FAMILY DEVOTIONALS

How to use this resource…  

1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

2. Read. Different passage from John each day. * 

3. Chat. There will be a question to open up conversation. ** 

4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

5. Pray. There will be a prayer point each day.  

6. Bonus! An extra question/joke/activity to finish with.   

*You could read the all or part of the passage, or find the story in a children’s Bible. 

**This is always just a starter question, please use as a springboard to further discussion and see where it takes you! Some helpful questions might be:  

- What does this passage tell us about God?  

- What does this passage tell us about ourselves?  

- What are we going to do about it today?  

7th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 1 

  3. Chat. Why did Jesus come into the world? 

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage?  

  5. Pray. Thank Jesus for coming to be our rescuer! 

  6. Bonus! Light a candle in a dark room and watch how the darkness has to make way for the light. 

8th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 2 

  3. Chat. Why do you think Jesus did his first miracle at a party?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Tell God about your day and ask him to fill it with joy!  

  6. Bonus! What food and drink would you have at your ideal party?  

9th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 3 

  3. Chat. What words would you use to describe God’s love?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Ask God to remind you of how much he loves you today.  

  6. Bonus! See if you can memorise John 3:16 – you could come up with actions!  

10th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 4 

  3. Chat. How could you show God’s love to someone else today? 

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Pray for people who might not know they are loved today. 

  6. Bonus! Find a way today to show someone God’s love. 

11th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 5 

  3. Chat. Imagine you were watching the scene by the pool. How do you think you would have felt?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Could you pray for God to heal someone today? 

  6. Bonus! Listen to a worship song you love and share it with someone else!  

12th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 6 

  3. Chat. Jesus provided for everyone on the mountain, and He can provide for us too. Do you have any stories about times when God has provided for your needs? 

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Pray for your daily bread today.  

  6. Bonus! Bake or buy some bread rolls and then spend time sharing what you are grateful for as you enjoy eating them around a table. 

13th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 7 

  3. Chat. What is the ‘living water’ that Jesus talks about in verse 38?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Jesus says ‘let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ Give an opportunity to say yes to Jesus either for the first time or again at the start of this academic year.  

  6. Bonus! Look back at John 4. What similarities can you see between this chapter and chapter 7:37-44?  

14th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 8 

  3. Chat. Jesus is always ready to forgive us when we mess up. We can come to Him and say sorry, and He meets us with His love. What might we need to say sorry for today?   

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Is there something you’d like to ask God’s forgiveness for today?  

  6. Bonus! For your prayer time, you could write or draw on some paper and then rip it up and throw it in the bin to remind you that Jesus has dealt with sin once and for all! 

15th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 9 

  3. Chat. What did Jesus do for the blind man? How did people react? What do you think he was trying to teach people through what happened?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Ask Jesus to open our eyes to see him more clearly.  

  6. Bonus! Choose a friend or family member and try to pray for them three times today.  

16th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 10 

  3. Chat. What things do you think a shepherd needs to help them look after their sheep? What kind of person would make a good shepherd? Why do you think Jesus is called a good shepherd?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Imagine yourself as a little sheep, and then Jesus the good shepherd looking after you. Tell Him how it feels to be looked after by Him.  

  6. Bonus! Draw or print a sheep. Decorate it and then write or print verse 14 inside as a reminder that God is looking after you.  

17th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 11 

  3. Chat. Is there anything you feel sad about today? Have you ever thought that Jesus knows what sadness feels like?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Tell Jesus about anything you are sad about today. Ask Him to be with you and anyone you know who is having a hard time.  

  6. Bonus! Think of a random act of kindness you could do today!  

18th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 12 

  3. Chat. Mary showed Jesus how much she loved Him by giving something that cost a lot. How could we show Jesus our love for him today?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Tell Jesus the reasons that you love him – you could write or draw these if you want! 

  6. Bonus! Have a go at making your own perfume.  

19th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 13 

  3. Chat. Why was it so surprising that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Ask God to show us how we could serve people around us today. 

  6. Bonus! Do the washing up or a chore around the house to serve your grown-ups!  

20th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 14 

  3. Chat. Jesus says he is ‘the way and the truth and the life’. What do you think that means? What difference does this make to us?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh today.  

  6. Bonus! Listen to ‘One Way’ by Hillsong together.  

21st September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 15 

  3. Chat. How can we stay close to God (remain in Him)? How does he help us to do this? What happens when we stay close to God?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Put your hands over your heart and ask God to help you to stay close to Him. Thank Him for staying close to us always.  

  6. Bonus! Come to Family Prayer and Worship (12-1pm in the Parish Centre)!  

22nd September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 16 

  3. Chat. What do you think it means that Jesus has ‘overcome the world’?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Is there anything in the world that is troubling your heart today? Hold your hands out in front of you and imagine that you are holding that thing, then give it to Jesus to hold instead.  

  6. Bonus! Go for a walk and notice the world around you. What can you see/smell/touch/hear? There are both good and bad things in the world. Jesus promises that in the midst of the bad, he is with us, and one day he will make all things new.  

23rd September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 17 

  3. Chat. How do you feel knowing that Jesus is praying for you right now?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Thank Jesus for praying for us and watching over us all the time.  

  6. Bonus! Start your own family prayer journal.  

24th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 18 

  3. Chat. Peter denies he knows Jesus because he is scared of what other people might think. Are we ever scared about people judging us for being friends with Jesus? 

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Ask God for courage to live for Him every day.  

  6. Bonus! Look on the kids section of the Open Doors website and watch or read a story about people who are persecuted for their faith but continue to follow Jesus.   

25th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 19 

  3. Chat. Why did Jesus die on the cross? What does it mean for us?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Thank Jesus for taking our place and dying to pay the price for all our sin – our mess and imperfection – because he loved us so much.  

  6. Bonus! When Jesus died, there was three hours of darkness. Try sitting in silence for three minutes and ask God to remind you why he came, lived and died for you.  

26th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 20 

  3. Chat. Imagine you are each of the different people in this passage. How would you feel? How do you think you would react to the empty tomb?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Thank Jesus for rising back to life and making a way for us to be friends with Him now and forever!  

  6. Bonus! Listen to ‘This is the Gospel’ by Elevation Rhythm.  

27th September

  1. Pray. Invite God into your time together. 

  2. Read. John 21 

  3. Chat. John wrote his gospel to tell people about the amazing things Jesus has done! Who could you talk to about Jesus today?  

  4. Ask. What questions do you have from the passage? 

  5. Pray. Pray for people you know who don’t yet know Jesus. 

  6. Bonus! What has been your favourite devotional over the last 21 days? Why?  

Need a reminder?

Download the ‘21 Days of Prayer’ phone wallpaper for a daily reminder of the 7-1-7 pattern!