CONNECT
PRAYER & FASTING Where Your Journey Begins!
HOW'S YOUR CONNECTION WITH GOD? “All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between us and himself. And God gave us the work of bringing everyone into peace with him. 2 Corinthians 5:18 ICB (International children’s Bible) It’s not always what you know; it’s who you know as well. Do you have connections? In our world today, everything is about being connected as in “who do you know?”. We have 5G phones, making it easier than ever to be connected to other people. A supernatural connection is unlike the 5G speed on our phones that connect people. A God connection is like a 7G (7 God)! Being connect to God 7 days a week is a glorious connection, a supernatural connection! Remember, knowing God is the most important person to know. We also want our family, friends and neighbors connected to God. If everyone is connected to God, then life would be better regardless of what troubles may come. No matter what is happening in your life right now, being connected to God is something to be glad and grateful about. This is a growing connection. Healthy things grow. We grow in our connection to God by God’s Word and bringing in the lost people. We must be continually learning to grow in our relationship with God more. We should always be known for being kind, blessed, and giving God all the glory for everything He has given us. Finally, our connection with God should encourage us to be generous. Remember that generosity is always being willing to share with others which should be a habit that is practiced daily. Application For the Day How are you connected to God? What do you do to stay connected to God every day?
Connection
Prayer For the Day Father God, thank You for calling me into a wonderful connection with You! God help me to stay connected to you in everything by obeying your Word every day!
USE YOUR PHONE TO CONNECT WITH GOD!
"I AM" "And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14 NKJV God tells Moses that His name is I AM and there is no better name for God. This is who God is to us, everything that we need (I AM [God] showed Moses His presence in a bush was on fire but would not burn). That presence of God shown to Moses, left Moses with a choice to believe or not to believe at that time. God wants to reveal Himself to you in a new way, just like He did for Moses. It is through God’s Holy Word that God is clearly seen. God speaking to Moses through a burning bush revealed God’s presence to Moses. Hebrews 4:12 NKJV tells us, “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The power of God’s Word is not just a book, but the Word of God. Whether we read the Word on a phone, computer, Kindle, or an iPad, it is the Word of God! The Word of God is HIS Presence. The Bible tells us the Word of God is “alive and active” when we believe it. His Word is alive. In other words, Presence. Some people may tell you God’s Word is boring, and Christmas is dead. God’s Word is boring for people who do not believe it and Christmas is more than presents under a tree. Boys and girls, there is nothing boring about the Presence of God or His Word. Application For the Day Choose to believe the way Moses did. He believed that the burning bush was God speaking to him, the very Presence of God.
"I am"
Prayer For the Day Father God, I’m thankful that Your presence is with me today. God every time I read Your Word, I choose to believe Your presence is with me, in Jesus’ Name.
GOD IS THE LIVING "I AM"
HIS PRESENCE "11 and be ready by the day after tomorrow. On that day I, the Lord, will come down on Mount Sinai. And all the people will see me. 12 But you must set a limit around the mountain. The people are not to cross it. Tell the people not to go up on the mountain. Tell them not to touch the foot of it. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death." Exodus 19:11-12(ICB) Wow! Life is a lot better in the New Testament(now), than it was in the Old Testament for God’s people. In the Old Testament, the people were not allowed to go into the Temple and worship. A priest was assigned to go in for the for the people. People could not be in the presence of God. Only the high priest could enter past that big curtain that separated the Temple from the Worship Altar. He could go in to represent the people once a year. In this scripture God is saying,” You must keep your distance and anybody who gets too close is would die. The people could not get close to God before Jesus came because of sin (not obeying God). Now, the people have the New Covenant! Children listen, you must praise the Lord for this. Now, because of Jesus, God wants us to be near Him. God says, “Draw near to me. Draw near to me! The access and availability for you to be in My Presence has now been paid for and atoned through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.” “Run into my arms,” Jesus says. Cry out, “Abba, Daddy.” You know, our God never changes. Even when He spoke to Israel, telling them to stay away, God really wanted to be close to His children. But sin would not allow it. Now, because of Jesus, God welcomes us into His Presence. Application For the Day Ask God to make His Presence known to you today. Take time to be still l in His presence and hear from God. Boys and girls listen for His guidance, wisdom, and His peace, to comfort you.
