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.
In the Bible, the Hebrew word used for the Spirit of God is ‘ruah’, which means ‘spirit’, ‘breath’, or ‘wind’. Today, we’re REFLECTING on this last word, thinking about the ways in which the Holy Spirit is like the wind.
Read by Bea
John 3:7-8
[Jesus said] ‘So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’ – out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.’
John 3:7-8 (MSG)
Have we ever seen the wind? That was a trick question, of course, because it’s invisible! But we have probably seen how the wind fills the sails of a boat or lifts a kite soaring into the sky. Sometimes, when the wind really gets going, we can hear it too, as it whistles through the trees and rattles the windows. And we’ve all felt the cool breeze on a hot day or had a gust of wind mess up our hair.
In the same way, we can’t see the Holy Spirit, but we can see Him working in people’s lives; we can hear Him talk to our hearts, and we can feel His presence.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: Have we ever been caught in strong wind – maybe a thunderstorm, or even a hurricane? What did it feel and sound like?
Let’s imagine that we’re in a boat with a big sail and we’re waiting for the wind to blow.
Holy Spirit, we ASK You to blow like a wind and fill our sails. We trust You to guide our lives and help us to get wherever You want to take us.
Just like how the wind can be anything from a gentle breeze to an enormous hurricane, the Holy Spirit can come gently, or with tremendous power. Let’s think of a place or situation in the world that really needs to be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, as we name this place or situation, we ASK You to blow like a powerful wind. Blow away what’s bad, and bring new life, order and beauty.
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 3:7-8
[Jesus said] ‘So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.’
John 3:7-8 (MSG)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Holy Spirit, thank You that You are like a wind in our lives and in the world. We say YES to your guidance, and we receive You in whatever way You want to come to 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.
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.
