Road trip prayer

Thoughts from my Road Trip

19th February

2012 Eltham Baptist

No. 366

Been meaning to go up north on my own and see my mother and sister for quite a while and have tried tofind an appropriate time, as it’s a good days journey away from Eltham to Whangarei here in New Zealand. Ididn’t commit myself until the day before I left as I had things to sort out first. I had been reading thescriptures and felt God speak to me through a couple of verses which I then prayed over every day. The firstone was from

Exodus 24:1-18

where Moses and the Elders went up to the mountain of God. The gist of theword was that I am to go north and would there hear from God during this time and on the 7

th

day God wouldreally speak to me about something. I always feel it’s good to wait for God with an expectation.

“For surely there is an end (reward); and your expectation shall not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:18

God always rewards faith and it’s important to keep your expectations high. If you come to Church and don’texpect to hear from Him, then you will not be in the right place to receive anything. The bible says BELIEVE,for God honours faith not just your need.

Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; Matthew 9:29

I went after lunch on Monday expecting to receive blessing and be a blessing on this trip. First stop was TeKuiti where I was encouraged by Pastor Terry whom I established in the Church there after we left 11 yearsago. It was great to hear how God has been blessing him after some leaner times. Stayed the night withsome other friends the Vesseurs and also had encouraging fellowship. Saw more folk on the way andarrived at my mother’s house about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. She had been quite sick from very high bloodpressure but after prayer began to improve and by the time I left she was fine again. Praise the Lord. WhenI’m at my mother’s I always like to go for a walk around the large sports field at Kensington Park. Once whilein Whangarei many years ago I was walking around this same sports field praying and particularly askingthe Lord to intervene in my financial situation. I spied on the ground a plastic money pouch that appeared tobe full of money of the paper variety. My heart leapt as I quickly dove on it and unzipped the pouch, only tofind that it was pages out of the Gideon’s Bible. I was disappointed and threw it aside in disgust only to comeunder the immediate conviction of the Holy Spirit. The Lord then told me off saying that His word was far more valuable than silver and gold, and that if I valued it as I did money I would prosper and have goodsuccess in life. I apologised to God and picked it up again and went up into the Grandstand and read thepages that were in the pouch. They were from the New Testament Epistles of Peter and these particular verses jumped out at me.

1 Peter 2: 1-2 “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newbornbabes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,2 Peter 1: 4 “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through theseyou may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

I always remember this event when I pray around this Park. Later in the evening I went up and stayed at mySister’s new farm north of Whangarei and spent a lot of time there also walking along the long cattle races inthe morning and the evening just praying in tongues and believing for words from God. I really believe that if we pray in tongues with an expectation we will receive revelation.

For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says

.

1 Corinthians 14:13

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. Isaiah 28:11

I am amazed at how this principle has worked for me over the years and how I have received so much fromGod far beyond financial gain. I arranged to go and see my good friend Pastor Bill Anderson from PihiaBaptist Church in Kawa Kawa on one of the days. We shared what God was doing in each other’s life andthen went for a prayer walk. It was very hot so we stood under a tree and prayed. Next minute (Nek minnit)he had a word for me from the Lord which I took to my heart.

“The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to passby.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but theLord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper (stillsmall voice). When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” 1 Kings 19:11-13

The word was mainly about not ignoring that still small voice. We are always looking for somethingspectacular from God but he mostly likes to speak to us in a gentle whisper. We can drift away from thismentality so easily and think that God isn’t speaking to us because nothing ‘loud’ has happened lately whenhe has been speaking often in those quite ways. So many Christians are rushing here and there now days

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FREE BOOKMARK : We have a special gift for you. One of the prayer ideas below is a 5-Finger Prayer, and we have created a unique printable bookmark for you to use with your family, or perhaps you’d want to email it out to families in your church or community.

If you would like to download it, click here.

FAMILY RESOURCE ON PRAYER : If you want to check out a brand new resource on prayer, be sure and look into An Illustrated Lent for Families: Reflections on Prayer. You can check it out and download a FREE sample

here .

10 Ways to Pray with Kids

Discovering ways to pray with children offers them space for connection with God and, not surprisingly, has been shown to improve well-being time and again. Consequently, we give our children an invaluable and timeless gift when we teach them how to pray. Additionally, it’s a gift they can carry with them throughout all of life. At ICM, we think this is so important we compiled a list of 10 ways to pray with kids. Pick and choose, mix and match any way you’d like.

