Week: Patience
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
Holy Spirit, You help us grow, each and every day, into who God made us to be. We’re ready to be changed a little bit more by You today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Zoë
Psalm 62:5
I find rest in God;
only he gives me hope.
Psalm 62:5 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
On the night that Jesus was born an angel appeared to a group of shepherds and told them that he would be the Messiah, the saviour of the world. Today, we’re REFLECTING on what happened when the shepherds went to find the baby.
Read by Zoë
Luke 2:17-19
[The shepherds] told [Mary] what the angels had said about this child. Everyone was amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them.
Luke 2:17b-19 (NCV)
Have we got something that we really treasure? Maybe something that a friend or relative gave to us? Or maybe something that we’ve collected or traded? Maybe it’s on a shelf or in a drawer and we get it out every now and again, just to look at it.
Mary treasured the promise that the angels gave her through the shepherds – that her son would be the saviour of the world (Luke 2:11). Today’s Bible verses say that Mary ‘continued to think about them’ – it’s like she got the promise out every now and again, just to look at it and think about it and thank God for it. And she continued to do this for many years (Luke 2:51), waiting patiently for God’s promise to be fulfilled.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What do we have that we treasure?
When the shepherds told Mary what the angels had said, maybe she felt a bit overwhelmed and confused – what did it mean, and how was it going to happen? Maybe there’s something that we feel a bit overwhelmed or confused about at the moment – where we don’t understand what’s going on? Let’s talk with God about this.
Father God, as we bring the things that we’re feeling to You, we ASK You to help us be a bit more like Mary. Help us to trust You and to wait patiently for You.
There are probably people who have treasured us in their hearts – maybe older relatives or family friends or children’s workers in our church who have prayed for us and cared for us for many years. Let’s pray for them now.
Father God, thank You for the people we’re thinking of right now, for the ways that they have treasured us – they’ve prayed for us and encouraged us and helped us to become who we are today. We ASK You to be with them and bless them.
Maybe we could think of a way to say thank you to some of these people this week?
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.
Luke 2:17-19
[The shepherds] told [Mary] what the angels had said about this child. Everyone was amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them.
Luke 2:17b-19 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Father God, we say YES, we know that we can trust You because we are Your treasure – You love us and care for us and think about us all the time.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Psalm 62:5
I find rest in God;
only he gives me hope.
Psalm 62:5 (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.
Zoë Thandeka (Thandi) 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.
