Week: The Way of the Kingdom of God
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
Lord Jesus, we open our minds to learn new things, so that we know more about You. We open our hearts to be filled with Your love, so that we become more like You. And we open our hands to receive all we need to live our lives for You.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Kumi
Matthew 6:10
May your kingdom come and what you want be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on a parable that Jesus told about a King who invited lots of people to a party.
Read by Kumi
Matthew 22:1-3 & 8-9
Jesus again used stories to teach them. He said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. The king invited some people to the feast. When the feast was ready, the king sent his servants to tell the people, but they refused to come… After that, the king said to his servants, “The wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not worthy to come. So go to the street corners and invite everyone you find to come to my feast.”’
Matthew 22:1-3 & 8-9 (NCV)
When the first group of people rejected the King’s generous invitation to his party, he sent his servants out to invite everyone else. The people ‘on the street corners’ never expect to be invited into the king’s palace – they weren’t rich or powerful and they probably didn’t feel ‘good enough’ for lots of reasons – but the king invited them anyway.
The good news of Jesus is that everyone is invited to join in with the Kingdom of God. Everyone is invited to an everlasting party where God is in charge!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When was the last time we received an invitation to a party? What was the party for, and what happened while we were there?
And now let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much, and for inviting us into Your everlasting party – the Kingdom of God.
Let’s pray for those who feel like they would never be invited into God’s party because they’re not ‘good enough’. If someone comes into our mind, let’s pray specifically for them.
Lord Jesus, we ASK You to help them believe that You love them, and to receive the invitation that You’ve given to them. We pray that they would experience the everlasting party where You are in charge of their lives – may Your Kingdom come a little bit more in their lives this week.
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 22:1-3 & 8-9
Jesus again used stories to teach them. He said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. The king invited some people to the feast. When the feast was ready, the king sent his servants to tell the people, but they refused to come… After that, the king said to his servants, “The wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not worthy to come. So go to the street corners and invite everyone you find to come to my feast.”’
Matthew 22:1-3 & 8-9 (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 seeking first God’s Kingdom in our lives, and in the world – to putting God first and living the way You show us to. We say YES to receiving and accepting Your invitation – Thank you!
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 6:10
May your kingdom come and what you want be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10 (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.
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Kumkanikazi (Kumi) is 12 years old, and lives In Johannesburg, South Africa with her parents and 4 siblings.
You’ll often find her in a stylish outfit, baking up a storm or creating videos.
