Week: Mark's Gospel
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
Jesus, we hear You inviting us, and so we choose to follow You, with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our souls and with all our strength.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Bella
John 14:12
[Jesus said] ‘I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these.’
John 14:12a (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
There are 613 commands from God in the Old Testament, the first half of the Bible. A religious leader once asked Jesus which was the most important commandment. Today, we’re REFLECTING on Jesus’ answer.
Read by Bella
Mark 12:29-31
Jesus said, ‘The first in importance is, “Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.” And here is the second: “Love others as well as you love yourself.” There is no other commandment that ranks with these.’
Mark 12:29-31 (MSG)
We’ve probably all heard about the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses. But there were hundreds of other commandments, or laws, that God gave the Israelites to help them live and work, covering things like what they wore and what they ate and how they treated each other. Together these commands were called ‘The Law’ and they were incredibly important to the Jews.
The people listening to Jesus and the religious leader talking were probably wondering how Jesus could possibly pick just one command from the 613 in The Law, but Jesus replied with two. ‘Love God,’ He said, ‘and love others.’ Just love.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Who do we know that’s good at loving people? Maybe we feel loved by them too. How do they do it?
Putting love into practice can be hard to do. We won’t always get this right, but it’s something we should keep working at.
Loving God, we want to follow Jesus’ command and love You first, before anything or anyone else. We don’t always get it right though – sometimes we put other things and other people first, so please help us. We ASK You to help us love You, and everything that You’ve made.
If we love God, and if we are filled with God’s love, then that love should flow out to others too. Who might God be asking us to love at the moment?
Loving Father, we ASK You to open our eyes – help us to see those who You are asking us to love, and give us the courage to reach out.
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.
Mark 12:29-31
Jesus said, ‘The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.’
Mark 12:29-31 (MSG)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Jesus, we say YES to loving You with all our passion and prayer and intelligence and energy. And we say YES to loving others too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
John 14:12
[Jesus said] ‘I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these.’
John 14:12a (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.
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.
Bella is 13 years old and lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her mum, dad and cocker spaniel Summer. She loves art, performing and Jesus!