Pray Through Art

Coloring Prayer: First, gather coloring utensils and coloring sheets. Second, decide what you’ll pray for with each color. For example, use purple while praying aloud for animals, green for family members, blue for the Earth and the environment. Tailor the categories to your own family or classroom. (Also, looking for some fresh coloring sheets? Grab a free sample pack here!)

Prayer in Song: One of the easiest ways to teach children to pray is through singing. There are several options out there. The doxology is one song used as a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. The lyrics are as follows:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise God all creatures here below. Praise God above ye heavenly host. Praise Father/Mother, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer Journal: Invite your children to begin drawing and writing their prayers to God. Even little ones can draw their prayers. For those who are older, they may want to write letters to God. Additionally, giving children a prompt can offer needed structure. Perhaps encourage them to write God about their hopes for the coming school year.

Pray Using Your Body

Prayer through Movement: There are several ways to pray with kids that teach how their minds and bodies communicate with God. So, try this simple prayer below, especially useful for the kinesthetic learner. Additionally, yoga and dance are great options that can be done with children of all ages.

(3 deep breaths)
God, you are above (reach toward the sky), below (touch your toes), inside (hands to heart) and all around (big arm circles).
I worship you (reach toward the sky), and give my life to you (touch your toes).
And I love you (hands to heart) with all that I am (big arm circles).
(3 deep breaths)

Five-Finger Prayer: Developed by Pope Francis, this prayer practice assigns each finger something to pray for. The thumb is for those closest to us. The index finger for those who teach, instruct and heal us. The middle finger, our tallest, is for our leaders. The ring finger, our weakest, for those who are weak. The pinky is for ourselves. Click here to download your free printable bookmark version of this prayer.

Pray Through Conversation

Fill in the Blank Prayer:  Take turns going back and forth or from person to person, if you’re in a group, saying, “God is great, God is good, thank you God for ______________.” See how long you can keep it going. It’s fun (and sometimes breathtaking) to hear what your children say. Discussing what is inside our hearts and minds with each other is a crucial way to build relationships. Consequently, this practice builds both relationships with God and with each other.

Prayer Walk: Go for a walk together in search for the things you’re thankful to God for. Sidewalks, trees, bird songs, smiles from other pedestrians, flowers in bloom, passing cars and buses that make travel possible. So much to appreciate! Additionally, this is an excellent way to get outside, slow down the mind and get active together.

Pray Through Silence

Centering Prayer: Pray silently in this way to empty the mind and become open to God’s presence. Young children can struggle to sit quietly and still since their bodies often desire movement and activity. Therefore, two to five minutes can be plenty for young elementary children to start with. Now, for older children, try up to ten minutes once they’re acclimated to the practice. First, invite them to close their eyes and imagine that they are standing in a forest along the side of a stream. Second, explain that when a thought comes into their minds, they can imagine the thought landing on a leaf, floating down onto the surface of the stream and away until it’s out of view.

Breath Prayer: First, choose a word or brief phrase to repeat in one breath. Now, if it’s a phrase, say one part on the inhale and one part on the exhale. For example, invite your children to think in their minds or whisper to themselves Psalm 56:3. Next, on the inhale, think or say “When I am afraid.” Then, on the exhale, think or say “I will trust you.” Repeating breath prayers is a meditative practice that can be done with children of almost any age.

Scripture Prayer: First, choose a Bible verse and use it as a prayer to begin and end each day with your children. Try John 3:18, Psalm 46:1 or Romans 15:13. Additionally, it may be helpful to have it posted by their bed to read together.

Tell Us Your Prayer Ideas for Kids

Phew, that was a lot to take in! We hope this has given you a few ways to pray with kids that help cultivate spiritual growth and connection. Also, how do you and your kids pray? We’d love to hear in the comments below!

www.illustratedchildrensministry.com

What is Bible Road Trip™?

Bible Road Trip is a three-year survey Bible curriculum for preschool to high school. The Bible curriculum is written for five different levels of study, to allow you to custom tailor the program to your children. Your family will go through the books of the Bible in order. Bible Road Trip™ is organized as a unit study, with each year covering specific books of the Bible. Each week covers a book or a part of a book.

The grade levels are as follows:

• Preschool and Kindergarten
• Grades 1-3 (Lower Grammar)
• Grades 4-6 (Upper Grammar)
• Grades 7-9 (Dialectic)
• Grades 10-12 (Rhetoric)

Each grade level is divided into sections, and you can move children up or down a level in any given section as needed. Also, the Rhetoric level is an excellent choice for parents who would like to study alongside their students.

How is Bible Road Trip™ used?

Bible Road Trip is written at five levels to allow families or classrooms to study the same material at the same time. This can be arranged either with students together for Bible reading with separate assignments for older students, or you can study separately at separate levels and meet together for discussion. The design also allows for customization within schools and churches (please contact me for a classroom license).

