Week: Kindness
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, You help us grow, each and every day, into who God made us to be. We’re ready to be changed a little bit more by You today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Jackson J
Proverbs 16: 24
Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on a conversation that Jesus had with a religious leader.
Read by Jackson J
Matthew 22:35-39
A Pharisee, who was an expert on the law of Moses, asked Jesus this question to test him: ‘Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?’
Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’
Matthew 22:35-39 (NCV)
Jesus said, ‘Love your neighbour – love others – as you love yourself’. Sometimes, loving others is the easy bit. It’s loving ourselves – it’s being kind to ourselves – that we find difficult. Sometimes we feel like we don’t deserve kindness and love because we feel ashamed about something. Sometimes we feel like we’re just not good enough.
In Charlie Mackesy’s book, ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse’, the mole says to the boy, ‘Being kind to yourself is one of the greatest kindnesses.’
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What is one way we can be kind to ourselves?
Let’s close our eyes and be still for a moment. Maybe we’re finding it difficult to be kind to ourselves for some reason right now. Let’s imagine holding these feelings as we pray.
Father God, thank You that we can give how we feel to You because You care for us (1 Peter 5:7). As we open our hands and let these feelings go, we receive Your kindness and Your love instead.
When we have feelings like this, it’s important to remember that we’re not alone. We might want to talk with someone we trust about how we’re feeling.
Let’s pray for others who may be struggling to be kind to themselves? If we have a friend who we know feels like this, let’s whisper their name to God as we pray.
Father God, we ASK You to draw close to these people. Show them that they are not only worth loving, but that they are deeply loved by You. Help them to be a little bit kinder to themselves.
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.
Matthew 22:35-39
A Pharisee, who was an expert on the law of Moses, asked Jesus this question to test him: ‘Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?’
Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’
Matthew 22:35-39 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Holy Spirit, thank You that You are growing the fruit of kindness in our lives. Help us to grow in kindness and love for ourselves so that we can ‘love our neighbours’ even more as well.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Proverbs 16: 24
Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 16: 24 (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, daughter 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 lives in Chichester, on the south coast of England, with his parents and his sister. He loves Pokemon (who doesn’t?), music and having fun with his friends.
