Week: Global Week of Prayer
As always, 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.
Let’s 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
Our Father in heaven, reveal who you are. Set the world right. May your kingdom come and what you want be done in us and in our nation today. (Matthew 6:9-10, MSG & NCV)
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Max
1 John 5:14
And this is the boldness we have in God’s presence: that if we ask God for anything that agrees with what he wants, he hears us.
1 John 5:14 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on a vision that Ezekiel had of a valley filled with dry bones.
Read by Max
Ezekiel 37:3-6
Then he asked me, ‘Human, can these bones live?’
I answered, ‘Lord God, only you know.’
He said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says to the bones: I will cause breath to enter you so you will come to life. I will put muscles on you and flesh on you and cover you with skin. Then I will put breath in you so you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’
Ezekiel 37:3-6 (NCV)
What Ezekiel saw wasn’t a real valley full of bones. It was a vision, which is like a dream during the daytime that usually means or represents something.
The dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision represented God’s people, the Israelites – they’d lost their land and their freedom, and they felt like giving up. Everything felt hopeless to them, as lifeless as a valley of dry bones.
But in Ezekiel’s vision, something extraordinary happened – the Spirit of God breathed on the bones and brought them to life again.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: How many of the bones in our bodies can we name? If we’ve got a few minutes maybe we can look up some of the ones we don’t know?
Is there anything that feels a bit ‘dry’ in our lives at the moment? Does anything feel a bit hopeless, like we want to give up?
Holy Spirit, we ASK You to breathe on us. As we offer these situations to You, we ASK You to fill us with hope.
There are many places around the world where people are fighting and people are being killed – places where there seems to be no hope of peace.
Holy Spirit, we ASK You to breathe in these places too. We pray that You would bring an end to the violence and the killing. Help the people to make peace.
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.
Ezekiel 37:3-6
Then he asked me, ‘Human, can these bones live?’
I answered, ‘Lord God, only you know.’
He said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says to the bones: I will cause breath to enter you so you will come to life. I will put muscles on you and flesh on you and cover you with skin. Then I will put breath in you so you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’
Ezekiel 37:3-6 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together, using words from Ezekial’s vision.
Spirit of God, we say YES, come and breathe on us, and breathe on Your church around the world too – fill us all with Your life and Your love.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
1 John 5:14
And this is the boldness we have in God’s presence: that if we ask God for anything that agrees with what he wants, he hears us.
1 John 5:14 (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.
If you would like to find out more about the global week of prayer tap here.
Carla lives in the sunny city of Chichester on the south coast of England with her husband, and two kids. She works for 24-7 Prayer helping people around the world learn how to talk with God. She LOVES a good book, eating yummy meals and singing with her friends.
Max is 9 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia with his older brother and mum and dad. He often rides his bike to school and enjoys being creative by drawing or building with Lego. Max is also learning how to play the electric guitar and loves turning it up loud!
