Family Time…Encouragement
Do you smile when you are encouraged? Most people love to be encouraged and told good things. This month the family time focus in your “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Open your eyes” is on “God shows us grace” and the weekly topic discusses “Encouragement.” God’s grace is so amazing to experience that a normal response is to automatically reach out and encourage others to stay close to God and that is the response in the Acts 11:23 below. God has this way of touching your heart and changing you. You become more positive toward God and you encourage others to stay strong in their relationship with God as well.
As a Mom, I found the best way to encourage my kids in their relationship with God was to ask them to think about and share moments when they could see God helping them in their lives. It was the exercise of struggling to think of evidence of God that seemed useful. When the kids were young, they did not always see evidence of God’s help and sometimes, and I had to help them recognize it, by pointing it out. It is natural for kids to question that God really does help them and not really connect all the dots well. But when someone else is paying attention (meaning Mom) and can even give a history of prayer requests and evidence of answers, it can really help. As a Mom, I kept a little cheat sheet of answered prayers and could pull it out at useful moments, if their memory seemed to elude them. As my kids grew older, they began to see the evidence themselves and could identify it more easily. Now to encourage them, I just need to ask them to share about it.
This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family and asking them if they recognize God’s help in their lives. If they have trouble identifying God answering their prayer requests, then start writing down the dates and the answers to the prayers. If recognizing God’s answers is new to you, pray and ask God to help you see evidence of Him. Then try reading back over past prayer requests lists and notice if you realize some of them have been answered, make a guess to the date and write it in the margin. Over time, your family will be amazed at the list that is created and you will learn to start identifying God’s movement in your life and be very encouraged!
Do you have questions or need prayer for your family? Email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.
I will be praying for you!
Stacy
Stacy A. Davis
Teach Intentionally
This week we are in the Month Topic and Family Time (or page ) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Open Your Eyes”…
Family Time 3:
Month 12 Topic: God shows us grace…Encouragement
Talk with God: Read…John 1:17, Acts 11:23, Acts 15:11
~ John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
- In John 1:17, who gave the law? What did Jesus give?
~ Acts 11:23 Then when he had come and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord.
- What happened in Acts 11:23, once he had witnessed the grace of God?
~ Acts 15:11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.
- Acts 15:11 states that they believe that they are saved through what?
Walk with God: Discuss… The Scriptures remind us that we are saved through grace. We don’t deserve salvation. Because of grace, we rejoice and encourage and remain true to the Lord. Who have you encouraged today? Who encouraged you?
Prayer suggestion… Thank you, Lord, for sending people to us who encourage us. Thank You for placing people in our path who need encouragement.
Family Time 3:
Leader Answers:
- Moses; grace and truth
- Rejoicing and encouragement
- Grace
- Discussion ideas: Why is encouragement so important for the believer? Is it easy being a Christ follower in our culture?
© 2011 Lisa Clark and Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.
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