His Presence
Prayer For the Day Father God, You’re such an incredible God! You are an awesome and powerful God! Thank You for giving me access to You, show me how to live for you and have all the promises that you have given me, in Jesus’ Name.
RUN TO JESUS!
FILL ME UP “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9 ESV We have a responsibility to partner in seeking God. By participating in the 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, you are on a journey to seek and to be filled by God. One of the marks of a Christian is a lifestyle of answered prayer. God always answer our prayers. Have you asked God for so many things but missed GOD’s answer to your prayers? So, instead of asking God to fill you, receive HIS in filling. How? You may ask? By being kind to others, sharing, always doing your best, and most of all being thankful. Doing this means that you are obeying HIS Word, Will, and Ways! Knowing what God says about our lives and wanting to please Him will help us to be fill by God. Application For the Day What are you praying for? Are there more things on your prayer list than there are people that you are praying for? How can you include God in your everyday activities? Prayer For the Day Dear Father God, as I learn more about you, help me to grow by obeying and trusting you. I receive wisdom and spiritual knowledge as I spend time in your presence. God help me to know your will and ways for my life, in Jesus’ Name!
Allow God to fill you up!
LET GOD OVERFLOW YOU WITH HIS LOVE
TEACH ME, GOD! “One day, as Jesus was in prayer, one of His disciples came over to Him as He finished and said, "Would you teach us a model prayer that we can pray, just like John did for his disciples?" Luke 11:1 TPT Have you ever been lost? Have your parents ever lost you? It is not a fun feeling. The easiest way to avoid this is to ask for God’s help. God has the perfect road map for you to follow when you need His help in your lives. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (Jn 15:7 KJV). That’s it! Knowing what God says and obeying it will put you in a position to be able to ask God for anything and He will tell you what to do! I know it sounds easy but when you have friends that want you to do things that you know you should not, then you must decide that you want to please God more than your friends! This will help keep you out of trouble! But remember, you have to pray for them as well! Trusting God causes everything to be all right. When we don’t make our Christian journey about ourselves but about others, God is pleased and wants to help us be a blessing to others. Step one in considering others is to pray for others. This glorifies Him and advances His Kingdom! Application For the Day Start today praying for others just as much as you pray for yourself. Pray for others who have nothing to do with your personal prayers and look for God to manifest answered prayers regarding your personal situation. Prayer For the Day Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that you will fill me with the desire to pray for others as I pray for myself. God help me to be selfless in my prayers. I thank you in advance for hearing me and answering me when I pray. I know that you love me enough to know the deep desires of my heart in Jesus’ Name!
Pray for others!
PRAY FOR OTHERS!
TRUST GOD'S LOVE FOR YOU! 17 “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:17-18 NKJV Just because you may have pain or trouble does not mean does not God’s love you. When you go through bad times or when life throws you a curve ball, never be tempted to doubt God’s love for you. Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine that you are on the beach building a sandcastle. Put your finger in the sand now pull it out of the sand. Open your eyes and start counting. How many grains of sand did you count? Exactly! You couldn’t count the grains of sand on one finger. How could you possibly count the grains of sands on all the beaches in the world? “What’s the point?”, you may ask. God loves you more than you can imagine. Today’s passage reminds you that His thoughts about you are good; beyond your wildest imagination! When you get in trouble, fall, and hurt yourself, or even when other kids tease you, it doesn’t change the way God loves you. In fact, David wrote in Psalm 36:7 (NIV), “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!” David and the other people in the Bible were so aware of God’s love that they wrote about it 70 times in the book of Psalms! You may have made choices that were not good, you may have gone places or said things that were disrespectful, all were bad decisions. Nevertheless, you are His child, and He loves you. God’s love knows no limits. So, the next time anyone tries to tell you that you’re too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short, not smart enough, not their friend, or undeserving, shut the noise. Don’t even think these things about yourself. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You may fail, but God’s love for you will never fail. Application for the Day Think of a time when you felt like you didn’t deserve the love God had for you. What happened that reminded you that He does love you? How did that change your relationship with others?
Trust that God loves you!
Prayer for the Day Heavenly Father, thank you because before you made me, you saw me and loved me. I am in awe of your love for me. Dear God teach me how to love you, myself, and others with love.
