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.
This week, we’ll be REFLECTING on what it means to be reconciled with God, how we can be friends with God because of the love of Jesus.
Read by Ruby
Colossians 1:21-22
You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence.
Colossians 1:21-22 (MSG)
‘Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy’ – that’s a great way to describe reconciliation.
Jesus came to rescue us from the selfish, greedy, unkind things that we think, say and do, and He came to put our lives back together. Even though we tried – and we still try – to do things our own way rather than God’s way, Jesus’ love for us didn’t change, and it never will! He continues to love us and forgive us and bring us back to God – so that we can be friends with God forever. That’s the incredible Good News!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When was the last time we needed to say sorry for something?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Jesus, thank you that Your love for us never changes. Thank you that You lived and then gave Your life so that we could be brought back to God, so that we could be friends with God.
Let’s think of someone we know who doesn’t yet know God as their friend. Let’s pray for them now.
Lord Jesus, as we think of these friends, we ASK You to reach out to them. May they realise that You love them, and may they be brought back to God.
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.
Colossians 1:21-22
You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence.
Colossians 1:21-22, (MSG)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, thank you that You have shown us the way to become friends with God – to knowing God as ‘Our Father in Heaven’. (Matthew 6:9) We say YES to following You.
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.
