Week: Hospitality
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 hospitality, thank You for inviting us into Your family. As we sit at Your table and taste Your words to us, may they give us all the strength we need.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Jackson J
Matthew 25:35
[Jesus said] ‘I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house.’
Matthew 25:35 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
We’re continuing to REFLECT on Psalm 91, a poem that many think Moses wrote while he was leading God’s people through the desert.
Read by Jackson J
Psalm 91:5-6
You will not fear any danger by night
or an arrow during the day.
You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark
or sickness that strikes at noon.
Psalm 91:5-6 (NCV)
Sometimes being afraid can be a good thing, because it keep us safe from doing dangerous things. But at other times, fear is a bad thing because it holds us back from trying new things or going to new places. It spoils our friendships, because fear makes it hard for us to trust people. Fear keeps us awake at night, and it takes all the joy out of our daytimes too. In the end it stops us from living our lives the way that God made us to.
It’s not surprising, then, that God tells us not to be afraid. In fact, God says it about 365 times in the Bible, which is once for every single day of the year. And almost every time that God says, ‘Do not be afraid,’ He adds a promise, ‘for I am with you!’ (e.g. Joshua 1:9)
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question: If we ever feel afraid in the night, what helps us to feel better?
Let’s close our eyes for a moment. If we’re struggling with feeling afraid of, or about, something, let’s quietly offer it to God.
Father God, we hear the comfort of Your voice as You say to us, ‘I am with you, so You don’t need to be afraid.’ Thank you that You are a place of safety and protection for us.
Let’s pray especially for anyone who is afraid to go to sleep because they regularly get nightmares.
Loving God, we ASK You to be with those who suffer with nightmares or night-terrors. May they ‘go to bed and sleep in peace because You are keeping them safe’. (Psalm 4:8)
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 91:5-6
You will not fear any danger by night
or an arrow during the day.
You will not be afraid of diseases that come in the dark
or sickness that strikes at noon.
Psalm 91:5-6 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Loving God, we choose to say YES, we trust You over anything that makes us feel unsafe or afraid, whether in the day or in the night.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 25:35
[Jesus said] ‘I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house.’
Matthew 25:35 (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.
