Week: Easter
As usual, 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
Lord Jesus, you died for us but you came back to life again and you’re alive now. We’re ready to meet with you in new ways today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Bea
Matthew 28:6
The angel said to the women, ‘He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on a few verses from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, where he lists the many occasions when Jesus appeared to people after he had died and risen again…
Read by Bea
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
I passed on to you what… was most important: that Christ died for our sins… that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day… and that he was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that, Jesus was seen by more than five hundred of the believers at the same time. Most of them are still living today, but some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all he was seen by me.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8a (NCV)
It must’ve been difficult for people to believe that Jesus had come back to life again after dying on the cross, but Paul clearly wanted his listeners to know that’s what really happened. It’s like he’s saying, ‘Look, I’m not making this up! Jesus appeared to loads of us! He even appeared to me!’
Jesus’ resurrection isn’t fake news, it’s 100% true. The Bible calls it ‘the Good News’ – in fact, it’s the best news ever!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What’s the best news we’ve heard over the last couple of weeks?
Let’s close our eyes and let the extraordinary, incredible, wonderful Good News sink in that Jesus was dead, but now He’s alive again, forevermore.
Lord Jesus, we find it difficult to believe sometimes, so we ASK You to help us.
We’ve probably all heard the phrase, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it!’ Some people find it difficult to believe in Jesus because they can’t see Jesus. Maybe we know someone who feels like this?
Lord Jesus, You appeared to the people that Paul listed in his letter, and You have appeared to millions of people since then, in dreams and visions and in other ways too. We pray for those we know – may they see You in a way that helps them to believe in You.
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.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
I passed on to you what… was most important: that Christ died for our sins… that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day… and that he was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that, Jesus was seen by more than five hundred of the believers at the same time. Most of them are still living today, but some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all he was seen by me.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8a (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, You were resurrected – brought back to life – by God, and now You are alive! Even though it’s hard for us to understand, we say a big YES to the new, forever life that You give to us too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 28:6
The angel said to the women, ‘He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’
Matthew 28:6 (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.
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Bea is 14 and she lives in Hampshire, in the UK, with her family. Her favourite football team is Manchester United, even though she lives a loooong way from Manchester. Bea likes horse riding and running, and when she’s older, she wants to become a vet, or a professional horse-rider.