WITH GOD 45 “Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.” Mark 6:45-46 NKJV Psalm 55:22 NKV states, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” According to this verse, the way to remain in peace is to spend time in the presence of the Lord. You must set aside quiet time to spend with God. With all your sporting activities, schoolwork, homework, family, spending time with God may not seem important. In today’s scripture, you see that even Jesus Himself would take time away to pray. Jesus had just fed 5,000 people and had one of the largest meetings of His ministry, which had built a growing excitement among His followers. Everyone was talking about the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish. You’ve been there. Maybe you just scored the winning point, got an A+ on a test you didn’t study for, whatever the case may be. You might be tempted to revel in your moments of success but look at what Jesus did! He told the disciples to get on a ship and sail away; He sent away the crowds and headed for a quiet place to pray. Jesus needed to get to a place where He could have uninterrupted time to pray to the Father. Oftentimes after great moments of success, you can be tempted to keep going, striving for the next thing on your list, or checking to see if you have even more people that like you and cheering you on. The only way you can get through this time victoriously is to spend quality time with God the Father in prayer. Application for the Day When you think about spending time with God, are there other things screaming for your attention? Know that your flesh will put on a fight when you get to your quiet place for a time of prayer. Be determined to stay there because in His presence is peace and joy. This is where your strength and answers come from.
Spend time with God!
Prayer for the Day Father, I have so much to do each day. Help me make time for you in my day every day. Please give me Your power and Your joy, which is my strength! In Jesus’ name.
PURSUIT AND PURPOSE I don’t care about my own life. The most important thing is that I complete my mission. I want to finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me—to tell people the Good News about God’s grace. Acts 20:24 ICB The Apostle Paul makes some very bold statements to show how he felt regarding whatever might take place in his life. He had made his mind up that nothing was more important than telling people about Jesus, not even saving his own life. The Holy Spirit revealed to Paul that if he went to Jerusalem, he would have hard times, trouble, and would even go to jail. All of us have gone through things in our lives. We may not have had the same issues as Paul, but you may have a friend being unkind to you or a loved one get sick. We must follow God in our Purpose even when we face hard times. Here are some ways to help us do that. -Be determined to be honest to yourself. Don’t let that bad grade or missed shot discourage you from following what God had told you to do! -Know things may not happen when you want them to. This doesn’t mean God does not want you to be that artist or doctor, or video game creator. It just may not be your time yet -Know that God expects us to live the way He tells us to in His word (1Cor 2:4) You will walk in your purpose by keeping Jesus at the center of every decision you make and every helpful action you take. Application for the Day Are you keeping God at the center of your decisions? Ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” before you act. Prayer for the Day Father, help me to fulfil my purpose. Help me to see where I may have gotten off track. Show me how to live my life in ways that bring pleasure to you! In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Keep God at the Center!
KEEP PRAYER AT THE CENTER!
READY AND WILLING 36 There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas[g]). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 37 About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. 40 But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! 42 The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord Acts 9:36-37,40,42 NLT Tabitha was a woman in the Bible who made clothes and had a very generous heart. She always performed good deeds and helped others with her talent. One of the ways she helped others was sewing clothes for those less who didn’t have the money to pay for it. She was so giving with her gifts that everyone knew of her. This was very important because she was using her gifts to serve others, just as Jesus served. What things are you great at? Have you ever thought about how you can use your gifts to help serve others? By using our gifts to serve others, we are serving God. God can only use us as much as we are willing to be used. As a result of Tabitha’s life and Peter raising her from the dead, many people came to believe in the Lord. God has a great purpose for you and being saved is only the beginning. You were created with gifts and a purpose, so use your talents to serve the Lord. Application For the Day Start your day by asking God to show you what you are good at. See if there is an area where you can serve or help others. Prayer For the Day Dear Lord, Your purposes for me are perfect, but I am not. Please remove any doubts or fears that would stop me from living out the purposes You have established for me. Amen
Ask God!
USE YOUR TALENTS LIKE TABITHA!
