Week: Mission
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
God of rescue and restoration, thank You for Your beautiful mission to save the whole world. Here we are, Lord. Fill us with Your Spirit, and send us so that we can join in with Your mission.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Annika
Matthew 24:14
The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we are REFLECTING on another of David’s Psalms, in which he prays for his city.
Read by Annika
Psalm 122:6-9
Pray for peace in Jerusalem:
‘May those who love her be safe.
May there be peace within her walls
and safety within her strong towers.’
To help my relatives and friends,
I say, ‘Let Jerusalem have peace.’
For the sake of the Temple of the Lord our God,
I wish good for her.
Psalm 122:6-9 (NCV)
The Hebrew word for ‘peace’ in this Psalm is ‘shalom’ (let’s say it together… ‘shalom’) and it means wholeness and health, it means everything being put right. So when David prays for peace in Jerusalem, he isn’t simply praying for things to be calm and quiet. He’s praying for people to be happy, healthy and hopeful. He’s praying that there will be no sadness and no violence, and that people will be kind and caring instead. He’s praying for everything to be put right.
God’s mission – God’s Great Plan – isn’t simply to save and change the lives of individual people, but to save and change whole cities and communities so that everything is put right. God’s mission is for shalom everywhere.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Which cities have we visited? Which is our favourite?
Jewish people sometimes greet each other simply by saying, ‘shalom’, which is a way of saying ‘peace be with you’. Where do we need God’s peace? Maybe we’ve been worrying about something, or we’re struggling with a particular friendship, or something else.
Let’s quietly tell God how we’re feeling. And now, let’s imagine Jesus gently placing his hand on our shoulder and smiling as he says, ‘shalom, peace be with you.’
Let’s pray for our city or our town, just like David did.
Lord God, we pray for peace – for shalom – in… now let’s say the name of our city or our town. We ASK You to keep the people safe, and for everything to be put right.
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 122:6-9
Pray for peace in Jerusalem:
‘May those who love her be safe.
May there be peace within her walls
and safety within her strong towers.’
To help my relatives and friends,
I say, ‘Let Jerusalem have peace.’
For the sake of the Temple of the Lord our God,
I wish good for her.
Psalm 122:6-9 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to Jesus, who the Bible calls ‘the Prince of Peace’, together.
Lord Jesus, You came to the world to bring peace – shalom – to everything and everyone. That’s the Good News! We say YES to receiving Your peace into our lives, and YES to being a peaceful presence in our homes and schools and churches too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 24:14
The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14 (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.
Annika is 10 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia with her parents and older brother and sister. Annika enjoys playing Cricket and Aussie Rules Football and loves going to watch her favourite team play football. Annika also learns the drums and enjoys making up her own beats!
