Week: Creativity
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
Creator God, who formed us from dust, breathe in us again. We’re ready for the new things that You want to show us and say to us and even create through us today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Kate
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIVUK)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
In today’s Psalm, we’re REFLECTING on the awesome responsibility that God has given to us, to look after everything that He has created.
Read by Kate
Psalm 8:3-8
I look at your heavens,
which you made with your fingers.
I see the moon and stars,
which you created.
But why are people even important to you?
Why do you take care of human beings?
You made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You put them in charge of everything you made.
You put all things under their control:
all the sheep, the cattle,
and the wild animals,
the birds in the sky,
the fish in the sea,
and everything that lives under water.
Psalm 8:3-8 (NCV)
In 1977, the American space agency, NASA, launched a small satellite called Voyager 1 into space. 35 years later, the satellite passed beyond the planet Neptune and eventually left our solar system. However, it will take another 40,000 years for it to reach the nearest star, and it will take billions of years for it to reach the furthest star in the Universe.
That’s why the writer of today’s Psalm wonders aloud, ‘God you created all of this, so why do you care about people? We’re not that important!’ But God not only cares about people – about you and me – but He’s put us in charge, and He trusts us to look after everything too.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: If we discovered a planet or a star that no-one else had before, what would we call it?
The writer of today’s Psalm asks, ‘Why are people even important to you? Why do you take care of human beings?’ Let’s imagine the huge smile on Father God’s face as He answers these questions, ‘Because I LOVE you!’
Let’s close our eyes and imagine Father God smiling and saying these same words to each of us right now… ‘ I created all of this because I love you!’
It’s clear from this Psalm and from other places in the Bible that God really means it when He says that He has given us responsibility to care for all that He has created.
Creator God, we ASK You to help those who are working hard to look after the Earth and everything in it… the natural environment and all the creatures too. We ASK You to help us play our part too. Show us what we can do.
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.
Psalm 8:3-8
I look at your heavens,
which you made with your fingers.
I see the moon and stars,
which you created.
But why are people even important to you?
Why do you take care of human beings?
You made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You put them in charge of everything you made.
You put all things under their control:
all the sheep, the cattle,
and the wild animals,
the birds in the sky,
the fish in the sea,
and everything that lives under water.
Psalm 8:3-8 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, as we think about the awesome, wonderful Universe that You made with Your fingers, all we can say is… thank you! And maybe ‘Wow!’ too. We say a big YES to playing our part in caring for all that You have created.
Pause
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIVUK)
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.
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Kate is 11 and lives in Melbourne Australia, with her parents, younger sister, and puppy Leo. Kate loves visual arts, reading, playing basketball and spending time with her family.
