Week: How to Pray...
As usual, 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
Our Father in heaven, we know that You are with us and that You want to talk with us – so we respond very simply by saying: ‘Here we are, we’re ready. Teach us how to pray.’
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Eli
Matthew 7:7
[Jesus said] Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 (NIVUK)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
The first easy-to-remember thing about prayer we reflected on was, Keep it Simple. Today, we’re REFLECTING on the second thing, which is Keep it Real. David’s Psalms are a good example, because they are full of real, honest prayers.
Read by Eli
Psalm 13:1-3
How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever?
How long will you hide from me?
How long must I worry
and feel sad in my heart all day?
How long will my enemy win over me?
Lord, look at me.
Answer me, my God
Psalm 13:1-3a (NCV)
In this Psalm, David is frustrated, lonely, anxious, sad, afraid and despairing, and he’s real and honest with God about all of these feelings. He says it like it is, and he trusts that God is okay with that and is listening.
He’s also real and honest with God when he’s feeling good. Here’s how that same Psalm ends:
I trust in your love.
My heart is happy because you saved me.
I sing to the Lord
because he has taken care of me.
(Psalm 13:5-6, NCV)
Whatever we’re feeling – lonely or loved, helpless or happy, sad or safe – we can be real and honest with God about it.
Let’s get a watch or a phone and set a timer for 30 seconds; then let’s press pause and see how many feelings we can list in that time together. We can even use the ones we’ve already mentioned to get started!
And now let’s ask God to help us and others.
Father God, thank you that we can be real and honest when we talk with You. Help us to be a bit more like David in the Psalms when we pray.
Who do we know that’s having a difficult time at the moment? Maybe they’re feeling like David in today’s Psalm; frustrated, lonely, anxious, sad, afraid, maybe even despairing?
Father God, You know how they feel, even if they can’t put it into words right now. We ASK You to be close to them, to comfort them and strengthen them.
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.
Psalm 13:1-3
How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever?
How long will you hide from me?
How long must I worry
and feel sad in my heart all day?
How long will my enemy win over me?
Lord, look at me.
Answer me, my God
Psalm 13:1-3a (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, sometimes we pray the things we think You want to hear, and we forget that You already know what’s really going on inside of us. So, we say NO to pretending and performing our prayers, and YES to being as real and honest as we can with You instead.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 7:7
[Jesus said] Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7 (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.
Content from today’s Lectio for Families is adapted from Pete Greig and Gemma Hunt’s book, ‘How to Pray: A Guide for Young Explorers’ (Hodder & Stoughton, 2022). Why not order your own copy? https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/how-to-pray-a-guide-for-young-explorers/
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.
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.
