Week: The Way of the Kingdom of God
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, we open our minds to learn new things, so that we know more about You. We open our hearts to be filled with Your love, so that we become more like You. And we open our hands to receive all we need to live our lives for You.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Kumi
Matthew 6:10
May your kingdom come and what you want be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on one of the characteristics of those who live the way of the Kingdom of God.
Read by Kumi
Matthew 18: 21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, when my fellow believer sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? Should I forgive him as many as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he wrongs you seventy times seven.’
Matthew 18: 21-22 (NCV)
Peter probably thought he was being very generous when he said he could forgive someone seven times. Imagine his surprise when Jesus said that he should forgive seventy times seven!
How quickly can we figure out exactly how many times this is? Yep… seventy times seven is 490! That’s a lot of times to forgive someone, especially if they keep doing the same thing over and over again. But Jesus isn’t really giving us a maximum number – he’s simply saying that we need to keep on and on forgiving.
It’s not always easy to forgive is it? And sometimes we need the Holy Spirit’s help, but forgiving others is one of the signs that God is in charge of our lives – it’s a sign of the Kingdom of God. And let’s not forget, because of God’s great love for us, there’s no limit to the number of times that Jesus forgives us too.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When have we tried to do something 490 times? Or even just a LOT of times? Maybe we’ve done 50 push-ups, or baked 100 cookies, or climbed 500 steps.
Wow, after all that repetition let’s take a deep breath and ASK God to help us and others.
Father God, thank You for Your unlimited forgiveness. We ASK You to help us give Your grace, mercy and forgiveness to others just as You forgive us.
Forgiveness is the choice to let go of the anger and pain we feel when someone has wronged us. Forgiving someone is not saying what they did was okay, but it’s choosing to follow Jesus’ example, and show mercy.
Let’s close our eyes and take a moment to pray for those who may be finding it hard to forgive someone at the moment.
If we’re finding it difficult to forgive someone because of something that they’ve done or said to us, let’s talk with an adult that we trust about this.
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 18: 21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, when my fellow believer sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? Should I forgive him as many as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he wrongs you seventy times seven.’
Matthew 18: 21-22 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, we say YES to seeking first God’s Kingdom in our lives, and in the world – to putting God first and living the way You show us to. We say YES to receiving Your great love and Your forgiveness. And we say YES to choosing to forgive others too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 6:10
May your kingdom come and what you want be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10 (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.
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Kumkanikazi (Kumi) is 12 years old, and lives In Johannesburg, South Africa with her parents and 4 siblings.
You’ll often find her in a stylish outfit, baking up a storm or creating videos.
