Week: Justice - living the right way
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
Mighty God, open our eyes, stir our hearts and teach us how, ‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly’ with You today. (Micah 6:8)
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Zoë
Jeremiah 9:24
[The Lord says] What I like best is showing kindness, justice, and mercy to everyone on earth.
Jeremiah 9:24b (CEV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re continuing to REFLECT on what James has to say about how we put our faith into action.
Read by Zoë
James 2:14-17
My brothers and sisters, if people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save them? A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food. If you say to that person, ‘God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat,’ but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing. In the same way, faith by itself – that does nothing – is dead.
James 2:14-17 (NCV)
Having faith but not doing anything about it is like having a really nice car but not driving it, or having cool clothes but not wearing them, or downloading some new music but not listening to it. Cars are meant to be driven, Clothes are meant to be worn. Music is meant to be listened to. Faith is meant to be lived.
If we just believe things but don’t put them into practice – if we say we love people but don’t actually show that love in some way – what’s the point? And James puts it really bluntly – he says that faith without action is nothing – it’s just dead.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What different ways can we put our faith into action? What ways can we show that we love God, that we love people and that we love the world that God has made?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Lord Jesus, we ASK You to show us ways that we can put our faith into action over the next few days. Show us how we can demonstrate Your love and justice in simple ways.
Someone once said, ‘I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care’. That’s what James is saying in today’s Bible verses. When people are hungry or lonely, it doesn’t really help for us to tell them that God loves them – what they need is for us to show God’s love and care by giving them food and comfort.
Let’s be quiet for a moment and ASK the Holy Spirit to answer the prayer we prayed just now. How can we show God’s love to someone over the next few days?
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.
James 2:14-17
My brothers and sisters, if people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save them? A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food. If you say to that person, ‘God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat,’ but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing. In the same way, faith by itself – that does nothing – is dead.
James 2:14-17 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, we say YES to living lives that overflow with Your love, and that seek justice for everyone. We say YES to putting our faith into action in practical ways.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Jeremiah 9:24
[The Lord says] What I like best is showing kindness, justice, and mercy to everyone on earth.
Jeremiah 9:24b (CEV)
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.
Zoë Thandeka (Thandi) is 13 and she lives in Guildford, in the UK, with her family. She loves football (her favourite football team is Liverpool FC), Top Gear and car-spotting. When she’s older, Zoë wants to be a photographer or work with animals in some way.
