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 Bella
John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
John 3:8 (NIVUK)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on Paul’s visit to Athens (in Greece) where he talked with the people about Jesus.
Read by Bella
Acts 17:22-25
Then Paul stood before the meeting of the Areopagus and said, ‘People of Athens, I can see you are very religious in all things. As I was going through your city, I saw the objects you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: ‘to a God who is not known’. You worship a god that you don’t know, and this is the God I am telling you about! The God who made the whole world and everything in it is the Lord of the land and the sky. He does not live in temples built by human hands. This God is the One who gives life, breath, and everything else to people. He does not need any help from them; he has everything he needs.’
Acts 17:22-25 (NCV)
When Paul spotted the altar with the inscription, ‘to a God who is not known’, he realised that the people believed in God – they knew about God – but they didn’t know God personally. So Paul explained how they could get to know God through Jesus.
Lots of people feel like this – they believe that there is a God out there somewhere, and maybe they know some things about God, but they don’t know God personally. Maybe we know some people like this?
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What things do we know about God? How would we describe who God is? Let’s take it in turns and say at least one thing each.
And now let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Loving God, we want to get to know you more. We ASK You to teach us more about you, through the Bible, through other people and even through the world that You have created.
When we talked earlier about people who believe in God but don’t know God personally, who came into our minds? Maybe it was one of our friends or family members, or someone where we work or go to school. Let’s whisper their names and pray our own prayers for them now.
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 17:22-25
Then Paul stood before the meeting of the Areopagus and said, ‘People of Athens, I can see you are very religious in all things. As I was going through your city, I saw the objects you worship. I found an altar that had these words written on it: ‘to a God who is not known’. You worship a god that you don’t know, and this is the God I am telling you about! The God who made the whole world and everything in it is the Lord of the land and the sky. He does not live in temples built by human hands. This God is the One who gives life, breath, and everything else to people. He does not need any help from them; he has everything he needs.’
Acts 17:22-25 (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, we want to know you more, and YES we want other people to know you more too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
John 3:8 (NIVUK)
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.
Bella is 13 years old and lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her mum, dad and cocker spaniel Summer. She loves art, performing and Jesus!
