Week: Holy Spirit Adventures - the Book of Acts
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
Holy Spirit, like the disciples in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, we’re patiently waiting for You to fill us with Your power and with Your presence. We’re ready for You to send us on new adventures.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Jackson R
Romans 8:14
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Romans 8:14 (NIV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Peter was one of Jesus’ first disciples and Cornelius was a Roman officer, and both of them were having visions from God at the same time. In Cornelius’ vision, God told him to send some of his friends to find Peter. But today we are REFLECTING on Peter’s vision.
Read by Jackson R
Acts 10:11-15,19-20
[Peter] saw heaven opened and something coming down that looked like a big sheet being lowered to earth by its four corners. In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to Peter, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘No, Lord! I have never eaten food that is unholy or unclean.’ But the voice said to him again, ‘God has made these things clean, so don’t call them ‘unholy’!’
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Listen, three men are looking for you. Get up and go downstairs. Go with them without doubting, because I have sent them to you.’
Acts 10:11-15,19-20 (NCV)
Peter was a Jew and Cornelius wasn’t. Jews had lots of rules that they believed would help them to follow God – things they couldn’t do or touch, and places they couldn’t go. One of the rules said that Jewish people mustn’t go to the homes of people who weren’t Jews, because if they did they would be considered ‘unclean’.
But in Peter’s vision, God was telling him to stop labelling things clean or unclean. The vision was full of animals, but it wasn’t really about animals at all; it was about people. God wanted Peter to stop labelling people as those who could be with God and those who couldn’t.
When Cornelius’ friends arrived at Peter’s house, he remembered the words in the vision; ‘go with them without doubting’, and so he went! He trusted the Holy Spirit and went to Cornelius’ house. God was drawing two of his followers from different backgrounds together, to show that he loved everyone.
Different cultures sometimes have different rules and traditions. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What rules and traditions can we think of in our culture? Do we know any from other cultures that are different?
God used Peter and Cornelius – two men from very different traditions, but who both followed God faithfully – to demonstrate that God’s love is for everyone.
Holy Spirit, we ASK You to fill our hearts with Your love. And we ASK that your love will flow like a river to everyone around us, no matter where they’re from or what they’re like.
It must have taken a lot of courage for Peter and Cornelius to go against the rules of their culture. Today let’s pray for people who need courage to follow Jesus.
Lord Jesus, we pray for those who feel rejected or excluded because they’ve chosen to follow You. We ASK You to soften the hearts of those around them and give them a safe community where they can continue to follow You.
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.
Acts 10:11-15,19-20
[Peter] saw heaven opened and something coming down that looked like a big sheet being lowered to earth by its four corners. In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to Peter, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘No, Lord! I have never eaten food that is unholy or unclean.’ But the voice said to him again, ‘God has made these things clean, so don’t call them ‘unholy’!’
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Listen, three men are looking for you. Get up and go downstairs. Go with them without doubting, because I have sent them to you.’
Acts 10:11-15,19-20 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Holy Spirit, we say YES to going on adventures with You. We ASK you to fill us with your love for everyone around us.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Romans 8:14
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Romans 8:14 (NIV)
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.
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 lives with his younger brother and parents in Surrey. He loves pretty much all sport but his favourites are football, golf and jumping off high stuff into water! He enjoys gaming and is always ready to build something on Minecraft.
