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 an argument that some religious leaders had about the things that Paul had been saying.
Read by Annika
Acts 23:6-8
Some of the men in the meeting were Sadducees, and others were Pharisees. Knowing this, Paul shouted to them, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, and my father was a Pharisee. I am on trial here because I believe that people will rise from the dead.’ When Paul said this, there was an argument between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the group was divided. (The Sadducees do not believe in angels or spirits or that people will rise from the dead. But the Pharisees believe in them all.)
Acts 23:6-8 (NCV)
Paul found himself in front of two groups of religious leaders. The groups agreed about some things, but they disagreed about at least one really important question – What happens after we die? The Pharisees believed that there was life after death, but the Sadducees didn’t – they believed that death was the end. So when Paul told the groups that he believed that ‘people will rise from the dead’, they briefly forgot about Paul and started arguing with each other!
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: How does it feel when people don’t listen to us, or when we get caught up in arguments?
And now, let’s ASK God to help us and others.
Lord God, we know that there are people who don’t believe the same things that we do. We ASK you to help us be good listeners – to listen and learn from other people. And we also ASK you to give us confidence to share what we believe too.
It’s possible to disagree with people – even to argue with people sometimes – but still love them. And that’s what Jesus wants us to do – to always love people. Let’s think of someone that we’ve been disagreeing or arguing with recently and quietly ASK Jesus to help us love them too.
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 23:6-8
Some of the men in the meeting were Sadducees, and others were Pharisees. Knowing this, Paul shouted to them, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, and my father was a Pharisee. I am on trial here because I believe that people will rise from the dead.’ When Paul said this, there was an argument between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the group was divided. (The Sadducees do not believe in angels or spirits or that people will rise from the dead. But the Pharisees believe in them all.)
Acts 23:6-8 (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. And thank you Jesus for inviting us on the Greatest Adventure of all – a life that doesn’t end when we die, but carries on forever!
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!
