Cast Your Burdens Instructions: What s worrying you? What s troubling you? What can t you stop thinking about? God already knows how you re feeling. But he wants you to talk to him about it. And he doesn t want you to worry. He s got it under control. On a card in front of you, write down a prayer request, or two, that you d like someone from the group to pray for you. (Don t forget to write your name.) After writing down your prayer request, read the passage from 1 Peter 5:6-7, and thank God that he s big enough and powerful enough to bear our burdens. Lastly, humbly kneel and place your needs at the foot of the cross. It is only because of the sacrifice of Jesus that we can have access to our powerful God in prayer. At the end of the night, we ll all gather into small groups together to pray for your burden.
1 Peter 5:6-7 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Global Church Instructions: Christianity is a global religion. God seeks to save people from every nation on the planet. One day all the believers will be in heaven worshipping God with one voice. Pray that God would save people from around the world and that we would look forward to seeing all peoples come to praise Jesus. Read Revelation 7:9-10 slowly and imagine what that scene will look like. Pick a missionary or two serving at Keystone Church, and learn about where they are serving and what they are doing. Missionaries need a lot of prayer; in many ways they are on the frontline, battling Satan. Consider what they might need prayer for, and pray the God would do it! Consider that missionaries often have to leave their friends and family behind, raise financial support, learn a new language and culture, build relationships with locals, and tell people about Jesus.
Revelation 7:9-10 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!
Lunch Table Instructions: Every day you probably sit and eat with the same group of friends. Your friends have their own lives and their own needs. And your school has a lot of people who you don t know very well. But you spend a lot of your day there. Pray that God would pour out his blessing on your school. Get together with a couple other people from your school and read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. As a group, pray for your friends by name. Pray, too, for your teachers, support staff, lunch ladies, principals, superintendents, and janitors. Pray that the Christians in your school would be a witness to God s love and grace.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Reflection Instructions: Imago Dei Made in God s image. God created you to show the world what he is like and how great he is. We are to be his reflection. But sin has stained our image, and instead of viewing ourselves as perfect as God intended, we feel broken. The world has all kinds of words to tell us who we are BUT GOD chose to redeem us, to fix us, and to give us a new identity in Christ. Pick a verse or two from the list below. As you read it, pick out a word or two that tells you who you are is in Christ. On the mirror, write that word and step back to look at yourself and see who God says you are. Pray that God would help you to believe the truth about who you are. Psalm 139:13-16 Ephesians 1:3-14 Ephesians 2:1-10 1 Peter 2:9-10 Colossians 2:8-15 Romans 3:21-26 Romans 6:5-11 Romans 8:28-39 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Galatians 4:3-7
1 2 Timothy 2:1-2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Rest Instructions: Jesus says, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. But his kind of rest is a deep soul rest. The gospel frees you from the work you feel like you need to do in order to be loved or counted as worthy or important. Jesus lets you rest. Read Psalm 23 and then lie down. Close your eyes and relax. Take your time. There s no rush. Praise Jesus for the work he did on the cross so that he could say, It is finished! Thank God for giving you rest soul rest and a future rest.
Psalm 23 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Confession Instructions: Psalm 103 says that God removes our sin from us as far as the east is from the west. Every thing we ve ever done wrong once weighed on us as proof that we deserved punishment, But God chose to show his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. God forgives us by punishing Jesus instead of us. Confession is the honest thing to do, to tell God what you ve done. Read 1 John 5:1-10 and reflect on what Jesus died to forgive for you. On a red piece of paper, write down something that you need to confess to God a sin, habit, tendency, addiction. Forgiveness means that God no longer treats you as your sins deserve, so as an act of trust, place your red paper into the paper shredder. Every time you hear the buzz of the paper shredder, think of how merciful God is to forgive and how great a sacrifice Jesus made for us.
1 John 1:5-10 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Idols Instructions: God created us to be worshippers. Whenever we worship something that is not God, we turn that thing into an idol. An idol is anything we hope will make us feel happy, important, or worthy instead of God. They are often good things that we turn into ultimate things. John Calvin said that the human heart is a perpetual idol factory; meaning that we can take anything and obsess over it so that it distracts us from God. Read Jeremiah 10:3-8 and think about how silly it is to worship an idol. Pray that God would help you to see what kinds of things you are tempted to worship instead of God that is find your deepest sense of happiness, value, and significance. Consider the following: Popularity, Good Looks, Boyfriend or Girlfriend, Praise of Others, Shopping, Video Games, Sports. Use the Play- Doh at the table to mold something that represents one of your idols and then smash it to symbolize how it can never truly make you happy like God can.
