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 a story from the Old Testament. King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire had a dream, but he didn’t understand it.
Read by Ruby
Daniel 2:26-28
The king asked Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar, ‘Are you able to tell me what I dreamed and what it means?’ Daniel answered, ‘No wise man, magician, or fortune-teller can explain to the king the secret he has asked about. But there is a God in heaven who explains secret things, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at a later time.’
Daniel 2:26-28 (NCV)
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and he really wanted to understand it, but he didn’t know where to start. Daniel was a friend of God and he knew that understanding a dream from God wasn’t a skill that someone could learn, but a gift to be received. Daniel knew that if he asked, God would help him understand the mysteries of this dream.
Sometimes, our dreams can be really exciting. Sometimes they are interesting. And sometimes they are just strange.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When have we had a dream that seemed to mean something? What was it about?
Daniel says that God ‘reveals mysteries’. Sometimes we need God to help us understand things that are complicated or confusing.
Loving God, as we take a moment to be quiet, we ASK You to talk to us about something that we are finding tricky or difficult to understand at the moment.
Let’s think of the kings and queens, the presidents and the leaders of nations that we know about – people with power, like King Nebuchadnezzar.
Awesome God, we ASK You to speak to each of these leaders. Give them dreams about You and Your ways. Put people who love You around them to give them wise advice when they have hard decisions to make.
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.
Daniel 2:26-28
The king asked Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar, ‘Are you able to tell me what I dreamed and what it means?’ Daniel answered, ‘No wise man, magician, or fortune-teller can explain to the king the secret he has asked about. But there is a God in heaven who explains secret things, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen at a later time.’
Daniel 2:26-28 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, we say YES to the visions you want to give us during the daytime and the dreams You want to give us during the night, and YES to coming to You first when we may not understand what they mean.
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.
