Week: Jesus' Questions
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
Let’s listen for a word or a phrase that the Holy Spirit may want to say to us from today’s Bible reading.
Read by Bea
Matthew 11:28-30
[Jesus said] ‘Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.’
Matthew 11:28-30 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible reading?
Jesus doesn’t say ‘come to me when you’re good enough’, or ‘come to me when you’re old enough’, or ‘come to me when you understand enough’. He simply says, ‘come to me’.
Thank You, Jesus, You love us just as we are, and You invite us to come to You just as we are.
Jesus says, ‘I will give you rest.’
What ‘heavy loads’ have we been carrying this week? Maybe someone we know is unwell? Maybe we’re struggling with a difficult friendship? Maybe we’re worried about something? We might feel like no-one else knows what we’ve been carrying inside, but Jesus knows, and He says, ‘all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, I will give you rest.’
Thank You, Jesus, that we can bring all our worries to You because You care for us. (1 Peter 5:7 NCV) Thank You that when we come to You, You give us rest.
Jesus encourages us to accept His work and learn from Him… the work that He asks us to accept is easy.
Thank You, Jesus, that the way that You ask us to live, and the things You ask us to do, are not meant to be heavy loads. We ask for and thank You, too, for giving us extra strength and courage through the Holy Spirit.
Let’s pause and listen for a moment. What might Jesus be asking us to do or say for Him this week?
Let’s press pause and talk about our Sabbath question which is: As our week comes to an end, what was good about it – what are we thankful for? It could be something big or small.
As we finish our time together, let’s say this week’s memory verse one last time:
Read by Bea
Colossians 3:17
Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.
Colossians 3:17 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
May this Sabbath bring rest and joy to our hearts and our homes.
May today be a little less go, go, go, and a little more slow… slow… slow…
May we care less about things, and care more for people.
As we relax in God’s love, may we take time to listen and remember that we are all God’s children.
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.
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.
