Week: Mark's Gospel
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, we hear You inviting us, and so we choose to follow You, with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our souls and with all our strength.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Jackson J
Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures for ever.
Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today we’re continuing to REFLECT on the last meal that Jesus had with His friends, shortly before He died on a cross.
Read by Jackson J
Mark 14:22-24
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.’
Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to the followers, and they all drank from the cup.
Then Jesus said, ‘This is my blood which is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many.’
Mark 14:22-24 (NCV)
Maybe we’ve had bread and wine (or juice!) in church before – or maybe we’ve seen other Christians having it. Churches usually call this ‘Holy Communion’, ‘the Eucharist’ or ‘the Lord’s Supper’, but they all mean the same thing – they represent the bread and the wine that Jesus gave to His disciples.
‘This is my body’, He said as he passed around the pieces of bread. ‘This is my blood’, He said as he passed the wine around. The disciples probably didn’t fully understand what Jesus was talking about until they saw Him hanging, dying on the cross the next day. Jesus gave himself – His body and His blood – because He loved the whole world, everyone, even us!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: If we’ve ever had bread and wine at church before, what can we remember about it? And if not, when have we been to another celebration meal? Who were we with? What was the occasion?
If we feel comfortable doing this, let’s get some bread and some juice and take a couple of minutes to share it with one another. And if not, let’s simply close our eyes and imagine Jesus sharing the bread and wine with us.
Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank you for loving the whole world – and for loving each of us – so much that You gave Your life to save us. We remember You today, Jesus, and we ASK You to fill our lives.
Jesus said that His blood was poured out ‘for many’. Jesus gave His life not just for us, but for many others! Let’s pray for many others, including those that we know, to know Jesus too.
Lord Jesus, as we think of friends and maybe family members who don’t yet know You, we ASK You to reach out to them. Show them just how much You love them.
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.
Read by Jackson J
Mark 14:22-24
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.’
Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to the followers, and they all drank from the cup.
Then Jesus said, ‘This is my blood which is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many.’
Mark 14:22-24 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, thank you once again for the incredible gift of Your life, death and resurrection. We say YES to receiving this gift into our lives, so that we can live our lives to the full, loving and serving You.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures for ever.
Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
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.
