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 Jackson J
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on how Jesus was rejected by those who knew Him best.
Read by Jackson J
Mark 6:1-2,3b (NCV)
Mark 6:1-2,3
Jesus went to his hometown, and his followers went with him. On the Sabbath day he taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him and were amazed, saying, ‘Where did this man get these teachings? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And where did he get the power to do miracles? So the people were upset with Jesus.’
Everyone was talking about Jesus – He was becoming famous! Today we might say ‘He’s gone viral’! And now He’d come back to His hometown to tell them the good news about God and God’s kingdom. However, Jesus didn’t get the warm welcome we might expect.
It’s hard to tell why the people were so quick to criticise Jesus and reject what He’d come to tell them. But, the people who’d known Him his whole life, perhaps the ones who knew Him best, weren’t able to accept Him.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Who is a famous person we’d really like to meet and why?
And now, we ASK God to help us and others.
Lord Jesus, we ASK You to show us the ways in which we, like the people in today’s story, have rejected You in our own hearts or not accepted your good news for our lives. Help us to open our hearts to You.
Let’s think of the famous people we were talking about a few moments ago.
Lord Jesus, if they don’t already know You, we pray for them now. We ASK that they would hear the good news of Your love for them, and that they would receive You.
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 6:1-2,3
Mark 6:1-2,3b (NCV)
Jesus went to his hometown, and his followers went with him. On the Sabbath day he taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him and were amazed, saying, ‘Where did this man get these teachings? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And where did he get the power to do miracles? So the people were upset with Jesus.’
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Jesus, we welcome You into our lives. We say YES to You and the good news You bring.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 (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.
Unathi lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband and 5 kids; and has a passion for seeing families thriving.
You’ll most likely find her homeschooling the tribe, reading, writing, or dreaming about the next DIY project.
She also loves good coffee, dark chocolate and hiking.
Jackson is 11 and he lives in Chichester, on the south coast of England, with his parents and his sister. He loves Pokemon (who doesn’t?), music and having fun with his friends.
