Tag: Family Devotions (Page 4 of 11)

Creative Prayer: Little Reminders

/ Amy Nappa

Focus: Reminders to pray for family

Before You Begin:

You’ll need some adhesive bandages, a Sharpie marker, some pebbles, safety pins, friendship bracelets (or yarn, or ribbon).

The Prayer Time!

When your family comes together to pray, talk about how hard it can be to remember to pray for each other during the day. Then explain that you’ve found a fun way of reminding family member to pray for each other.

Each day for the next week, you’ll all be doing or wearing something in common. Whenever you notice these things, it will be a reminder to you to pray for other family members. Here are the reminders for the next week:

Day One: Have each family member put an adhesive bandage on his or her knee (whether it’s needed or not!). Each time you notice the bandage it will remind you to pray.
Day Two: Draw a smiley face on the back of each person’s hand as a reminder to pray.
Day Three: Have family members lace their shoes backwards, so that the bow will be near the toes instead of near the ankles. Those who wear Velcro on their shoes can cross the straps into an X instead of pulling them straight across. Each time a person looks at their feet they’ll remember to pray!
Day Four: Be sure each person has a small pebble to put into his or her pocket today. Feeling the pebble each time you reach into your pocket will bring family members to mind. Pray for them!
Day Five: Ask everyone to wear the same color today (everyone wear green or everyone wear blue, for example). When the color catches your eye, remember to pray for your family.
Day Six: Pin a safety pin to the sleeve of each family member as today’s prayer reminder.
Day Seven: Give each person a “friendship bracelet” to wear for the day. (Or tie a narrow ribbon or length or yarn around each wrist instead.) Each time you notice the bracelet, pray for your family members.

At the end of the week, ask family members how well the little reminders to pray worked. See if you can think of seven more little reminders to use another week!

Looking for More?

Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home

Creative Prayer: Heavenly Hallelujah

/ Amy Nappa

Focus: Christmas (The Hallelujah Chorus)

Before You Begin:

For this adventure you’ll need a recording of “The Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. If you don’t own a copy of this, try your local library or Spotify. If you decide to purchase a copy of the recording, we recommend Handel’s Young Messiah featuring contemporary Christian artists; this album is now out of print, but available as pre-owned copies on Amazon.

The Prayer Time!

Gather your family together and read the following information aloud:

In 1741 a man named Charles Jennens compiled different verses from the Bible that told the story of Jesus. He gave this collection to George F. Handel, a composer. Handel took only 24 days to write the music that accompanied these words. This was called Messiah. When Handel had written the part that is called “The Hallelujah Chorus,” his servant found him with tears in his eyes. Handel had found such beauty in the words and music he told his servant, “I think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself!”

When Messiah was performed a few years later, the king of England attended a performance. He was so moved by “The Hallelujah Chorus” that he stood up and remained standing for the entire song. It was the custom that everyone stand when the king stands, so the entire audience stood for the chorus. This tradition has continued, and now it is customary to stand whenever you hear “The Hallelujah Chorus.”

Have a family member read Revelation 11:15 and 19:6-7. Explain that the words of these verses are used in “The Hallelujah Chorus.” Then discuss these questions with your family:

What do these verses make you think about heaven?
What do you think it will be like when we’re all in heaven and singing praises to God?

Listen together to “The Hallelujah Chorus.” Play it as loudly as you can! (You may stand if you like!)

When the music is over, ask:

How do you think these voices singing praise are like the voices of people in heaven singing to God?
How does this music make you feel?
How do you think God feels when he hears us singing praises to him like this?

Play the music again, and this time encourage family members to sing along as loudly as they like, praising God like the angels!

Looking for More?

Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home

Creative Prayer: Lucky Number Seven

/ Amy Nappa

Focus: Praying for enemies

Before You Begin:

No prep is required this time!

The Prayer Time!

When you’ve gathered to pray together, read the following verse:

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”(Matthew 18:21-22)

Explain that some translations of the Bible say seventy times seven instead of seventy-seven times. Either way, this is a lot of times! Ask family members to explain what they think this verse means. Ask, “Have you ever forgiven one person that many times? Has someone had to forgive you that many times?” Then read this verse aloud:

“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Talk about how Jesus not only wants us to forgive people who make our lives difficult, but he wants us to love them and pray for them!

