Week: God's Mission
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 God, we look forward to discovering more of Your wisdom in the Old Testament. Show us the way You want us to live, and help us to walk in it today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Liliwyn
1 Corinthians 1:24
Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
1 Corinthians 1:24 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today we’re REFLECTING on God’s never-ending promises to the Israelites. They’d messed up over and over again, they’d been chased away from their land, but God leads them back home again with Zerubbabel and Joshua.
Read by Liliwyn
Haggai 2:4-5
But the Lord says, ‘Zerubbabel, be brave. Also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be brave. And all you people who live in the land, be brave,’ says the Lord. ‘Work, because I am with you,’ says the Lord All-Powerful. ‘I made a promise to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit is still with you. So don’t be afraid.’
Haggai 2:4-5 (NCV)
A long time before these words were written, God promised to be with the Israelites and to give them a new land, a place to call home. But the Israelites found every possible way to try and break free from God – to go their own way. In spite of their behaviour, God remained faithful to them, and in today’s Bible reading God gives them yet another chance. God wanted them to return home.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What are some of the things we like best about our home?
God remains faithful to us, even when we go our own way, like the Israelites did. God never stops loving us.
Let’s try to find our heartbeat. We can do this by placing the first two fingers on our wrist or our neck. (We might need to ask someone else to help us.)
Faithful God, as we feel our own heartbeat, we remember that You are constant and faithful – you never stop loving us. Your love just goes on and on, beating just like our heart. Help us to remember this.
God’s promise to the Israelites was to be with them. God promised that he would be a place that they could call home.
Father God, we pray for people around the world who don’t have a home of their own. May they find one. And we also pray for those who do have a place to live, but it isn’t safe for them. We ASK You to rescue them and give them a new home.
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.
Haggai 2:4-5
But the Lord says, ‘Zerubbabel, be brave. Also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be brave. And all you people who live in the land, be brave,’ says the Lord. ‘Work, because I am with you,’ says the Lord All-Powerful. ‘I made a promise to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit is still with you. So don’t be afraid.’
Haggai 2:4-5 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, thank You for the wisdom that we’ve heard from Your Word today. We say YES to walking the way You want us to. And we say YES God, we remember that You are faithful.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s see if we can remember our memory verse and say it together:
1 Corinthians 1:24
Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
1 Corinthians 1:24 (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.
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.
Liliwyn is 16 and lives in Kansas City, USA, with her parents, sisters and dogs. She is a good friend and enjoys designing, music, traveling, math and watching American Football (especially the KC Chiefs).