AUTHORITY AND SUBMISSION “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 NKJV God is in charge, and we are designed to follow the directions He gives us. His authority is based in love and service to one another not to control us. God will not abuse His power. Think about Jesus. Jesus had all the power and authority to do whatever He wanted. He used His authority to lay down His life and sacrifice Himself for our sins so that we could be saved. This is how authority works in the Kingdom of God. It is good to have someone in our lives that we can imitate how they behave and the choices they make. Hopefully we all have a good example to follow. But even if we do not have a good example in our lives, we always have Jesus. We should always work to imitate Jesus’ love and serve the way He served. Application For the Day God is in authority, but he gives us an example of what that authority looks like in Jesus. Jesus used His authority to serve. Look for ways to use your authority the way Jesus did. Prayer For the Day Father God, I thank You for using Your authority to serve others. I want to learn to use my authority the same way that You use Yours, so continue to send examples into my life that I can learn from, in Jesus’ Name.
Imitate Christ
IMITATE CHRIST!
MADE FOR THIS “For God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn; He will never go back on His promises.” Romans 11:29 TLB God has given everyone unique and specific gifts. That means that there are things that you naturally do very well, perhaps better than others. You and someone else may be able to do the same thing(s) very well, that doesn’t mean that you will use it for the same purpose. Two people may have a gift and a love for science. But one may use that gift to become a doctor while the other may use that gift to become a teacher. Both are equally important and should not be compared to each other. The scriptures says that God’s gifts and calling can never be taken away. Your passions and interests will always be a part of your calling, and nothing can take that away from you. God may not always speak directly to you about your calling, but through prayer and asking him to guide you as you follow your passions, you will walk in your purpose. Application For the Day Do you know your purpose yet? Ask God to show you how to use your passions to walk in your purpose. Prayer For the Day Father God, help to recognize my gifts and give me to courage to pursue my call. I ask for wisdom to pursue my passions in a way that always brings You glory in Jesus’ Name.
Ask God to show you your gifts!
GOD GAVE US ALL MANY DIFFERENT TALENTS!
RELATIONSHIPS AND YOUR CALLING “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” Proverbs 13:20 NKJV Did you know that God is interested in your friendships and the people that you surround yourself with? Your friendships can have a big impact on you living the life God called you to live. Having the right people around you can make you better and help you follow Jesus. While having the wrong people around you can cause trouble and keep you from being the very best you can be. Samson, in the bible, did not surround himself with good friends. They caused trouble for him and pulled him away from God’s purpose for his life. David, on the other hand, would not have accomplished as much as he did for God without the help of his friend Jonathan. Moses, who set the Israelites free, had a stuttering problem. God gave Moses a friend Aaron to help him and speak on his behalf. Even Jesus needed the 12 disciples to succeed in His ministry. Be careful who your friends are and make sure they are helping you be more like Jesus. Application For the Day Look at your friends and make sure they are helping you make good choices. Prayer For the Day Father God, help me see who the good friends are and help me be a good friend to them too in Jesus’ Name. Amen
Surround yourself with good friends!
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GOOD FRIENDS!
HOW TO BE PROMOTED “Moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.” I Corinthians 4:2 AMP Have you ever wondered how God chooses the ones He uses? Of course, God loves everyone, but not everyone is ready to be used by God. Today’s scripture tells us that God uses the faithful. Being faithful means that you are reliable, trustworthy and that you never quit. God sees every decision we make and is looking for us to be trustworthy and reliable. Think about your classroom and the kids’ your teacher chooses to be helpers. They are usually kids who follow directions and make good choices. God watches how we treat other people too. Do you tease your sibling(s) or fellow students when they do something you do not like? Did you hit your sister because she came into your room without asking? God is watching to see how we respond to other people. Everyone makes mistakes and God always forgives us, but He expects us to be kind and to be an example. Application For the Day If you want God to be able to count on you to be an example, what are some good things you are doing? Are there some things you can work on? Talk about this with your parents or a friend. Prayer For the Day Father God, thank you for helping me be faithful and trustworthy. Help me be a good example to my family and my friends.
Make good decisions!
CHOOSE THE RIGHT THING!
