Week: How to Pray...
As usual, 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
Today, we’re focusing on the prayer that Jesus used to teach his disciples how to pray, which we know as The Lord’s Prayer. We’re going to read it from a different version of the Bible, because sometimes this brings familiar words to life in a new way. Let’s listen for a word or phrase that the Holy Spirit might want to say to us today.
The Lord’s Prayer
Read by Zoë
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best – as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Matthew 6:9-13 (MSG)
What word or phrase stood out from this well-known prayer?
Perhaps the most amazing words in this prayer are the first two, ‘Our Father’. Jesus invites his disciples, and He invites us too, to join in His relationship with God. He doesn’t just say ‘My Father’, but ‘Our Father’. We are welcomed, warmly, into God’s family.
And so, on this day of rest and joy, as we prepare to pray, let’s reflect on what it means to belong with God, to be part of God’s family.
Pause
The apostle John wrote, ‘the Father has loved us so much! He loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are his children.’ (1 John 3:1a, NCV)
Thank You, Father God, for loving us so much, and for welcoming us into Your family. Help us to love You more this week.
The apostle John also wrote, ‘we know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.’ (1 John 3:16, NLT)
Thank You, Jesus, for showing us what real love looks like. You gave Your life so that we could receive a brand-new life. Help us to share Your love with others this week.
The apostle Paul wrote, ‘for we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.’ (Romans 5:5b, NLT)
Thank You, Holy Spirit, for filling us up with God’s love. Send us and help us to do all we can to make the world a little bit better this week.
Let’s press pause and talk about our Sabbath question which is: As our week comes to an end, what are we thankful for from this week? It might be something big or small!
As we finish our time together, let’s say this week’s memory verse one last time:
Read by Zoë
Ephesians 3:20
With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.
Ephesians 3:20 (NCV)
God, help us to remember your Word.
May this Sabbath bring rest and joy to our hearts and our homes.
May today be a little less go, go, go, and a little more slow… slow… slow…
May we care less about things, and care more for people.
As we relax in God’s love, may we take time to listen and remember that we are all God’s children.
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.
Zoë Thandeka (Thandi) is 13 and she lives in Guildford, in the UK, with her family. She loves football (her favourite football team is Liverpool FC), Top Gear and car-spotting. When she’s older, Zoë wants to be a photographer or work with animals in some way.
