Week: God's Mission
Each day we will simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) together.
P: PAUSING to be still.
R: REJOICING with a Memory Verse and REFLECTING on some verses from the Bible.
A: ASKING God to help us and others.
Y: saying YES to God’s ways.
We start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
Lord God, we look forward to discovering more of Your wisdom in the Old Testament. Show us the way You want us to live, and help us to walk in it today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Liliwyn
1 Corinthians 1:24
Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
1 Corinthians 1:24 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on an amazing vision that the prophet Ezekiel had about a valley full of dry, dead bones.
Read by Liliwyn
Ezekiel 37:2-3,10
[God] led me around among the bones, and I saw that there were many bones in the valley and that they were very dry. Then he asked me, ‘Human, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘Lord God, only you know.’
So I prophesied as the Lord commanded me. And the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a very large army.
Ezekiel 37:2-3,10 (NCV)
This passage is a little strange. God gives Ezekiel a vision – it’s like a dream but whilst still awake – of a valley full of dry bones. They can’t move, can’t eat or play – they are dead. But God tells Ezekiel to prophesy – which means to speak God’s words – over these bones. And what happens in the vision? They start coming to life! Imagine that?!
God’s words bring life, especially when things seem broken or hopeless. And the incredible thing is that God sometimes uses us, just like Ezekiel, to speak these words of life. We can do this through our prayers or sometimes being bold enough to speak directly to the people who might need to hear these words of life.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: How many different bones in our bodies can we name? Have we ever broken any bones?
There are lots of places around the world where things are broken, where people are hurting, and where there seems to be no hope. As we think of a few situations now, let’s pray the words, ‘We speak life!’ out loud together:
Where people are fighting wars, let’s say together: We speak life!
Where people are suffering because of natural disasters: We speak life!
Where people don’t have the food and shelter that they need: We speak life!
Where people are lonely and afraid: We speak life!
In the last book of the Bible, God also gives John, one of Jesus’s disciples, a vision, and this time God promises to bring life and hope to all things. Let’s imagine the world that God is re-making as we listen to those words and add our Amen (which just means ‘we agree!’)
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain because all the old ways are gone. … Look! I am making everything new!’ (Revelation 21:4-5a, NCV) Amen!
As we read the Bible again, let’s listen for a word or a phrase that the Holy Spirit might want to say to us from today’s verses.
Ezekiel 37:2-3,10
[God] led me around among the bones, and I saw that there were many bones in the valley and that they were very dry. Then he asked me, ‘Human, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘Lord God, only you know.’
So I prophesied as the Lord commanded me. And the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a very large army.
Ezekiel 37:2-3,10 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, thank You for the wisdom that we’ve heard from Your Word today. We say YES to walking the way You want us to, and we say YES to speaking your words of life.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s see if we can remember our memory verse and say it together:
1 Corinthians 1:24
Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
1 Corinthians 1:24 (NCV)
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Liliwyn is 16 and lives in Kansas City, USA, with her parents, sisters and dogs. She is a good friend and enjoys designing, music, traveling, math and watching American Football (especially the KC Chiefs).
