Week: One Anothers
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
What a friend we have in You, Jesus. We’re ready for the new things that You want to show us and say to us about being friends with You, and with others too.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Jackson R
Philippians 2:3
When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honour to others than to yourselves.
Philippians 2:3 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
We’re REFLECTING on a part of the letter that Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Thessalonica, the area we know today to be Greece.
Read by Jackson R
1 Thessalonians 5:13b-15 (NCV)
1 Thessalonians 5:13-15
Live in peace with each other. We ask you, brothers and sisters, to warn those who do not work. Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.
In these verses Paul gives us some really great advice about how to be good friends – how to treat one another well, and how to love each other. But he also says something really tough too – don’t ‘pay back wrong for wrong, but always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.’
Not paying people back wrong for wrong – not getting our own back when someone has done or said something mean to us – is tough enough. But Paul goes even further by insisting that we should also, always, try to do good for our friends, and for everyone!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When was the last time someone did something good for us?
In today’s Bible passage, Paul says that we should ‘be patient with everyone’. Who are we finding it difficult to be patient with at the moment? Let’s not say their names out loud, but let’s offer how we’re feeling to God.
Loving Father, thank you for being patient with us. We ASK You to help us grow in patience with others, especially those who we’re finding difficult at the moment.
Now let’s be quiet for a moment and ASK the Holy Spirit to show us who we can do something good for over the next few days. And let’s make sure that we do it!
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.
1 Thessalonians 5:13-15
1 Thessalonians 5:13b-15 (NCV)
Live in peace with each other. We ask you, brothers and sisters, to warn those who do not work. Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, we say YES to becoming a bit more like You each and every day. We say NO to getting our own back when people say or do hurtful things to us, and YES to doing good instead.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Philippians 2:3
When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honour to others than to yourselves.
Philippians 2:3 (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.
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.
