Week: Creativity and Presence
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
Lord God, we look forward to discovering more of Your wisdom in the Old Testament. Show us the way You want us to live, and help us to walk in it today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Asaph
Psalm 33:6
The Lord merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.
Psalm 33:6 (NLT)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on one of the rarely mentioned heroes of the Old Testament.
Read by Asaph
Exodus 35:30-33
Moses told the Israelites, ‘See, God has selected Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He’s filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and know-how for making all sorts of things, to design and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to carve stones and set them; to carve wood, working in every kind of skilled craft.’
Exodus 35:30-33 (MSG)
This is one of the first times that the Bible describes someone being filled with the Spirit of God. And Bezalel isn’t a great king or a skilled counsellor. He isn’t a holy priest or a wise politician. He isn’t a talented worship leader or a brave warrior. He’s a craftsman – he’s an artist! The first person that the Bible says was filled with the Spirit of God was an artist – isn’t that amazing? Bezalel was equipped and empowered by the Spirit of God to create a beautiful space for God’s presence. And here’s another amazing thing, so are we!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What beautiful or crazy things have we created in the last few months?
And now, we ASK God to help us and others.
Spirit of God, we ASK You to fill us. We ASK you especially to fill the creative parts of us, just like You did with Bezalel.
Let’s take a moment to think about someone we know with a creative job. Maybe they’re an architect, a video-editor, a barista, a painter, a performer, or maybe something else?
Creator God, we ASK You to give them what You gave to Bezalel by Your Spirit: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of skills.
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.
Exodus 35:30-35
Moses told the Israelites, “See, God has selected Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He’s filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and know-how for making all sorts of things, to design and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to carve stones and set them; to carve wood, working in every kind of skilled craft.
Exodus 35:30-33 (MSG)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, thank You for the wisdom that we’ve heard from Your Word today. We say YES to walking the way that You want us to. And we say YES to being filled with the Holy Spirit – to being creative, just like You.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s see if we can remember our memory verse and say it together:
Psalm 33:6
The Lord merely spoke,
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.
Psalm 33:6 (NLT)
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.
Asaph is 9 years old. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his younger sister Adelina, father and mother. He enjoys riding his bike, camping, reading, playing flag football and watching Bible Project videos. Asaph is kind and smart and loves hanging out with friends!
