Week: Holy Spirit Adventures - the Book of Acts
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 Max
John 14:16-17
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.
John 14:16-17 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Jesus’ followers had just had their final encounter with Jesus and they had seen Him ascend into Heaven! He had given them the instruction to wait for the Holy Spirit.
Read by Max
Acts 1:12-14
Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. (This mountain is about half a mile from Jerusalem.) When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (known as the Zealot), and Judas son of James were there. They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers.
Acts 1:12-14 (NCV)
Seeing Jesus get taken up into Heaven and hearing Him promise to send the Holy Spirit must have been quite an experience. Instead of rushing back to the city to tell everyone what they had seen and heard, the disciples did what Jesus had told them to do. They found an upstairs room and started to pray. They trusted Jesus’ promise and knew that the best thing to do was to wait and pray together.
In today’s reading, Luke lists the disciples’ names along with the others who went to pray with them. Let’s press pause and say the names of some of the people that we like spending time with.
Let’s each choose one of the people that we’ve just named and pray our own simple prayer for God to be with them today.
The disciples gathered together, not just to pray but to support and care for one another. Some people, even in our own communities, often feel alone, unsupported and uncared for.
Heavenly Father, we ASK that You would be close to those who feel alone or unloved right now. Comfort them.
If someone specific came into our mind as we prayed just then, maybe there’s a way that we could reach out to them this week? Maybe God will give us an opportunity to pray with them?
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 1:12-14
Then they went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. (This mountain is about half a mile from Jerusalem.) When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon (known as the Zealot), and Judas son of James were there. They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers.
Acts 1:12-14, (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 to loving and praying for others this week.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
John 14:16-17
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.
John 14:16-17 (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.
Joy lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and her dog. She works for Bridgetown Church where she leads kids as they grow, learn, and have lots of fun. Joy loves gardening, summer camp, eating ice cream, and reading her favourite books, The Chronicles of Narnia.
Max is 9 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia with his older brother and mum and dad. He often rides his bike to school and enjoys being creative by drawing or building with Lego. Max is also learning how to play the electric guitar and loves turning it up loud!
