Week: Easter
As usual, 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 Bea
Matthew 28:6
The angel said to the women, ‘He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Jesus died on a cross and was buried in a small stone tomb. Today, we’re REFLECTING on what happened two days later.
Read by Bea
Matthew 28:1-6
Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to look at the tomb.
At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, ‘Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would.’
Matthew 28:1b-6a (NCV)
The women prepared spices to put on Jesus’ body in the tomb, and they prepared their hearts to quietly grieve and mourn. However, the two Marys were completely unprepared for what they found when they arrived… the ground was shaking, the guards were terrified, and an angel that looked like lightning told them that something impossible had happened! God had brought Jesus back to life – Jesus had been resurrected!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What would we be thinking and feeling if we’d been there with the two Marys?
Does anything feel impossible, or even just really, really, difficult in our lives at the moment?
Lord Jesus, we ASK You to help us remember that You are with us – the one who was dead but is now (and forever) alive. Nothing is impossible for You.
When the two Marys reached the tomb, they felt lost and confused. They didn’t know where Jesus was.
Lord Jesus, we think of those we know who feel a bit lost and confused in their lives. They may not realise that it’s You they’re searching for, but we pray that they find You.
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 28:1-6
Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to look at the tomb.
At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, ‘Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would.’
Matthew 28:1b-6a (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, You were resurrected – brought back to life – by God, and now You are alive! It’s impossible… but it’s TRUE! We say YES to trusting that You can do impossible things in our lives as we follow You too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Matthew 28:6
The angel said to the women, ‘He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’
Matthew 28:6 (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.
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Bea is 14 and she lives in Hampshire, in the UK, with her family. Her favourite football team is Manchester United, even though she lives a loooong way from Manchester. Bea likes horse riding and running, and when she’s older, she wants to become a vet, or a professional horse-rider.