STAY VERTICAL 11-12 “Besides,” continued David to Abishai and the rest of his servants, “my own son, my flesh and bone, is right now trying to kill me; compared to that this Benjaminite is small potatoes. Don’t bother with him; let him curse; he’s preaching God’s word to me. And who knows, maybe God will see the trouble I’m in today and exchange the curses for something good.” 2 Samuel 16:11-12 MSG David was in a lot of trouble. His enemies were closing in on him. He was running away from the city where his own son was trying to take the throne away from him. As he’s leaning, a man begins throwing rocks at him which was against the law. David, the King had every right to put the man in jail, but instead he tells a man, Abishai, that this is not a big deal. David was not a perfect man and didn’t always follow God. He messed up in many areas of his life, but when David messed up, he always went to God to ask for forgiveness. He really wanted to follow God. There may be friends that do mean things to you or that are not nice to you. Do you try to get back at them or respond like David did? You cannot be responsible for other people’s actions, but you are responsible for your choices and actions. Chose to pray for those people and be kind instead of trying to get back at them. Application For the Day Is there someone that you know do not like you? If so, try being kind to them. Just tell them, “I hope you have a good day.” Prayer For the Day Father God, please give me the strength to pray for those that are not nice to me and to respond to them nicely. Continue to protect me wherever I go.
Be kind even when others aren't!
BE KIND!
COMMUNITY IS GOD'S IDEA 9 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NKJV “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11NKJV God is so loving; He never wants us to be alone. He has blessed us with our families, friends, communities, and our church so that we are able to connect with others. When we connect with others, we form relationships. It is important that we include God in our relationships so that He can use us to help others. Our church is a great place to form relationships. When you come to Linked UP Kids and Little Linkland, you are forming relationships with children your age and your teachers. You learn about the Word of God, and it becomes a part of who you are, then you can be an example of GOOD in your school, community, and even at home. Application For the Day How can you show the world that you love God with all your heart? Prayer For the Day Father God, thank you for loving me and blessing me to have relationships. Help me to be an example of you everywhere I go. Amen.
Be a good example!
LOVE GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART!
A DIVERSE COMMUNITY 42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47 NKJV Imagine if everyone in the world looked the same, liked the same things, and dressed the same. Do you think the world would be a boring place? Thankfully, when God created us, He made us all different. There is NO ONE like YOU! This difference is called diversity. We all are God’s most precious and valuable creation. You will come across people in your community who see things very differently from you. Keep looking past these differences to see that you have Jesus in common. They are your brothers and sisters. You are one body. So, respect those who are different from you and listen and learn from them. Application for the Day Think of someone who is quite different from you. Write down one thing that you can learn from this person and thank God for them. Prayer For the Day Father God thank you for creating a diverse world. Help us to celebrate our differences each day. Bless our families and help us to praise and worship you together. Amen
Embrace each other's differences!
EMBRACE DIFFERENCES!
LET'S GO!! 24 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 KJV “What did you do at school today?” Is that a question that your parents normally ask you? This is a way for your parents to communicate with you to make sure are doing well. Just like your parents, God wants to make sure you are doing well too. Prayer is our way to communicate with God. It makes our relationship with God stronger. When you talk to God, you don’t have to use big words or pray for a long time, He just wants you to talk to Him. God want us to pray and listen as we talk to Him. At church we gather to pray to God, this is called corporate prayer. This is a time when we come together to pray for each other, current events, and our community. God says that when there are two or three gathered in HIS Name, I AM in the center of them (Matthew 18:20). When you have the chance to go to church, you get to learn more about God and enjoy friends that are learning with you. So, when Sunday morning comes, be sure to tell your parents, “Let’s go!” Application For the Day Talk your parents about ways that you can stay connected to God and make time to pray as a family. Prayer For the Day Dear Heavenly Father, help us to make time for prayer as a family, church, and community. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Stay connected to God
CALL ON GOD WITH PRAYER!
CAN HE SEND YOU? 1” Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” Jonah 1:1-3 NKJV God has blessed you with amazing parents and/or grandparents. As precious gifts from God, your parents pray each day for your protection. Sometimes, the world we live in is not very nice. Our world is confused about what is right and what is wrong. Have your parents and/or grandparents ever that you couldn’t watch some TV shows, or listen to certain types of music? I’m sure they have; they are doing this to protect you. God has given your parents wisdom on how to help you live in this world as a child of God. Just like your parents teach you, God also teaches others on how to be His disciple here on earth. A disciple, or a follower of Jesus, goes out into the world and teaches the Word of God. As you get older, you will have the chance to share the Word of God with others, so that they, like you, will have the chance to have a relationship with God. Let’s continue to pray that the world will come to know Jesus the same way we do. Application For the Day Pray that someone in your school, family, or community will accept Jesus into their hearts. Prayer For the Day Father God, save the people that are lost in the world. Help them to love you the way that I do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Pray for others!
