Week: Hospitality - Mary and Martha
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
God of hospitality, thank You for inviting us into Your family. As we sit at Your table and taste Your words to us, may they give us all the strength we need.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Eli
1 Peter 4:9
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
1 Peter 4:9 (NIVUK)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on another time when Jesus visited Mary and Martha’s house. However, on this occasion, he went to see them because their brother, Lazarus, had just died.
Read by Eli
John 11:20-22
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.’
John 11:20-22 (NCV)
When Jesus was taken to where Lazarus had been buried, John writes that, ‘Jesus cried’. (John 11:35, NCV) It’s the shortest verse in the whole Bible, but it says a lot about Jesus.
Jesus cried because He cared. He cried because Lazarus, Mary and Martha were His friends. They’d welcomed Him into their home, and Jesus had welcomed them into His heart.
When Martha heard that Jesus was on His way, she went to meet Him. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Who do we go to when sad things happen?
And now we ASK God to help us and others…
Lord Jesus, we think of people who have been struggling with sickness or grief – maybe we know someone personally, or maybe we’re the ones who have been struggling – and we remember that You care. We ASK for Your comfort and strength, especially in times of sadness.
We also think about the people who offer hospitality in their job by caring for those who are sick and dying. Doctors and nurses, home-carers and hospice staff, and many others.
Loving Father, we ASK You to give them comfort and strength too, especially when they feel overwhelmed.
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.
John 11:20-22
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.’
John 11:20-22 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, when things are difficult, when we feel sad and hurt, it’s easier to hold everything in, to hide what we’re feeling inside, than it is to talk about it. But like Martha, we choose to go to You and to trust that You care deeply for us.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
1 Peter 4:9
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
1 Peter 4:9 (NIVUK)
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.
Eli lives in Melbourne, Victoria with his mum, dad and two younger sisters. He enjoys music, reading, riding his skateboard and playing soccer.
