Week: Holy Spirit Adventures - the Book of Acts
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, like the disciples in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, we’re patiently waiting for You to fill us with Your power and with Your presence. We’re ready for You to send us on new adventures.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Elanor
1 Corinthians 3:16
Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you!
1 Corinthians 3:16 (GNT)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re meeting a new character called Saul. Later in the book of Acts, God changes Saul’s name to Paul, and God changes his life too; but today we’re REFLECTING on where Saul’s story begins.
Read by Elanor
Acts 8:3-4
Saul was also trying to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail. And wherever they were scattered, they told people the Good News.
Acts 8:3-4 (NCV)
Yesterday, we read that while the religious leaders were stoning Stephen to death, they ‘left their coats with a young man named Saul’ (Acts 7:58). Today, we read that Saul was not simply a coat-carrier, but that he was one of many religious leaders who were trying to hurt Christians and destroy the church, bit by bit.
However, even though Saul and the other religious leaders were trying really hard to destroy the church, the followers of Jesus continued to preach the Good News about Jesus and this news continued to spread far and wide.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When have we been given news that was so exciting that we just had to tell someone? Maybe we won a competition, or we did well in a test, or something else?
Over the next few weeks we’re going to discover that even though Saul had plans to destroy the church, God had other, bigger plans for Saul!
Loving Father, thank You that even when we make mistakes You love us just the same. We ASK You to help us look at ourselves and each other the way that You do, and trust that You have good plans for us.
Let’s pause and pray for the different church communities in the areas where we live. Let’s see how many we can name as we pray.
Lord Jesus, we ASK You to fill us with Your Spirit. Give us all courage to preach the Good news and to reach out to others.
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.
Acts 8:3-4
Saul was also trying to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail. And wherever they were scattered, they told people the Good News.
Acts 8:3-4 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Holy Spirit, we say YES to going on adventures with You. We say YES to telling others the Good news about Jesus. Build your church in our community, Jesus.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
1 Corinthians 3:16
Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you!
1 Corinthians 3:16 (GNT)
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.
Elanor is 12 years old and lives in East London with her parents and younger brother. She enjoys going on adventures with her friends, reading lots of books, horse riding, acting, singing, dancing and finding different ways to pray to God.
