Week: Easter
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, You died for us but You came back to life again and You’re alive now. We’re ready to meet with You in new ways today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Selah
Matthew 28:20
[Jesus said] ‘Teach [people] to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.’
Matthew 28:20 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on the first encounters that people had with the resurrected Jesus. After discovering that Jesus’ tomb was empty, an angel appeared to two women and told them the incredible news that Jesus was alive!
Read by Selah
Matthew 28:8-10
The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus’ followers what had happened. Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings.’ The women came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my followers to go on to Galilee, and they will see me there.’
Matthew 28:8-10 (NCV)
The two women in today’s Bible verses – both called Mary – felt lots of different emotions over those few days. They felt sadness and despair as they watched Jesus die on a cross. Then they felt confused a couple of days later when they found the stone rolled away from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, and his body gone. And we’ve just read that they felt ‘afraid, but also very happy’ when the angel told them the incredible news that Jesus had been resurrected.
Then, suddenly, Jesus appeared right in front of them. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: How do we think the two Marys felt in that moment? How would we feel if we were there?
Let’s close our eyes and try to be still for a moment.
What emotions are we feeling? Are we feeling sad or happy? Are we feeling afraid or anxious about something? Are we feeling angry, or are we feeling peaceful? Maybe we’re feeling a mixture of different emotions, like the two Marys were.
Father God, You made us able to feel all kinds of emotions. As we talk with You about our feelings – especially the ones that aren’t very nice – we ASK You to be with us.
Who do we know that might be feeling sad or afraid or angry at the moment? Let’s whisper their names to God and ASK Him to help them.
Father God, we ASK You to be near these friends and family members. Send Your Holy Spirit to fill them. We ASK You to comfort them and give them strength.
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 28:8-10
The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus’ followers what had happened. Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings.’ The women came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my followers to go on to Galilee, and they will see me there.’
Matthew 28:8-10 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s imagine Jesus saying those words, ‘Don’t be afraid’, to us.
Lord Jesus, we say NO to being afraid, and YES to receiving Your love and trusting that You are with us, now and always.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 28:20
[Jesus said] ‘Teach [people] to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.’
Matthew 28:20 (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.
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Liliwyn lives in Kansas City, USA, with her parents, sisters and dogs. She is a good friend and enjoys designing, music, traveling, math and watching American Football (especially the KC Chiefs).
