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 how a woman provided a hospitable welcome to the prophet Elisha.
Read by Noelle
2 Kings 4:8-10
One day Elisha went to Shunem, where an important woman lived. She begged Elisha to stay and eat. So every time Elisha passed by, he stopped there to eat. The woman said to her husband, ‘I know that this is a holy man of God who passes by our house all the time. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put a bed in the room for him. We can put a table, a chair, and a lampstand there. Then when he comes by, he can stay there.’
2 Kings 4:8-10 (NCV)
Without expecting anything in return, the woman from Shunem decided to go above and beyond in being hospitable and welcoming towards Elisha. She wanted to do more for Elisha than simply offering him a meal. We can almost hear the excitement in her voice when she tells her husband about her next hospitality plan!
Elisah’s new bedroom might seem fairly basic to us, but back then it would have been quite luxurious to have so much furniture. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Where’s the best place we’ve ever stayed/slept over in – what did we like most about it?
The woman from Shunem went above and beyond in her hospitality towards Elisha.
Holy Spirit, we ASK that You would help us to not just give what is expected, but to surprise others with generous hospitality that we show them.
Elisha often stayed at the Shunamite woman’s house. Some people don’t get to see their families and their homes very much because their jobs mean that they have to travel a lot.
Holy Spirit, we pray especially for people like this. We ASK that they would find places of hospitality where they are warmly welcomed by others and You. Be with them and comfort them when they’re finding this difficult. And be with their families too.
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.
2 Kings 4:8-10
One day Elisha went to Shunem, where an important woman lived. She begged Elisha to stay and eat. So every time Elisha passed by, he stopped there to eat. The woman said to her husband, ‘I know that this is a holy man of God who passes by our house all the time. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put a bed in the room for him. We can put a table, a chair, and a lampstand there. Then when he comes by, he can stay there.’
2 Kings 4:8-10 (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 this week. We say YES to walking the way that You want us to – loving those who are from other countries, being generous with what we’ve got, and welcoming others into our hearts and our homes. We say an outrageous YES to all that You are inviting us to do.
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.