LET GOD SEND YOU!
JOSEPH'S VICTORY 18 Joseph’s brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he reached them, they made a plan to kill him. 19 They said to each other, “Here comes that dreamer. 20 Let’s kill him and throw his body into one of the wells. We can tell our father that a wild animal killed him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams.” Genesis 37:18-20 ICB Imagine if you were one of twelve children. Wow, that is a really big family, right? Now, what if your dad made a special colorful coat for only you to wear. How would you feel about having a coat only made for you? Do you think it would make you feel special? How would you feel if the coat showed your siblings that you were your dad’s favorite? This is what happened to Joseph and his brothers in the book of Genesis. Joseph’s father, Jacob had a special coat made to show everyone that Joseph was the favorite son. This made Joseph’s brothers sad and mad. Because the brothers were sad and mad, they decided to give Joseph away, he ended up in Egypt working for a man named Potiphar. Joseph missed his family and even though his brothers gave him away, he stilled loved them. Joseph worked hard and made new relationships with the people around him in Egypt. The Lord was always with Joseph, and he earned favor with the King of Egypt. Joseph became a leader in Egypt with the God given talent of telling the people what their dreams meant. Because Joseph kept God first in his life, he was able overcome the bad things that happened to him. In the end, Joseph forgave his bothers and they all moved to Egypt to live together as a family again. This all happened because Joseph submitted himself to God’s plan and embraced the new life, culture, and community to which God called him. God is so loving, even if something bad happens, He will take that bad and turn it into good for us. Application For the Day You don’t always get to choose the circumstances you find yourself in, but you can choose how you will respond. If you find yourself in a tough situation, choose wisely; you may be the change that God wants to use.
You can choose how you respond!
Prayer For the Day Father God, thank you for being with me no matter what happens. Thank you that you can take something bad and turn into something good for me. Amen
JOSEPH AND HIS COAT OF MANY COLORS!
LOVE IS THE ANSWER 15 “But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. 16So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Galatians 5:15-16 NLT Can only one person be a part of a team? What if there was only one person on the court for volleyball or basketball, or if there was only one person on the field for soccer or football. What do you think will happened if a team of one played a team of ten? The team of ten would win because they have team members to play each position. Each person on the team of ten brings a unique or different value to the group which helps them function or work together as a team. In Ecclesiastes 4:9, the Bible says that two are better than one because they get more done by working together. God’s will for us is to work together in our families, schools, churches, and our communities to make things better. By working together, we have the chance to make new friends, share new ideas, and talk about how good God is to us. Do you know what the Holy Trinity is? The Holy Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three distinct or separate persons with different responsibilities or tasks that work together! The greatest commandment is to “love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” How can we love each other if we know very little about each other? How can the body of Christ work together like the Holy Trinity, when we aren’t kind to each other? Application for the Day Think about a way that you can work as a team at home or at school to make a task easier. Prayer for the Day Father, please teach me how to work well on a team with others. Help me remember that I have a special part to play on the team, in Jesus Name, Amen.
Pray for others!
WORK AND PRAY TOGETHER!
INVITE SOMEONE BACK TO CHURCH 24 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV These past few years have been a little different than what we have been used to. You may be in virtual school, or you may have attended virtual school in the past two years. How did you feel about virtual school? Did you miss seeing your teachers and friends? Did you miss sitting at lunch and laughing with your friends? School was not the only thing that was virtual, church was too. We all were able to sit and watch the children’s ministry online at home with our families. As time passed, our communities began to get better and more people started to return to school and church. The Pastors and Ministers were so excited to open the doors to our church family and community. Being a part of the children’s ministry is one of the greatest blessings on earth. We love seeing your faces, hearing your voices, and watching you smile and praise and worship God. We are so happy that you are here with us. We are also thankful for our online families that support us each week. We are looking forward to the day that everyone is back in person so that we may enjoy worshiping God together. Application For the Day Ask your parents and/or grandparents if you may watch a church service On Demand. Prayer For the Day Father, I thank you for Linked UP Church. Please continue bless the Children’s Ministry and all the volunteers, the children that are present, and the children that watch online. Please heal our world so that we can all praise and worship you together, in Jesus’ Name.
Invite a friend!
CONNECT 21 LinkedUp Kids!