Week: Me and Myself
As usual, 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
Jesus, You came to bring peace and healing, and because of You we can now be reconciled with God, with ourselves, with other people and with the whole world. We’re ready for You to restore our relationships a little bit more today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Elanor
Psalm 139:14
I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.
What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well.
Psalm 139:14 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today we’re REFLECTING on some good advice that Paul wrote to the church in Galatia about how they should treat themselves and each other.
Read by Elanor
Galatians 6:3-5
If anyone thinks he is important when he really is not, he is only fooling himself. Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud of what he himself has done. Each person must be responsible for himself.
Galatians 6:3-5 (NCV)
Paul says that we shouldn’t compare ourselves with others – comparison always makes us feel rotten inside. When we compare ourselves to other people, thinking that we’re better than them, or worse than them – whether they’re people we don’t know on TV or social media, or people we know at school or in our community – then we stop loving and accepting ourselves the way that God made us, as ‘amazing and wonderful’.
In today’s verses, Paul says that we should be proud of what we’ve done. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What have we done that we feel proud of?
Let’s close our eyes and be still for a moment. Who have we been comparing ourselves with recently? How does it make us feel? Let’s hold those feelings as we come to prayer.
Father God, thank You that You don’t compare us to anyone – You like us just the way You made us. As we open our hands and let these feelings go, we receive your love and remember that You see us as ‘amazing and wonderful’. We ASK You to help us see ourselves the same way.
Don’t forget, when we have big feelings that we can’t seem to let go of, it’s important to remember that we’re not alone. Talking with someone that we trust is always a good thing to do.
In today’s Bible passage it encourages us to judge our own actions instead of comparing ourselves to others. Let’s pray for other people, and for ourselves, now.
Father God, we ASK You to help us all find value and security in Your love. We want to take responsibility for our own actions, and to be kind to those around us, instead of judging others and comparing ourselves with them.
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.
Galatians 6:3-5
If anyone thinks he is important when he really is not, he is only fooling himself. Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud of what he himself has done. Each person must be responsible for himself.
Galatians 6:3-5 (NCV)
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 finding our value and identity in You instead of comparing ourselves with others.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Psalm 139:14
I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.
What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well.
Psalm 139:14 (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.
Unathi lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband and 5 kids; and has a passion for seeing families thriving.
You’ll most likely find her homeschooling the tribe, reading, writing, or dreaming about the next DIY project.
She also loves good coffee, dark chocolate and hiking.
Elanor is 12 years old and lives in East London with her parents and younger brother. She enjoys going on adventures with her friends, reading lots of books, horse riding, acting, singing, dancing and finding different ways to pray to God.
