Reflection 1 – Faith
Good morning; may the Lord be with you.
(Response) And also with you.
-What helps you get through hard times?
-Do you ever put your faith in the wrong thing?
In Ephesians 6 Paul writes, “Put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one”
If you are struggling with anything, there are lots of people in school you can talk to. Billions of people around the world find comfort and hope in their faith in God, and research suggests well over half of us talk to God - pray - when we’re worried, stressed or upset.
-Perhaps try sharing some of the struggles you face this week with God.
Prayer 1
Let us pray,
Father God,
Thank you that we can come to you in difficult times.
Thank you that you understand what it is to suffer and struggle and you care about everything we go through.
Help us to never forget your love for us. Amen.
Reflection 2 – Faith
Good morning; may the Lord be with you.
(Response) And also with you.
Do you ever worry about the future?
In the book of Jeremiah 29 verses 11-13, God says to us, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
In the midst of tough times, it can be very hard to put our faith in God. Jeremiah reminds us that God cares and listens, and that, hard as it may be to believe, God does have good plans for us, with an amazing future and real hope!
-What do you think about that?
Prayer 2
Let us pray,
Lord God,
Please help us to have faith, to trust in your good plans for us, and give us hope when we are struggling.
Thank you for the good plans you have for us; that you know our paths before we walk them; and please watch over us as we journey through this challenging world. Amen.
Reflection 3 – Faith
Good morning; may the Lord be with you.
(Response) And also with you.
-Would you say you have faith in anything?
In Psalm 100 verses 4&5, we read,
‘Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures for ever.
His faithfulness continues through all generations.’
-Sometimes it feels hard to believe, but the Bible assures us that God is good, faithful and that we can trust in him.
-Have you ever considered what faith in God could mean for your life? Perhaps think about that over the next week.
Prayer 3
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father,
Please strengthen our hearts and remind us to encourage one another when the troubles of life start to overwhelm us. Please guard our hearts and give us the strength to rise up each day and fight against the struggles which seek to weigh us down.
Help us to go deeper in our understanding of what it means to have faith in you, and the comfort and encouragement that brings. Amen.