Welcome to Lectio for Families. We are continuing our ‘Jesus Speaks’ series, and this week we are exploring Jesus’ commands, the things that He asks us to obey and how they help us love and know Him more.

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.

Pause

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

Prayer of Welcome

Jesus, we want to know You more and we want to better understand the way You want us to live. As we consider Your commands, we prepare our hearts to follow You.

Rejoice

Memory Verse

We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:

God, help us to remember Your Word.

Reflect

Bible Reading

We’re REFLECTING on one of the first commands that Jesus taught people after He was baptised. 

Read by Hubo 
Mark 1:14b-15 
Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the Good News from God. He said, ‘The right time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Change your hearts and lives and believe the Good News!’
Mark 1:14-15 (NCV)

In some Bibles, that phrase ‘Change your hearts and lives’ is translated as just one word, ‘repent’. Repenting is more than simply saying sorry – that’s part of it, but it’s definitely not all of it.

Saying ‘I’m sorry’ is important when we bump into someone at the grocery store – it’s like saying ‘I regret what I did’. But when we do something deliberately selfish or hurtful, sorry might not be enough. Repentance means ‘I really want to change’.

Jesus tells us to completely change the way we think, feel and behave. He tells us to acknowledge what we’ve done, to ask for forgiveness and then change our hearts and live differently. 

We’re thinking about making changes today. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What something we’d like to change – it might be something we do or something around us we’d like to change. 

• PAUSE the audio player now

Ask

ASK Prayers

Let’s close our eyes for a moment and ASK Jesus to show us if there is anything He is asking us to repent of – anything that we need to stop doing and change in our hearts and lives. 

Let’s quietly talk with Jesus about these things now.

• OPTIONAL: PAUSE the audio player now and pray

The ‘Good News’ that Jesus preached about, and that He asks us to believe is simply this – that God loves the world and everything in it so much that He sent Jesus to die for us and save us. And that when we repent and give our lives to Jesus, God welcomes us, He forgives us and He makes our hearts and lives brand new.

Let’s take a moment to think about how amazing this is, and then quietly thank God for His great love.

• OPTIONAL: PAUSE the audio player now and pray

Yes

Bible Reading

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.

Mark 1:14b-15 
Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the Good News from God. He said, ‘The right time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Change your hearts and lives and believe the Good News!’
Mark 1:14-15 (NCV)

What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?

• OPTIONAL: PAUSE the audio player now and tell each other

YES Prayer

And now, let’s say YES to God together.

Jesus, we say YES to changing our hearts and lives. We say YES to turning away from our own ways and choosing to follow You instead. 

Memory Verse

After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:

Closing Prayer

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.