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 Annika
Romans 8:15
The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, ‘Father.’
Romans 8:15 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today, we’re REFLECTING on a time when Paul told his testimony – his story about meeting Jesus.
Read by Annika
Acts 22:6-8,10,12,14
About noon when I came near Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed all around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice said, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘Get up and go to Damascus. There you will be told about all the things I have planned for you to do.’ There a man named Ananias came to me. He was a religious man; he obeyed the law of Moses, and all the Jews who lived there respected him. He said, ‘The God of our ancestors chose you long ago to know his plan, to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from him.’
Acts 22:6-8,10,12,14 (NCV)
Paul’s testimony – his story – is powerful. Before he met Jesus and started to follow Jesus, Paul wanted to hurt Christians and destroy the church. But then he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life was changed forever. Paul’s story is powerful because it tells us that Jesus can change anyone’s life!
Good stories – good books, good movies, good theatre performances – can affect us in lots of ways. Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question which is: What’s a really good story that we remember. What was it about and what made it so memorable?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Lord Jesus, thank you for all the great stories that we’ve read and seen and heard. And thank you for the story that you are writing in our lives too – the story of our friendship with you. We ASK you to keep writing this story, and to make it one big Holy Spirit Adventure!
In Paul’s story, he said that he didn’t know who Jesus was at first. ‘Who are you Lord?’ he asked. Let’s think of someone we know who doesn’t yet know Jesus.
Lord Jesus, as we think of these friends and family members, we ASK you to speak to them. Speak to them in a way that they know it’s you – maybe through a dream or a movie, maybe through reading the Bible or going to church. May they come to know you.
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 22:6-8,10,12,14
About noon when I came near Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed all around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice said, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘Get up and go to Damascus. There you will be told about all the things I have planned for you to do.’ There a man named Ananias came to me. He was a religious man; he obeyed the law of Moses, and all the Jews who lived there respected him. He said, ‘The God of our ancestors chose you long ago to know his plan, to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from him.’
Acts 22:6-8,10,12,14 (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. Thank you for introducing us to Jesus, and for completely changing the story of our lives, just like you did with Paul. We say YES to all the exciting things that you want to write in the story of our lives to come.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Romans 8:15
The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God. With that Spirit we cry out, ‘Father.’
Romans 8:15 (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.
Chris lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two boys. He works for 24-7 Prayer Australia and Red Church and is also a professional musician. When he’s not working or drumming Chris enjoys going on long hikes in the mountains with his boys and playing table tennis.
Annika is 10 years old and lives in Melbourne, Australia with her parents and older brother and sister. Annika enjoys playing Cricket and Aussie Rules Football and loves going to watch her favourite team play football. Annika also learns the drums and enjoys making up her own beats!
