Week: Love (Lent)
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.
As usual, 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
Holy Spirit, it’s You who helps us grow, each and every day, into who God made us to be. We’re ready to be changed a little bit more by You today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Eli
Psalm 89:2
I will say, ‘Your love continues forever; your loyalty goes on and on like the sky.’
Psalm 89:2 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
The word ‘Shrove’ in Shrove Tuesday means confession. Today we’re REFLECTING on what the Bible has to say about confession.
Read by Eli
James 5:15-16
And the prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will heal that person. And if the person has sinned, the sins will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen.
James 5:15-16 (NCV)
Confession sounds like a bit of a scary or heavy word, but it’s actually really simple. It means owning up when we’ve done something wrong, or telling the truth about what’s going on inside us. And in today’s Bible passage, we see that confessing to each other comes with a beautiful promise – God heals us when we do it. As we own up to the things we’ve done wrong and tell the truth about what’s going on inside us, God works with us to make things right again.
In some parts of the world Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day! Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What are the yummiest things we can imagine putting on a pancake?
Let’s be quiet for a moment. Is there anything we need to own up to, or tell the truth to God about in our hearts?
Loving God, as we make our confessions to You, we receive Your healing.
As it says in today’s Bible reading, it’s important to confess to one another, so let’s make sure we tell someone else what we’ve just been talking with God about.
There’s a famous verse in the Old Testament – the first half of the Bible – that talks about confession and healing too. It’s God talking, and it goes like this, ‘If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.’ (2 Chronicles 7:14, NCV)
As we quietly think about these words, let’s ASK God to heal the places in our world where there is suffering and brokenness.
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.
James 5:15-16
And the prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will heal that person. And if the person has sinned, the sins will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen.
James 5:15-16 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
On this Shrove Tuesday, we say YES to enjoying Your goodness, whether that’s through experiencing Your healing… or eating amazing pancakes!
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Psalm 89:2
I will say, ‘Your love continues forever; your loyalty goes on and on like the sky.’
Psalm 89:2 (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.
Eli lives in Melbourne, Victoria with his mum, dad and two younger sisters. He enjoys music, reading, riding his skateboard and playing soccer.
