Week: Mark's Gospel
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, we hear Your invitation, and so we choose to follow You, with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our souls and with all our strength.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Eli
Ephesians 5:1
You are God’s children whom he loves, so try to be like him.
Ephesians 5:1 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today and tomorrow we are REFLECTING on one of the strangest and most extraordinary stories found in the Bible.
Read by Eli
Mark 9:2-4,7
Mark 9:2-4,7 (NCV)
Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain by themselves. While they watched, Jesus’ appearance was changed. His clothes became shining white, whiter than any person could make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them, talking with Jesus. Then a cloud came and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’
Let’s try to imagine this incredible moment…
First, Jesus’ clothes started glowing, dazzlingly brighter than if they’d been washed with the world’s best detergent. And Mark writes that Jesus’ appearance changed too – He was ‘transfigured’. Next, two people just appeared out of thin air and started chatting with Jesus. And then, on top of all this, a loud voice came from within the cloud. It’s hard to imagine how Peter, James and John felt at this moment, but I bet they felt scared and probably a bit confused too.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: If we could have a chat with a couple of people from the Bible, like Jesus did with Moses and Elijah, who would we choose, and why?
When God spoke from within the cloud, He didn’t say anything about what Jesus was going to do. He simply said, ‘This is my son, and I love him.’ And God says the same thing to us.
Lord God, whatever is happening in our lives right now – whether we’re feeling happy or sad, worried or scared, we’re thankful that we are Your children, and You love us.
Let’s think of a person we know who may need to feel God’s love in their lives.
Lord Jesus, we ASK that somehow, supernaturally – through a dream or a conversation or a movie or something that they read in the Bible – they would hear Your voice speaking to them… ‘Daughter, Son, You are mine and I love 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.
Mark 9:2-4,7
Mark 9:2-4,7 (NCV)
Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain by themselves. While they watched, Jesus’ appearance was changed. His clothes became shining white, whiter than any person could make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them, talking with Jesus. Then a cloud came and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, as we think about Jesus shining like a bright white light on that mountainside, let’s also remember that He calls us to be lights in the world too (Matthew 5:14). Let’s say YES to Jesus, using the words of a well-known gospel song from the 1920s as our prayer.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Ephesians 5:1
You are God’s children whom he loves, so try to be like him.
Ephesians 5:1 (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.
*attributed to Harry Dixon Loes, This Little Light of Mine, https://artandtheology.org/2020/02/04/this-little-light-of-mine-artful-devotion/
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 is 11 and lives in Melbourne, Victoria with his mum, dad and two younger sisters. He enjoys music, reading, riding his skateboard and playing soccer.
