Week: Kindness
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, You help us grow, each and every day, into who God made us to be. We’re ready to be changed a little bit more by You today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Jackson J
Proverbs 16: 24
Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on a different letter that Paul wrote. This one was to the church in Colossae, and Paul wrote it while he was in prison in Rome.
Read by Jackson J
Colossians 3:12-13
God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:12-13 (NCV)
‘Clothe yourself’ is a fancy way to say… put on your clothes. Clothes don’t just magically appear on our bodies – we have to choose what we will wear, grab it out of our closet and put it on. Kindness requires the same amount of thought and action – kindness doesn’t just happen magically. We have to choose to put on kindness, like we do our clothes every day.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What are our favourite items of clothing right now, and why do we like them so much?
If we’ve got a bit of space, let’s all stand up and pretend to put on an item of clothing.
OK, now let’s imagine that it’s kindness that we’ve just put on. How does it feel?
Holy Spirit, we often give careful thought and time to the clothes we wear. We ASK You to help give as much thought and care to ‘wearing kindness’ this week.
Clothes come in so many different styles and colours. In the same way there are so many different ways to be kind.
Let’s take a moment to think of a creative way we could be kind to someone else in our household over the next 24 hours. Let’s start by quietly praying that God would bless 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.
Colossians 3:12-13
God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:12-13 (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 the good fruit that You are growing in our lives. And we say YES to ‘wearing’ kindness every day.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Proverbs 16: 24
Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
Proverbs 16: 24 (NLT)
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, daughter 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.
Jackson lives in Chichester, on the south coast of England, with his parents and his sister. He loves Pokemon (who doesn’t?), music and having fun with his friends.
