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.
Today we’re REFLECTING on the story of a man named Saul. He was a religious leader who didn’t like those who followed Jesus. But one day, Saul met Jesus for himself, and it changed everything. Let’s read what Saul had to say about this.
Read by Ruby
Galatians 1:13,15-16
You have heard about my past life… I attacked the church of God and tried to destroy it. But God had special plans for me and set me apart for his work even before I was born. He called me through his grace and showed his son to me so that I might tell the Good News about him.
Galatians 1:13a,c,15-16b, (NCV)
Saul had done terrible things to Jesus’ followers and he wanted to destroy the Church. But God still loved Saul. God didn’t want Saul to be His enemy, He wanted Saul to be His friend. And when Saul did become God’s friend, God used him to reach out to many other people, so that they too could be reconciled with God.
God later gave Saul a new name – Paul – and Paul became a missionary, travelling all over the world to tell people the good news about Jesus. Paul’s story reminds us that reconciliation with God – being brought back together with God – can change our whole lives. It also reminds us that even the hardest heart can be changed – there is no one so far away from God that they can’t become His friend.
Paul travelled all over the world. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Where would we like to travel? Maybe it’s somewhere in our country, or maybe somewhere on the other side of the world?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Father God, thank you for saving Saul, and thank you for saving us too. Thank you that you want us to be your friends, to be reconciled with You.
Saul’s story reminds us that no heart is too hard that it can’t be changed by God, and no-one is too far away from God that they can’t become His friend.
Loving God, thank you for Your great love for every person. We ASK You to reach out to those who feel far from You, or feel hardened towards You because they feel hurt or angry. May they experience Your love for them, and may it change them forever, just like it changed Saul.
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.
Galatians 1:13,15-16
You have heard about my past life… I attacked the church of God and tried to destroy it. But God had special plans for me and set me apart for his work even before I was born. He called me through his grace and showed his son to me so that I might tell the Good News about him.
Galatians 1:13a,c,15-16b, (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Father God, we say YES to receiving Your love, once again. You reach out to us when we feel far from You, and You soften our hearts when they feel hardened. Help us to share Your incredible love with others too.
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.
