Week: Mark's Gospel
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
Jesus, we hear Your invitation, and so we choose to follow You, with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our souls and with all our strength.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Eli
Ephesians 5:1
You are God’s children whom he loves, so try to be like him.
Ephesians 5:1 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today we’re REFLECTING on the story of a dad who was desperate to see his son freed from an evil spirit. The disciples prayed for him first, but their prayers didn’t work, so the boy was brought to Jesus.
Read by Eli
Mark 9:21-24 (Abridged ESV)
Mark 9:21-24
Jesus asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And [the man] said, ‘From childhood. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘If you can? All things are possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’
Jesus’ disciples had done this kind of thing before. They’d prayed for people who were sick loads of times, but on this occasion, for some reason their prayers weren’t working. However, when the boy was brought to Jesus, Jesus simply encouraged the boy’s father to believe. ‘I believe,’ the man replied, but then he added, ‘help my unbelief!’
Perhaps we feel a bit like this? We do believe in Jesus, and we believe that Jesus can do things in and through our lives. But sometimes we also feel like we don’t believe, like we don’t have faith that things will change when we pray.
The boy’s father asked Jesus for more faith. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: If we could have more of something right now, what would it be?
What are we struggling to have faith for at the moment? Maybe there’s something that we’ve been hoping for and praying about for a long time.
Loving Jesus, we bring this situation to You and we pray like the boy’s father in today’s story; ‘We do believe; help our unbelief!’
Let’s also pray now for a parent or a carer we know who, like the dad in this story, is caring for a child. Maybe it’s a child with long-term health problems or significant additional needs.
Lord Jesus, we ASK You to give them strength, hope and fresh faith today. Be with them, we pray.
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.
Mark 9:21-24
Mark 9:21-24 (Abridged ESV)
Jesus asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And [the man] said, ‘From childhood. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘If you can? All things are possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, we say YES to putting our belief, our faith, in You, however small it feels.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Ephesians 5:1
You are God’s children whom he loves, so try to be like him.
Ephesians 5:1 (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.
Unathi lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband and 5 kids; and has a passion for seeing families thriving.
You’ll most likely find her homeschooling the tribe, reading, writing, or dreaming about the next DIY project.
She also loves good coffee, dark chocolate and hiking.
Eli is 11 and lives in Melbourne, Victoria with his mum, dad and two younger sisters. He enjoys music, reading, riding his skateboard and playing soccer.
