Week: Receiving the Kingdom of 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
Lord Jesus, we open our minds to learn new things, so that we know more about You. We open our hearts to be filled with Your love, so that we become more like You. And we open our hands to receive all we need to live our lives for You.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Hubo
Psalm 103:19
The Lord has set his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over everything.
Psalm 103:19 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on a conversation that Jesus had with his disciples about the Kingdom of God, while they were sitting on a hillside, surrounded by trees.
Read by Hubo
Matthew 24:3,14
Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his followers came to be alone with him. They said, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that it is time for you to come again and for this age to end?’
[Jesus said] ‘The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.’
Matthew 13:8,23 (NCV)
Imagine reading an exciting book, but then deciding not to read the final chapter, or watching a great movie but then switching it off before the final scene. We wouldn’t do it, would we? We like to know how stories end. And sometimes we even skip to the end of a story to find out how it ends before we’ve reached that bit.
That’s kind of what Jesus’ disciples were doing in today’s verses. They wanted to know what was going to happen in the future – how was it all going to end? So Jesus told them that there were going to be some bad things; wars and fighting, hunger and earthquakes – life wasn’t going to be easy. But then he encouraged them to keep believing, to keep living God’s way. And when every nation has heard the good news of God’s Kingdom, he said, ‘then the end will come.’
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What is our favourite ending to a book we’ve read or a movie we’ve seen?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Lord Jesus, we ASK You to help us keep believing, to keep living God’s way, even when things feel difficult in our lives, or when we’re anxious about what’s going on around the world. Help us to keep trusting You and following You every day.
Sadly, there are lots of wars and fighting, hunger and other kinds of suffering going on around the world. Let’s each think of one place, one situation, and hold it in our minds and hearts as we pray together.
Lord Jesus, the Bible describes You as the Prince of Peace. We definitely need more peace in the world right now. We ASK You to comfort those who are suffering, and to change the hearts and attitudes of those who are causing suffering. Bring suffering to an end, we pray.
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.
Matthew 24:3,14
Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his followers came to be alone with him. They said, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that it is time for you to come again and for this age to end?’
[Jesus said] ‘The Good News about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.’
Matthew 13:8,23 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, we say YES to seeking first God’s Kingdom in our lives, and in the world – to putting God first and living the way You show us to. We say YES, Lord, we look forward to You bringing an end to all suffering one day.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Psalm 103:19
The Lord has set his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over everything.
Psalm 103:19 (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.
Hubolodumo (Hubo) is 10 years old, and lives In Johannesburg, South Africa with his parents and 4 siblings.
When he’s not busy trying out ninja moves, he’s practicing the latest dance moves, playing soccer, drawing or playing games with his friends.
