Week: Mark's Gospel
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
Jesus, we hear Your invitation, and so we choose to follow You, with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our souls and with all our strength.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Bella
2 Corinthians 5:17
Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Jesus had told His disciples to take a boat and sail across the lake, while He went into the hills to pray. Today, we’re REFLECTING on what happened later on.
Read by Bella
Mark 6:47-48a (NCV)
Mark 6:47-48
That night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on the land. He saw his followers struggling hard to row the boat, because the wind was blowing against them. Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water.
The ‘lake’ that Mark mentions in these verses is actually the Sea of Galilee, which is about 21km long and about 13km wide. Many of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen on this Sea, so they would have been used to its storms. On this particular night though, the wind was blowing so hard against them that no matter how hard they rowed they weren’t getting anywhere.
Life sometimes feels a bit like this. We feel like we’re getting nowhere, no matter how hard we try. Maybe there’s a habit we’re trying to break, a relationship we’re trying to fix, or something we’re trying to learn or change?
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: When can we remember being in a storm? Was there lightning, thunder, heavy winds or rain?
What are the things in our lives where we feel like we’re getting nowhere, no matter how hard we try?
In the silence of our own hearts, let’s talk with God about it now.
Mark writes that Jesus ‘saw his followers struggling’. Let’s think of someone we know who is struggling at the moment, for whatever reason. They might be struggling at home or at school or at work, or in some other area of their life.
Loving God, You know what’s going on in everyone’s lives, and You see when people are struggling. We ASK You to come and be with those who we’re thinking of right now – comfort them and give them strength.
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 6:47-48
Mark 6:47-48a (NCV)
That night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on the land. He saw his followers struggling hard to row the boat, because the wind was blowing against them. Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water.
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Lord Jesus, You saw the disciples in the boat that night, even from a distance – You saw that they were struggling against the wind, and You went to help them. We say YES to trusting that You see us, and that You come to help us too.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
2 Corinthians 5:17
Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17 (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.
Bella is 13 years old and lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her mum, dad and cocker spaniel Summer. She loves art, performing and Jesus!
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.
