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 Selah
Proverbs 3:5
Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today we’re REFLECTING on another story that Jesus told to help people understand more about God and God’s kingdom.
Read by Selah
Mark 4:31-32
Mark 4:31-32 (NCV)
The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.
Mustard seeds are really, really tiny. But even though they’re really tiny, they can grow into a huge plant which eventually becomes a MASSIVE tree. (If we’ve never seen mustard seeds or mustard trees before, maybe we could quickly search for some images online.)
Jesus tells lots of stories about small things that make a big difference, and He says that this is what God’s kingdom is like. It starts small – with acts of kindness and generosity, with standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves – and it starts in small places like our hearts and our homes, but these small things can make a big difference.
Let’s press pause and chat about today’s question, which is: What other small things can we think of that make a big difference? Here’s a couple to get us started… a small key can open a big door, and a small chilli can make a whole meal taste spicy!
Let’s find something small to hold as we pray. It could be a seed or a piece of Lego, or even a grain of salt or sugar.
Lord God, we ASK You to help us see the small ways that Your kingdom can grow in and through our lives. Show us one small thing that we can do over the next few days that might make a big difference.
When Jesus says that ‘wild birds can make nests in its shade’, He means that when God’s kingdom is growing in and through our lives, other people are affected too – they find safety and comfort.
Loving God, we ASK You to help our church to become a place of safety and comfort for the people where we live. We want people to feel at home, to know that they are loved and protected.
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 4:31-32
Mark 4:31-32 (NCV)
The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground. But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade.
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the stories You told about God and God’s kingdom. We say YES to trusting You with the small things and the big things in our lives.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Proverbs 3:5
Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5 (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.
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.
Selah is 14 and she lives in the middle of The USA in Kansas City, with her parents, sisters and dogs. Selah loves adventures and plays (and watches) all kinds of sports. She also enjoys science and likes inventing and building things…especially if they help others in some way.
