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 Vera Lynn
John 10:27
[Jesus said] ‘My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me.’
John 10:27 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
We are reflecting on Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus, in which he says that the church is like a body, made up of lots of parts.
Read by Vera Lynn
Ephesians 4:15-16
…we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Ephesians 4:15-16 (NLT)
One of the ways that God often speaks to us is through other people – people who are part of the Church, which Paul describes as ‘the body of Christ’.
When we think that God might be speaking to us through someone else, one of the ways that we can check or test if it really is God, is by asking some simple questions, such as: Is it encouraging? Does it help us to grow in our faith? Is it loving? This is also a good way to check when we feel God has given us something to say to someone else. Will it encourage them? Will it help them grow in their faith? Will it help them to experience God’s love?
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What do we enjoy about being part of our church community?
Let’s pause for a moment and think of something encouraging that someone else has said to us. Or something that has helped us grow in our faith
Father God, thank you for speaking to us through other people. Thank you for encouraging us in this way. We ASK you to help us hold onto the things that you have said to us.
Now, let’s close our eyes and ASK God to put someone in our mind who we can encourage this week.
Loving God, what do you want to say to them? Please give us a word or a picture, or maybe a verse from the Bible that would encourage them.
Maybe we could find a piece of paper after we’ve finished and write the word, or draw the picture, and then decide how we’re going to give it to the person we were thinking about.
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.
Ephesians 4:15-16
…we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Ephesians 4:15-16 (NLT)
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 being more open to what you want to say to us and through us to other people.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
John 10:27
[Jesus said] ‘My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me.’
John 10:27 (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.
* To find out more about Pete Greig’s book go to https://www.24-7prayer.com/how-to-hear-god/
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.
Vera Lynn is 10 years old and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, USA with her parents, sister, and dog Max. Her favourite hobbies include reading, knitting, sewing, and embroidery. She is very creative. Her favourite book is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis.
