Week: Holy Hospitality
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 Noelle
2 Peter 1:3
Jesus has the power of God, by which he has given us everything we need to live and to serve God.
2 Peter 1:3 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on one of the oldest commandments about hospitality in the Bible – it’s over 3000 years old!
Read by Noelle
Leviticus 19:33-34
Do not mistreat foreigners living in your country, but treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners one time in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:33-34 (NCV)
This ancient command that God gave to Moses tells us really clearly that we must not discriminate – we mustn’t be unfair or unkind towards anyone because of where they’re from. We don’t get to choose who to love and be hospitable towards – God commands us to love everyone, especially those who are pushed aside and forgotten about by others in our society.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Thinking about our school, our church, or neighbourhood or our workplace, what different countries are people from? How many can we name?
And now, we ASK God to help us and others.
Loving God, sometimes people discriminate against people from other countries – they’re unkind to them or treat them unfairly. We’re sorry for the times that we’ve done this, even when we’ve done it as a joke. We ASK that You would help us to be more welcoming and loving to all the people that You have put around us.
All over the world there are many millions of foreigners living in other countries, just as Moses described in today’s passage. Maybe they have had to leave their homes because of war, persecution, or because of changes in the climate.
Loving God, there are so many displaced people in the world today – people forced to leave their homes. We ASK that they would be given a safe place to live. Use Your family around the world to welcome them, love them, and show them hospitality in whatever way they can.
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.
Leviticus 19:33-34
Do not mistreat foreigners living in your country, but treat them just as you treat your own citizens. Love foreigners as you love yourselves, because you were foreigners one time in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:33-34 (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 that You want us to, and YES to treating others fairly – to welcoming and being hospitable to all people, no matter where they’re from.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s see if we can remember our memory verse and say it together:
2 Peter 1:3
Jesus has the power of God, by which he has given us everything we need to live and to serve God.
2 Peter 1:3 (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.
Noelle is 11 and lives in Kansas City, Missouri USA, with her parents, sisters and dogs. She loves animals, playing basketball, creating art and teamwork. Noelle gives the best hugs.
