Week: Who is the Holy Spirit?
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, thank you for the many ways you make yourself known. Our minds are open to learning more about You, and our hearts are open to knowing You better. We’re ready for You to speak to us.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Bea
Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, ‘Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’
Acts 2:38 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
All living things, from tiny insects to a big hippopotamus, need water to live. Today, we are REFLECTING on why the Holy Spirit is compared to water.
Read by Bea
John 7:37-39
On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, as the Scripture says.’ Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit.
John 7:37-39a (NCV)
Believe it or not, human beings can survive for around 45 days without food, but only three days without water – that’s how important water is! And just as water gives life to our physical bodies, the Holy Spirit gives life to our hearts, our minds, our souls and our spirits.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When can we remember being so thirsty that we were desperate for a drink of water?
In today’s Bible passage, Jesus says, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.’ If we’ve got a cup of water handy, let’s take a big gulp now. And if we haven’t got one, let’s imagine taking a drink.
Holy Spirit, as we drink this water, we ASK You to fill us and refresh us.
Most of us can just turn on a tap and get all the water we need. However, by 2025, half of the world’s population might not be able to get the water that they need.*
Holy Spirit, You care for our bodies just as much as You care for our hearts. We ASK You to help those who are working on creative solutions to the lack of available drinking water in the world.
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.
John 7:37-39
On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, as the Scripture says.’ Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit.
John 7:37-39a (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Holy Spirit, we thank You that You are like water in our lives, and in the world. We say YES to receiving Your living water, and YES to it overflowing into the world around us.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, ‘Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’
Acts 2:38 (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.
*Taken from https://www.unicef.org/wash/water-scarcity, accessed Thursday 2nd May 2024
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.
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.
