Week: Easter
As usual, 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, you died for us but you came back to life again and you’re alive now. We’re ready to meet with you in new ways today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Bea
Matthew 28:6
The angel said to the women, ‘He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
When the angel rolled away the huge stone that had been blocking the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, the soldiers were terrified. Today, we’re REFLECTING on what they did next.
Read by Bea
Matthew 28:11-15
Some of the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb went into the city to tell the leading priests everything that had happened. Then the priests met with the elders and made a plan. They paid the soldiers a large amount of money and said to them, ‘Tell the people that Jesus’ followers came during the night and stole the body while you were asleep. If the governor hears about this, we will satisfy him and save you from trouble.’ So the soldiers kept the money and did as they were told. And that story is still spread among the people even today.
Matthew 28:11b-15 (NCV)
The priests and the Jewish leaders were angry, and probably a bit scared, when the soldiers told them that Jesus’ body had disappeared. They really didn’t want people believing that Jesus had come back to life again, so they decided to make up their own fake news instead. They told the soldiers to spread a big lie – that Jesus’ followers had stolen His body.
Let’s press pause and each make up a ridiculous story about what happened to us when we woke up this morning. This is our own fake news!
In Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he writes, ‘So you must stop telling lies. Tell each other the truth, because we all belong to each other in the same body.’ (Ephesians 4:25, NCV)
Lord Jesus, we’re sorry for the times when we’ve told lies, maybe because we feel angry or scared or because we’re trying to cover something up. We ASK You to forgive us, and help us to tell the truth instead.
We’ve probably all seen something on social media or on TV that we know is ‘fake news’ – it isn’t actually true. Let’s pray now for those who create content on social media and TV.
Holy Spirit – Spirit of Truth (John 16:13, NCV), we ASK You to guide those who create content on social media, those who make programmes for TV, and for other leaders in our nations. May they become people who tell the truth.
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 28:11-15
Some of the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb went into the city to tell the leading priests everything that had happened. Then the priests met with the elders and made a plan. They paid the soldiers a large amount of money and said to them, ‘Tell the people that Jesus’ followers came during the night and stole the body while you were asleep. If the governor hears about this, we will satisfy him and save you from trouble.’ So the soldiers kept the money and did as they were told. And that story is still spread among the people even today.
Matthew 28:11b-15 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, You said that, ‘if we continue to obey Your teaching, we are truly Your followers. Then we will know the truth. And the truth will make us free.’ (John 8:32, NCV) So we say YES to speaking the truth.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 28:6
The angel said to the women, ‘He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
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.
Bea is 14 and she lives in Hampshire, in the UK, with her family. Her favourite football team is Manchester United, even though she lives a loooong way from Manchester. Bea likes horse riding and running, and when she’s older, she wants to become a vet, or a professional horse-rider.
