WEEK OF PRAYER - AT HOME DEVOTIONAL
MAKE ROOM FOR GOD
This week, our church family is setting aside some extra time to pray. Prayer is not something that only happens at church. It doesn’t require a microphone, a worship team, or even knowing exactly what to say.
Prayer is simply making room for God.
It is stopping long enough to remember that God is with us, God hears us, and God wants us to come to Him. That is something every one of us can do. Children can pray; teenagers can pray; parents and grandparents can pray.
We do not all pray the same way. Some people use lots of words. Others use only a few. Sometimes prayer sounds like praise. Sometimes it sounds like, “God, please help me.” Sometimes, we do not know what to say at all. What matters is that we come.
In Jeremiah 29, God gives His people a wonderful promise: “You will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you” (Jeremiah 29:12 NIV).
Think about that for a moment: when you pray, God listens. The God who created the universe listens when you thank Him for something good that happened today. He listens when you tell Him what you are worried about. He listens when you pray for a friend. He listens when a child whispers a simple prayer before bed.
And then God says something else: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). So as we begin this Week of Prayer, our biggest prayer isn’t simply, “God, give us what we need.” It is, “God, we want more of You.”
This week, we are making room for God in our homes, in our schedules, in our conversations, and in our hearts. We are believing that as we seek Him, He will meet us.
Talk About It
If you are sharing this devotional in your household, take turns answering these questions. There are no wrong answers.
What is one thing you are thankful to God for today?
What is one thing you would like God to help you with this week?
Who is one person you think needs prayer right now?
What would we love to see God do during this Week of Prayer?
Pray Together
Have each person choose one of these prayers:
THANK YOU – “God, thank You for …”
HELP ME – “God, I need Your help with…”
HELP SOMEONE – “God, please help….”
USE ME – “God, show me how I can someone this week.”
MORE OF YOU – “God, help me know You better this week.”
Spend some time thanking God that we come to Him just as we are and that when we pray, He listens.
Family Challenge
Sometime today, challenge each person to write one prayer on a piece of paper: “God what do You want to do in me this week?”
Keep your prayer somewhere you will see it during the week. On Friday, at the end of the Week of Prayer, come back to it and talk about what God has done.
As we begin this Week of Prayer, let’s make room for God, drawing closer to Him and closer to one another. Above all else, let’s desire more Him!