Week: How to Hear 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
Father God, we’re listening. We look forward to what You want to say to us today, through the Bible, through other people, through what we see and hear around us, even through our hearts. Help us to hear You.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Ruby
Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIVUK)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on some words from the prophet Joel, who predicted what it would be like when the Holy Spirit arrived.
Read by Ruby
Joel 2:28-29
And afterwards,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Joel 2:28-29 (NIVUK)
Hundreds of years after Joel prophesied these words, the apostle Peter stood up in the middle of a crowd of thousands and announced that it was happening – Joel’s words were coming true. It was the day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit was being poured out on all kinds of people, just as Joel had said (Acts 2:16).
Both the prophet Joel and the apostle Peter said that a sign of the Holy Spirit’s arrival was that girls and boys, women and men, of all ages, would have visions of God in the daytime, they would dream about God at night, and they would speak God’s message of love too.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What’s the last dream that we can remember having?
The prophet Joel tells us that the Holy Spirit will be given to all people – so this promise is for all of us, no matter how young or old we are.
Holy Spirit, we want to receive You right now, whether this is for the first time or the hundredth time. Come and fill us to overflowing.
Sometimes people become Christians after having dreams or visions of Jesus.
Lord Jesus, we pray for people around the world who don’t yet know You, in our country and in other countries too. We ASK You to show up in their dreams, and give them visions of You too.
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.
Joel 2:28-29
And afterwards,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Joel 2:28-29 (NIVUK)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Holy Spirit, we say Yes to receiving dreams and visions from You. We are ready to hear what You want to say to us, in the daytime and the nighttime too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIVUK)
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.
To find out more about Pete Greig’s book go to https://www.24-7prayer.com/how-to-hear-god/
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Ruby is 12 and she lives in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland with her family. Ruby is a gymnast who never sits still! She loves dogs (but her mum won’t get her one), she loves her friends and she’s always up for a laugh. Ruby would love to work with animals when she’s older.
