Week: How to Hear God
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
Father God, we’re listening. We look forward to what You want to say to us today, through the Bible, through other people, through what we see and hear around us, even through our hearts. Help us to hear You.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Jackson J
1 Samuel 3:10
The Lord came and stood there and called as he had before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’
Samuel said, ‘Speak, Lord. I am your servant and I am listening.’
1 Samuel 3:10 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re continuing to REFLECT on the conversation that Jesus had with the two friends on the Emmaus road.
Read by Jackson J
Luke 24:25-27
Then Jesus said to them, ‘You are foolish and slow to believe everything the prophets said. They said that the Christ must suffer these things before he enters his glory.’ Then starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures.
Luke 24:25-27 (NCV)
Imagine that… Jesus leading a small Bible study with two friends as they walk along a road together. And Luke says that Jesus explained everything that the Bible said about himself to these friends – he carefully explained where his life, death and resurrection had been prophesied in the Old Testament, and how all these things had to happen for God’s will to be done and God’s kingdom to come. It was the best Bible study group ever, and it was for only two people!
The Bible is the best selling book in the world. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What other books do we really like?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Father God, sometimes we feel a bit confused when we read the Bible. We don’t know where to start, and it doesn’t always make a lot of sense. However, we know you want to speak to us through the Bible, and so we ASK you to help us hear you in the words that we read. Jesus, we want to be as excited as you are about the Bible!
Let’s also ASK God to speak to our church communities through the Bible too.
Father God, we thank you for our church leaders, for our children’s workers and youth leaders, who all use the Bible to teach us about you. We ASK you to teach them something new from the Bible today too.
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.
Luke 24:25-27
Then Jesus said to them, ‘You are foolish and slow to believe everything the prophets said. They said that the Christ must suffer these things before he enters his glory.’ Then starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures.
Luke 24:25-27 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Father God, thank you for giving us your Word, the Bible. And thank you for sending us your Holy Spirit to guide us and help us understand it. We say YES to spending a bit more time reading the Bible and listening to what you want to say to us through it.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
1 Samuel 3:10
The Lord came and stood there and called as he had before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’
Samuel said, ‘Speak, Lord. I am your servant and I am listening.’
1 Samuel 3:10 (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.
* To find out more about Pete Greig’s book go to https://www.24-7prayer.com/how-to-hear-god/
Joy lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and her dog. She works for Bridgetown Church where she leads kids as they grow, learn, and have lots of fun. Joy loves gardening, summer camp, eating ice cream, and reading her favourite books, The Chronicles of Narnia.
Jackson is 11 and he lives in Chichester, on the south coast of England, with his parents and his sister. He loves Pokemon (who doesn’t?), music and having fun with his friends.
