Monday: Understanding
Pray: Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God's name.
From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, by the power of your Holy Spirit you gathered people together to hear your Word. Fill us with that same Spirit that we might hear and understand your Word to us today. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listen: Listen carefully as the Bible story for the week is read aloud.
Acts 2:1-11
On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak. Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem. And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages. They were excited and amazed, and said: “Don’t all these who are speaking come from Galilee? Then why do we hear them speaking our very own languages? Some of us are from Parthia, Media, and Elam. Others are from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya near Cyrene, Rome, Crete, and Arabia. Some of us were born Jews, and others of us have chosen to be Jews. Yet we all hear them using our own languages to tell the wonderful things God has done.” (CEV)
Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.
Child: On the day of Pentecost, what did the people hear? What did they see?
Child: How do you think the people felt? Who or what was causing all this to happen?
Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.
Lord God, you are great and powerful, and you make things happen in ways that we never thought possible. Help us to understand that you’re a real, and that you are speaking and guiding us every day of our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Have each person in the family bless one another with these words:
May the Lord God bless you with wisdom and understanding as you live and learn each day. Amen.