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.
We’re REFLECTING today on something that God said through the prophet Isaiah to remind people how to be hospitable to others.
Read by Noelle
Isaiah 58:7
Share your food with the hungry
and bring poor, homeless people into your own homes.
When you see someone who has no clothes, give him yours,
and don’t refuse to help your own relatives.
Isaiah 58:7 (NCV)
Being hospitable to those in need doesn’t have to be complicated. Isaiah tells us some simple things that we can do, like sharing the food that we have with others and giving clothes to those who need them. Isaiah wrote these words over 2700 years ago, and they are still relevant today.
Let’s pause and talk about today’s question – in fact, let’s decide what we’re going to do about Isaiah’s words: What have we got that we could give away to others? If there’s a foodbank in our community or a charity that takes clothing donations, what could we give? Or if there are homeless people in our area, what could we do to help?
And now, we ASK God to help us and others.
Loving God, You provide for all that we need. We ASK You to help us share with those around us. Help us to be generous with everything that we have been given.
In today’s verse, Isaiah mentions those who are homeless. Around the world, changes in the weather have left those who are homeless at even greater risk.
Father God, we ASK that You would help the many charities working in communities around the world to provide shelter and warm clothes for those who are in need. We invite You to prompt us into action 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.
Isaiah 58:7
Share your food with the hungry
and bring poor, homeless people into your own homes.
When you see someone who has no clothes, give him yours,
and don’t refuse to help your own relatives.
Isaiah 58:7 (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 we say a massive YES to sharing what we have with those who need it, especially those who need it more than us!
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.
