Week: 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
God of rescue and restoration, thank You for Your beautiful mission to save the whole world. Here we are, Lord. Fill us with Your Spirit, and send us so that we can join in with Your mission.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Annika
Matthew 24:14
The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we are REFLECTING on one of David’s Psalms and what it has to show us about God’s mission – God’s Great Plan.
Read by Annika
Psalm 24:1,9-10
The earth belongs to the Lord, and everything in it,
the world and all its people.
Open up, you gates.
Open wide, you aged doors
and the glorious King will come in.
Who is this glorious King?
The Lord All-Powerful –
he is the glorious King.
Psalm 24:1,9-10 (NCV)
David makes it clear at the start of this Psalm that absolutely everything belongs to God – it’s all His – and yet at the end of the Psalm, David describes God outside the gates of a city, waiting to be invited inside. Even though everything, including the city, belongs to God, He waits to be welcomed in.
There’s something similar in the book of Revelation, at the very end of the Bible. John describes Jesus standing outside a door. ‘I stand at the door and knock,’ says Jesus. ‘If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in…’ (Revelation 3:20)
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When have we not been able to get into a house or a car, maybe because we’ve lost a key? What did we do?
John’s description of Jesus knocking on the door of a house is really a picture of Jesus knocking on the door of our lives, asking to come in.
Lord Jesus, we hear You knocking and we open the door of our lives. We welcome You into our hearts and into every part of our lives. We trust You.
Although every nation, every city, every family and every person actually belongs to God, He waits to be welcomed in.
And so we pray for people everywhere to open their hearts to You, Lord Jesus. We pray for schools and Universities to open their doors to You, for families to open their homes to You, for governments and big businesses to welcome You into their meetings. Open up, you gates! Open wide, you doors! Let Jesus come in!
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.
Read by Annika
Psalm 24:1,9-10
The earth belongs to the Lord, and everything in it,
the world and all its people.
Open up, you gates.
Open wide, you aged doors
and the glorious King will come in.
Who is this glorious King?
The Lord All-Powerful –
he is the glorious King.
Psalm 24:1,9-10 (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 glorious King that David was talking about in His Psalm. We say YES, come in, You are welcome in our lives, and to live through our lives.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 24:14
The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14 (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.
Annika is 10 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia with her parents and older brother and sister. Annika enjoys playing Cricket and Aussie Rules Football and loves going to watch her favourite team play football. Annika also learns the drums and enjoys making up her own beats!
