Week: Jesus in the Old Testament
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
Jesus, as we spend these few minutes together, we open our eyes to see what You’re doing, our ears to hear what You’re saying, and our hearts to receive what You want to give to us today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Bea
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on what Isaiah said about Jesus, the Messiah.
Read by Bea
Isaiah 53:2-3
He grew up like a small plant before the Lord,
like a root growing in a dry land.
He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him;
there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.
He was hated and rejected by people.
He had much pain and suffering.
People would not even look at him.
He was hated, and we didn’t even notice him.
Isaiah 53:2-3 (NCV)
When Jesus was born, the Israelites expected Him to be a particular type of hero – a strong rescuer who would defeat their enemies and rule like a traditional king. But the prophet Isaiah said that wasn’t what the Messiah was going to be like. He was going to be unpopular – some people wouldn’t even notice Him! He was going to be gentle, and he would suffer too. This Messiah – Jesus – would be a very different kind of hero.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Who are our heroes? Why do we like them?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Lord Jesus, You didn’t come to earth to have the most views on TikTok or to have the most Instagram followers. You came to be a very different kind of hero – You came to show us a different way to live. We ASK You to help us be more like You.
Jesus suffered – people insulted him and some were violent towards him – even though He did nothing wrong. People still suffer in similar ways because of who they are or what they believe, even though they’ve done nothing wrong.
Almighty God, we ASK You to comfort those who are suffering, and help all those who are working hard to bring peace and justice into places where there are insults and violence.
To help us continue praying this week, perhaps we could research some organisations around the world who are working to bring peace and justice? Maybe we could make a prayer board or a map to remind us to pray?
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.
Isaiah 53:2-3
He grew up like a small plant before the Lord,
like a root growing in a dry land.
He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him;
there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.
He was hated and rejected by people.
He had much pain and suffering.
People would not even look at him.
He was hated, and we didn’t even notice him..
Isaiah 53:2-3 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, You are the one true hero – the hero of peace and justice that the world really needs. We say YES to believing in You and to following in Your ways.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 (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.
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Bea is 14 and she lives in Hampshire, in the UK, with her family. Her favourite football team is Manchester United, even though she lives a loooong way from Manchester. Bea likes horse riding and running, and when she’s older, she wants to become a vet, or a professional horse-rider.
