Week: Me and 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
Jesus, You came to bring peace and healing, and because of You we can now be reconciled with God, with ourselves, with other people and with the whole world. We’re ready for You to restore our relationships a little bit more today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Ruby
2 Corinthians 5:20
Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.
2 Corinthians 5:20b (MSG)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on a few verses from Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth. We actually used these verses a couple of weeks ago, but today we’re reading them from a different translation of the Bible.
Read by Ruby
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others. What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (CEV)
Over the last four weeks, we’ve been reflecting on the theme of reconciliation – the ways that God brings people and things back together. Paul uses the phrase, ‘making peace’ to describe the same thing. It’s hard for us to fully understand this, because it’s so awesome, but through Jesus’ life, His death and His resurrection, Jesus made peace between God and everything, bringing it all back together again.
Today’s Bible passage says something else that’s awesome too – that Jesus has given us the work of making peace. He wants to help us make peace in our own lives – to love ourselves like He does. He wants to help us make peace with others – to love others and help them to get along with each other. He wants to help us make peace in the world – to love the world by putting things right. And He wants to help us make peace with God – to love God and be His friends, and to help others become God’s friends too.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What different ways can we think of to make peace? Maybe in the world or with our friends?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Lord Jesus, the Bible describes You as the Prince of Peace. We ASK You to help us bring a bit more peace into the lives of those around us.
Let’s pray especially for those who feel like there isn’t any peace in their lives at the moment. Maybe they are experiencing trouble at home or at school or at work, or maybe the trouble they feel is in their own hearts and minds.
Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, we ASK You to be with those who feel troubled. We pray for peace in every part of their lives.
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.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others. What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19, (CEV)
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 being peacemakers in our homes and schools and everywhere else. We want to join You in reconciling all things back to God.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
2 Corinthians 5:20
Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.
2 Corinthians 5:20b (MSG)
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.
Ruby is 12 and she lives in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland with her family. Ruby is a gymnast who never sits still! She loves dogs (but her mum won’t get her one), she loves her friends and she’s always up for a laugh. Ruby would love to work with animals when she’s older.
