No Need Among Us
“God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.”
Acts 4:33-34
As our church seeks to embody this verse and provide for each others’ needs, we want to encourage you to invite your children into this practice. We offer these two devotions to first build their trust in God’s care for each one of us and second have them participate in this movement alongside the rest of our church body.
Devotion one: God’s care
Read Matthew 6:27-33 together. The Message translation communicates this beautifully and the middle of the passage says: “What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. “
Take a few minutes to consider the wonderful things that God has given us. Make a list together or consider having your children take pictures of whatever items come to mind and looking at them together and talking about why each person chose the items they chose.
Finish by taking a few more minutes to first get comfortable. Maybe lay down on the ground or on a couch and consider how these are expressions of God’s love and care for each of us. Allow those thoughts to linger and hold up your hands in a posture of receiving (palms up, relaxed fingers). Ask this question together and engage in listening prayer: God, what do you want to give me today as a reminder of your love? Lean into the silence, but also try not to wait too long, encourage your children to trust that whatever came into mind is from the Spirit.
Allow a few minutes to share what each person heard from God and we encourage you to document these impressions somehow (voice recordings are great, as are videos, journal entires or art to capture these moments).
Devotion two: No Needs
Read Acts 4:31-35 together (again, The Message translation is amazing for this reading).
Notice together how the passage starts by saying the believers were united in two ways, what were they? Yes, heart & mind. Take some time to wonder: What do you think that looks like? Can you imagine an example of what it might look like for a group of people to be united it heart and mind? What kind of things could a group like that do?
What did that kind of unity lead to for these believers? They shared everything so no one was in need! Our church wants to be united in heart and mind in the same way, so that we too can help each other so that no one has a need.
The way we’re going to do this is by asking God to show us a person that we can show love to and also a way to do that! Let’s take a minute to ask God and let Him show us one person that is not in our family to share love with this week. Lead your family into a listening prayer time and asking “God, who do you want me to show love to this week?”
Share who you feel like God told you to love, then listen again, asking this question over each person: “How do you want me to show your love to (insert person’s name here)?” Then, go for it! Find a way to bless and love on that person, whether by sending a letter, a voice message, a video, a small gift, etc. Let your children take ownership of this moment as much as you feel comfortable and let the love of God move through them to others!
Close in prayer, asking God to be faithful to provide for the needs of every person in our church, including those that you have just blessed.