Week: Jesus Resurrected
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, as we spend these few minutes together, we open our eyes to see what You’re doing, our ears to hear what You’re saying, and our hearts to receive what You want to give to us today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Sasha
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will have life even if they die.’
John 11:25 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re reflecting on the final occasion that the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples before returning to be with His Father in heaven.
Read by Sasha
Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven followers went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. On the mountain they saw Jesus and worshiped him, but some of them did not believe it was really Jesus. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All power in heaven and on earth is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.’
Matthew 28:16-20 (NCV)
In the Bible, mountains are often places where God speaks to people. Moses first heard God speaking to him from within a burning bush while he was on a mountainside (Exodus 3). It was on a mountainside that God gave the prophet Elijah new instructions after he’d run away in fear from Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19). And it was on another mountainside that Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations and refused to bow down to him (Matthew 4). So here in Jesus’ last moments with His disciples, He appears to them to give them a very special mission to continue when He is gone.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When have we visited or maybe even climbed a mountain? What do we remember about that experience?
Jesus told His disciples to ‘go and make followers of all people’ – to go and tell people about Him so that they start to follow Jesus too. And He says the same thing to us.
Lord Jesus, we know that You are with us at school, at work, when we’re out with our friends, all the time. We ASK You to give us the opportunities and the courage to tell our friends about You.
Jesus sometimes calls people to go to other countries and tell the people there about him.
Lord Jesus, comfort them when they feel far from home. Give them the strength and everything else that they need to keep going. And give them lots of opportunities to tell people about You.
If we know someone who Jesus has called to another country, let’s send them an encouraging message this week.
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.
Matthew 28:16-20
The eleven followers went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. On the mountain they saw Jesus and worshiped him, but some of them did not believe it was really Jesus. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All power in heaven and on earth is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.’
Matthew 28:16-20 (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! You haven’t just saved us, but You’ve called us to follow You and to tell others about You so that they can follow You too. We say YES to Your calling – here we are Lord, send us.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will have life even if they die.’
John 11:25 (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.
Sasha is 8 and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, USA with her dad, mom, sister, and dog Max. She loves dogs (especially puppies) and anything to do with baby dolls. She is very funny, kind, smart, and she loves traveling!
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.