Jeremiah 10:3-8 A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. 4 They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. 5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good. 6 There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. 8 They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood!
Thanksgiving Instructions: God is good! Amen? He brings us all kinds of blessings everyday. Matthew chapter five says that he sends the rain and the sunshine for both the just and unjust. Even when we don t deserve it, God gives us good gifts. And we should thank him for it! But some of God s blessings come to us in the midst of pain and suffering. Those, too, are gifts of grace to help us grow and mature. And we should thank God for them too! Read Psalm 106:1-5 and think of all the deeds God has done for you that you need to thank him for. Take a sun ray or rain drop and write down a thing or two that you want to thank God for. (Try to think of things that haven t been written yet!) Attach your piece of paper to the picture and look at all of the ways that God blesses his people. Spend some time thanking God in prayer for being a gracious God.
Psalm 106:1-5 1 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise? 3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! 4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, 5 that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.
Write a Psalm Instructions: King David was a strong man who killed lions and bears with his own hands and a warrior who conquered armies. But David was also a tender man who played the harp and wrote poetry. His poems capture his emotions toward his God. They are full of truth, praise, fear, excitement, anxiety, and hope. Taking the time to write out our thoughts to God can be a very rewarding experience. Read Psalm 19:14 and any other psalm you want to get some inspiration. Use the markers and color paper to write a poem, a psalm, to God. You can write whatever you want maybe it rhymes, maybe it s an acrostic, maybe it s a haiku, maybe a story, maybe a prayer. Cut the paper to fit within the journal and glue it in place. (Make sure you sign it if you want others to know who wrote it!)
14 Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Family Instructions: There is probably no other group of people who you care about more than your family. They ve cared for you and supported you for a long time. Moms, Dad, sisters, and brothers are some of the greatest gifts God gives the world. Let s pray for them. Read Ephesians 6:1-3 and think about the family that God has given you. Use the black markers and white paper draw your entire family as basic stick figures. (You can write their names or add accessories that you think help identify each person.) Attach your family to the giant picture frame and prayer for each member of your family by name. Consider the circumstances they re going through think about what they re thinking and feeling, and pray that God would meet that need.
Ephesians 6:1-3 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.
Light of the World Instructions: Jesus says that he is the light of the world, and we see reality in view of him. But he also says that WE are the light of the world. When the world wants a look at what Jesus is like, they look to us. We are to be his witness in the world to show the world what our God is like. Let s pray that God would allow our lights to shine brightly for him! Read Matthew 5:14-16 and think about how important light is. Consider why people need the light of Jesus to shine in the world. Light a candle to represent your light shining in the world. Pray that God would allow you to have opportunities to show the world what Jesus is really like.
Matthew 5:14-16 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Unbelievers Instructions: The Bible is clear that not everyone believes that Jesus is their Lord and Savior. Many people do not value him or what he s done. But God still loves them and wants you to tell them about Jesus. You are a messenger from God, a herald, to bring good news to people who need it. Read Matthew 28:18-20 and think about the people who you know that don t have a relationship with Jesus. On an index card, write down the names of people who you want to see come to embrace Jesus as their savior. Place that card on the empty seat that represents the seat that we hope our friends will one day sit in. Pray that God would save them and use you to explain the gospel to them.
18 Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
The Persecuted Church Instructions: The world has often times chosen to mistreat Christians for their beliefs. Though we do not experience that in the United States, we have fellow Christians who face trouble, imprisonment, torture, and death because they believe Jesus is God. They need our prayers. Read Hebrews 11:35-40 and think about these people whose faith is so important to them that they rejoice in their sufferings for Jesus. Pick a story or two to read from the Voice of the Martyrs. You can use the Operation World book to learn more about that country. Pray that God would continue to strengthen their faith in the mist of persecution.
Hebrews 11:35-40 Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated 38 of whom the world was not worthy wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.