Week: Jesus' Questions
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
Lord Jesus, the questions that You ask teach us more about who You are, who we are, and the life that You’ve called us to live. We’re listening, and we’re ready for You to ask us some new questions today.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Bea
Colossians 3:17
Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.
Colossians 3:17 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Jesus was surrounded by a large, excited crowd – people were pushing all around Him, and a woman who had been ill for many years was desperate to reach Him. Today, we’re REFLECTING on a question that Jesus asked that seemed a bit ridiculous.
Read by Bea
Mark 5:27-31
The woman… came up behind [Jesus] in the crowd and touched his coat. She thought, ‘If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Instantly her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her disease.
At once Jesus felt power go out from him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’
His followers said, ‘Look at how many people are pushing against you! And you ask, “Who touched me?”’
Mark 5:27-31 (NCV)
Jesus’ question, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ seemed ridiculous because loads of people were touching His clothes. People were pushing and shoving and bumping into Him, but one person had touched Him deliberately, with faith, and Jesus knew it, so he stopped to ask his question.
If Jesus hadn’t asked the question then nobody, apart from the healed woman and Jesus, would have known that something incredible had happened. In front of everyone, Jesus told the woman that it was her faith in him that had healed her.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is; Where was the busiest, most crowded place that we have been? Maybe it was a concert, a capital city, or even in our school assembly hall.
The woman had faith that she would be healed just by touching Jesus’ clothes. What do we need from Jesus today? Maybe it’s healing. Maybe it’s help with a friendship. Maybe it’s a decision we’re making about the future.
Let’s imagine reaching out to touch Jesus as we whisper our own prayers now.
The woman had been ill for a long, long time. Who do we know, in our family or in our church or school, who has been ill for a long time?
Jesus, just as the woman was healed by one simple touch of your clothes, we ASK You to heal those we’re thinking about now. Give Your peace and healing power to them today.
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.
Mark 5:27-31
The woman… came up behind [Jesus] in the crowd and touched his coat. She thought, ‘If I can just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Instantly her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her disease.
At once Jesus felt power go out from him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’
His followers said, ‘Look at how many people are pushing against you! And you ask, “Who touched me?”’
Mark 5:27-31 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Jesus, we say YES to having faith like the woman in today’s story – You healed her through one simple touch. We want those around us to know of the miraculous things that You do for us.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Colossians 3:17
Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.
Colossians 3:17 (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.
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.