Have each family member tell about one person that makes life difficult. This could be a mean kid at school, a “friend” who gossips behind your back, a boss or co-worker that makes work unpleasant, a neighbor who plays music too loud, or a teacher who seems to take pleasure in ridiculing you. Then ask family members how they feel about following God’s instructions and praying for these “enemies.”

Suggest that your family use the number seven (from seventy times seven or seventy-seven) as a reminder to pray for these people who make life harder. On every day of the month that has a seven in it (seventh, seventeenth, and twenty-seventh), encourage family members to join together in prayer for your enemies. Also take time during these prayer gatherings to share any ways you’re finding these prayers answered. How is God changing this person, your attitude toward this person, you, or the situation? How is God helping you to love your enemies?

As time (and days with sevens in them) goes by, you may find yourself and other family members taking some of these “enemies” off of that list, and adding them to your list of friends!

Looking for More?

Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home

Creative Prayer: Birds of Pray

/ Amy Nappa

Focus: We are important to God

Before You Begin:

For this adventure you’ll need a bird feeder. If your family already owns one, fill it with birdseed. If not, consider purchasing a kit and assembling the feeder together as a family project to begin this creative prayer time. Or make one of the simple and easy to make feeders described below:

Option 1: Cut a hole in the side of an empty two-liter soft drink bottle to serve as a “door” for the birds. Fill the bottle up to this hole with bird seed. The bottle can be hung from the top with a string, or set on the ground in a patio or balcony area.
Option 2: Spread peanut butter into the crevices of a large pine cone. Roll the pine cone in bird seed until the peanut butter is covered.

The Prayer Time!

Gather your family, and together place your bird feeder in a location where you’ll be able to see the birds without disturbing them. For instance you might hang this from a tree or awning, or set it on the ground near a garden. Then read this verse together:

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26

Discuss the meaning of this verse together. Ask family members to describe ways they know they’re important to God (for example, God sent Jesus, God forgives us, God provides for our needs, the Bible says so.).

Then say, “Every time we see a bird at our feeder, let’s make that a reminder of Matthew 6:26, and stop to thank God that we’re important to him!”

Fill your bird feeder often, and as you enjoy the beauty of the creatures God has created, be an example of someone who takes time to thank God for creating and loving your family.

Looking for More?

Find Amy Nappa on Amazon.com

Check out a few of Amy’s YouTube videos

Discover more about Amy’s memoir, Hard Way Home

Creative Prayer: The Prayer Report

/ Amy Nappa

Focus: Reporting on God’s activity in life

Before You Begin:

This adventure is a project for your family to work on over a long period of time. You’ll need either a notebook with paper in it, or a blank book such as a journal. Title your notebook or journal, “The Prayer Report.”

The Prayer Time!

Begin by telling family members that you’re all going to become journalists for a new book called, “The Prayer Report.” Ask family members to think of one or two prayers God has answered, and include those as the first ones reported in your book. These can be recent answers to prayer, or ones that happened years ago. Have family members tell about these answers to prayer.

After each person shares, write the details of the prayer and how it was answered in the book. Family members may want to write the information themselves, or one family member can be given the role of “Reporter” to write down all the family prayer answers. Begin a new entry for each answered prayer.

When each family member has at least one entry into The Prayer Report, begin interviewing other people about their answers to prayer:

As guests join your family for a meal, ask them to share a time they remember God answering their prayers and record them in your family’s book.
Ask leaders from your church such as pastors, Sunday school teachers, or volunteer staff to share answered prayers to be entered into your book.
Talk with extended family members (grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, step-brothers or sisters, and so on) and include their answered prayers in the book.
Ask any other friends or acquaintances you like!

As time goes by, your entries will begin to fill page after page with answers to prayer. Your family members may want to continue adding their own answers to prayer as well. Occasionally read through some of the entries together as a reminder of how God has worked in the lives of many people over the course of many, many years!

[Note: My husband, Mike, once did this project over the course of a year or so. When he was done, he’d collected so many cool answers to prayer that he wrote a book about it: True Stories of Answered Prayer!]