Week: Holy Spirit Adventures
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
Holy Spirit, like the disciples in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, we’re patiently waiting for You to fill us with Your power and with Your presence. We’re ready for You to send us on new adventures.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Eli
2 Corinthians 3:17
The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
The Roman King, Agrippa, had sent Paul to Rome. However, the boat they were travelling in had been caught in a raging storm for fourteen days. Today we’re REFLECTING on what happened just before the ship ran aground.
Read by Eli
Acts 27:33-37
Just before dawn Paul began persuading all the people to eat something. He said, ‘For the past fourteen days you have been waiting and watching and not eating. Now I beg you to eat something. You need it to stay alive. None of you will lose even one hair off your heads.’ After he said this, Paul took some bread and thanked God for it before all of them. He broke off a piece and began eating. They all felt better and started eating, too. There were two hundred seventy-six people on the ship.
Acts 27:33-37 (NCV)
Can we imagine what it must’ve been like for Paul and the ship’s crew – being caught in a raging storm for two whole weeks?
Unsurprisingly, the crew were so stressed and scared – in fact, that they’d even forgotten to eat! And so, while the wind and the waves were still crashing all around him, Paul took some bread, thanked God for it and started eating, before sharing the rest around. By doing this, Paul helped the crew to focus their attention on God, even though their situation seemed overwhelming and impossible.
In one of Paul’s letters to the church in Thessalonica, he encouraged the Christians to give thanks in all circumstances, (1 Thessalonians 5:18) in good circumstances and in bad circumstances.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question which is: What are some ways we can remind ourselves to be thankful? For example, we could write what we are grateful for onto pieces of paper and put them in a ‘Thankful Jar’ each day, or we could make a simple ‘Thank You’ poster and put it near our bed so that we see it when we wake up, and when we go to sleep. What else could we do?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Loving God, we ASK you to help us to always be thankful, even when life feels overwhelming and impossible. Help us to remember that you are always with us.
When people feel stressed and scared, they often don’t feel like eating. But we need food and drink to keep our bodies strong and healthy. Which is probably part of the reason why Paul wanted the ship’s crew to eat, even in the middle of the storm.
Loving God, we ASK you to be with those who feel stressed and scared. Please help them to make good choices about eating and drinking well, about getting the right exercise, and about talking with people they trust about what’s going on in their lives.
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.
Acts 27:33-37
Just before dawn Paul began persuading all the people to eat something. He said, ‘For the past fourteen days you have been waiting and watching and not eating. Now I beg you to eat something. You need it to stay alive. None of you will lose even one hair off your heads.’ After he said this, Paul took some bread and thanked God for it before all of them. He broke off a piece and began eating. They all felt better and started eating, too. There were two hundred seventy-six people on the ship.
Acts 27:33-37 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Holy Spirit, we say YES to going on adventures with You. We say YES to being thankful and trusting that God is with us, in all circumstances.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
2 Corinthians 3:17
The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (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 is 11 and lives in Melbourne, Victoria with his mum, dad and two younger sisters. He enjoys music, reading, riding his skateboard and playing soccer.
