Week: Me and The World
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, You came to bring peace and healing, and because of You we can now be reconciled with God, with ourselves, with other people and with the whole world. We’re ready for You to restore our relationships a little bit more today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Jackson J
Colossians 1:20
And through Christ, God has brought all things back to himself again – things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace through the blood of Christ’s death on the cross.
Colossians 1:20 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today we’re reflecting on some verses from a letter that Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Colossae.
Read by Jackson J
Colossians 1:18-20
He was supreme in the beginning and – leading the resurrection parade – he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe – people and things, animals and atoms – get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
Colossians 1:18-20 (MSG)
These verses are part of one of the earliest Christian poems or hymns ever written. It’s known as The Christ Hymn and it tells us that Jesus is at the centre of everything, that He reconciles everything, He brings everything back together. And by everything, we mean… everything! Jesus doesn’t just reconcile people back to God – all of the things that God made are brought back together, back to the way they are meant to be, by Jesus. Another word we use to describe this is ‘salvation’. Jesus saves and heals everything.
Today’s verses tell us how big Jesus is. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What are some of the biggest things we’ve ever seen? Maybe the biggest animal, or the biggest mountain, or perhaps the biggest doughnut?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the things we see in the world that are broken or that need to be put back together. Maybe we feel a little hopeless sometimes. Today’s verses remind us that Jesus can and does hold all of these things together.
Loving Jesus, thank You that You came to heal the world. Help us to trust that You are already working in the places, people and situations that seem really big or bad in the world. Help us especially when we feel overwhelmed or unable to fix things. Thank You that it’s You that heals and fixes things.
Throughout this week we’ll be reflecting on the different places around the world that God wants to heal or put back together. Let’s take a moment now to think about what some of those things might be. Maybe we could even make a list together so we can pray for them throughout the week.
Let’s pause to quietly pray our own prayers, asking God to heal our world.
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.
Colossians 1:18-20
He was supreme in the beginning and – leading the resurrection parade – he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe – people and things, animals and atoms – get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
Colossians 1:18-20 (MSG)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Jesus, You really are ‘supreme’ – You are above everything and everyone. We say YES, You hold all things together – it’s You that makes all things right in our world.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Colossians 1:20
And through Christ, God has brought all things back to himself again – things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace through the blood of Christ’s death on the cross.
Colossians 1:20 (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.
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 he lives in Chichester, on the south coast of England, with his parents and his sister. He loves Pokemon (who doesn’t?), music and having fun with his friends.
