act confused and a little dramatic about your failure—check the balloon, sigh, and ask for a rematch. Try again, only to get the same result.

Finally, stop and investigate. Have your helper hold up their full balloon proudly while you inspect yours. Discover that your balloon was tied shut! Hold it up for the kids to see and point out the knot. Explain that no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t fill it because the air couldn’t get in.

Now connect it to the spiritual truth. Tell your class that this balloon reminds you of people who come to the altar and want to receive the Holy Ghost, but they don’t open their mouths. They lift their hands and feel God’s presence, but their “mouths are tied shut.” Just like your balloon couldn’t be filled because it was closed, they can’t be filled with the Holy Ghost unless they open their mouths and let the Spirit flow through them.

Have your volunteer blow up the untied balloon again. As it fills, explain that when we lift our hands, open our mouths, and begin to praise God out loud—saying things like “I love you, Jesus” or “Hallelujah”—we make room for God to fill us. The Bible says the evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost is speaking in other tongues, and that can only happen when our mouths are open.

Once the balloon is full, tie it off. Explain that this represents being filled with the Holy Ghost and sealed with God’s Spirit. We don’t want the Holy Ghost to escape, but we do want it to overflow and bless others while staying full ourselves.

Finish by reminding the children that God wants to fill them with His Spirit, just like that balloon was filled with air. But He won’t force them—He waits for them to open up and invite Him in. Encourage them to remember this lesson when they pray in the altar: lift your hands, open your mouth, and let God fill you with the Holy Ghost!