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 Jackson R
Romans 8:14
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Romans 8:14 (NIV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on how quickly Saul’s life changed after Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light on the road.
Read by Jackson R
Acts 9:20-21
Soon (Saul) began to preach about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘Jesus is the Son of God.’ All the people who heard him were amazed. They said, ‘This is the man who was in Jerusalem trying to destroy those who trust in this name! He came here to arrest the followers of Jesus and take them back to the leading priests.’
Acts 9:20-21 (NCV)
What’s the saying; ‘what a difference a day makes’? Very quickly, Saul went from hating and killing Christians to preaching powerfully about Jesus. His life was completely transformed! And the people who heard him preaching could hardly believe it was the same person.
When we allow God into our lives, we can expect things to change. It might not always be as dramatic as Saul’s transformation, but God’s power in us changes us from the inside out. The Bible tells us it’s like we’ve become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). And Saul’s life was changed so much that he even took on a new name… Paul! Yes, the same Paul who wrote a lot of the New Testament!
Today we learnt that Saul gets given a new name. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Ifr we were going to change our names to something else, what would we choose, and why?
And now, we ASK God to help us and others.
Lord Jesus, we want to be more like You. We ASK You to pour your Holy Spirit into the parts of our lives that need to change.
Saul was given a special gift from the Holy Spirit – the ability to preach and teach people about Jesus. Let’s think of some people we know who also have this gift.
Jesus, we thank You for the people in our churches and communities who preach and teach us about You. We ASK that You would give them wisdom and understanding and let their words be full of Your power and love.
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 9:20-21
Soon (Saul) began to preach about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘Jesus is the Son of God.’ All the people who heard him were amazed. They said, ‘This is the man who was in Jerusalem trying to destroy those who trust in this name! He came here to arrest the followers of Jesus and take them back to the leading priests.’
Acts 9:20-21 (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 your work in our lives, gradually changing us to be more like Jesus.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Romans 8:14
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Romans 8:14 (NIV)
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.
Joy lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and her dog. She works for Bridgetown Church where she leads kids as they grow, learn, and have lots of fun. Joy loves gardening, summer camp, eating ice cream, and reading her favourite books, The Chronicles of Narnia.
Jackson is 11 and lives with his younger brother and parents in Surrey. He loves pretty much all sport but his favourites are football, golf and jumping off high stuff into water! He enjoys gaming and is always ready to build something on Minecraft.