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How do I schedule Bible Road Trip™?

There are a number of sections of Bible Road Trip for each level. Each week has an overview for the parent explaining the book or section of the book covered.

For each level (with a few exceptions at the Preschool and Kindergarten level), you will find the following sections:

• Researching the Word
• Reading the Word
• Memorizing the Word
• Notebooking about the Word
• Praying about the Word
• Learning More about the Word
• Crafting Through the Word

For more information on the sections and how they work, please download the free Bible Road Trip Parent / Teacher Guide. The guide is comprehensive, and should not be skipped. If you choose to purchase the full-year Bible Road Trip Curriculum PDFs, the Guide is included.

Once you understand the different weekly sections, you’ll want to download the Printable Bible Road Trip Suggested Schedules. These schedules are also included in the full-year PDFs, if you choose to purchase them. Each level has a printable schedule, and there is a schedule for multiple levels as well. I’ve tried to provide ample time for each section. Or just subscribe and I’ll send you the Bible Road Trip™ Year One Sample Pack! It will tell you everything you need to know!

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Subscribe to download the exclusive Bible Road Trip™ Year One SAMPLE PACK!

Success! Check your email to confirm your subscription, then we’ll send your Bible Road Trip™ Year One Sample Pack!

It’s important to remember that you may not wish to do every section of Bible Road Trip™. If you do, be sure to note the skills being learned in that section, and give your children a break in some of their other curriculum. If your kids are notebooking their way through the Bible, you may wish to assess how much writing they are doing in other areas to make sure your expectations are reasonable.

Why are there additional resources suggested for the Bible curriculum?

Children going through Bible Road Trip™ will be reading and discussing the Bible. That’s the most important part of the program. In fact, that’s one of the most important things we can do with our kids.

However, there are excellent resources available about the Bible, biblical archaeology, and even biblical fiction (which is suggested for the Upper Grammar level). Bible Road Trip makes use of these excellent resources from reputable sources and scholars, broadening and enriching students’ understanding of God’s Word.

How do I know which resources to use?

I am asked frequently what resources parents must use with Bible Road Trip™. You need the curriculum, and a Bible. I highly suggest utilizing a good study Bible–we prefer the ESV Study Bible. I think it’s a good idea for each child to have their own Bible so they read along or study on their own. Everything else is optional, though I highly recommend the resources for Researching the Word, particularly for the Dialectic and Rhetoric levels.

I’ve compiled visual lists (with links) of the Bible Road Trip resources for you by level of study:

• • Bible Road Trip Resource List for Preschool to Kindergarten
  • Bible Road Trip Resource List for Lower Grammar (Grades 1-3)
  • Bible Road Trip Resource List for Upper Grammar (Grades 4-6)
  • Bible Road Trip Resource List for Dialectic (Grades 7-9)
  • Bible Road Trip Resource List for Rhetoric (Grades 10-12)

How is the Curriculum presented?

Full Year PDFs of the Bible Road Trip Curriculum™ contain a Table of Contents, the Parent / Teacher Guide, Suggested Schedules, and 32 weeks of curriculum. Each week has a parent overview, followed by instruction schedules for each level.

Subscribers to the Thinking Kids site will recieve the Year One Sample Pack with the Parent / Teacher Guide, Suggested Schedules, and the first three weeks of the curriculum, Bible memory cards, and notebooking journals. From there, you’ll receive an email that will help you decide how you want to access Bible Road Trip™. Or, you can purchase one of the full-year PDF downloads now.

What does each year of Bible Road Trip cover?

• Year One of Bible Road Trip covers the books of Law and History, from Genesis to Esther.
• Year Two of Bible Road Trip covers the books of Poetry and Prophecy, from Job to Malachi.
• Year Three of Bible Road Trip covers the books of the New Testament, from Matthew to Revelation.

What about Bible verses for children?

Memorization of Bible verses is so important for children.

I want to help you lead your children through Scripture. I know you’re busy, and I know there are so many distractions every day that make getting into the Bible difficult. Bible Road Trip™ is designed to allow you to be able to spend time going through Scripture with your kids–without having to do a ton of planning or research first.

The Bible Road Trip™ Bible Memory Verse Cards will continue the learning for your family. Just print them and cut them out, and you have the memory verses for the year right at your fingertips! You can work through the verses for each week as you’re having a meal, running errands (with an older child reading the card), or during your morning Bible Road Trip™ time! Your kids will always remember the time they spent memorizing with you. More importantly, they’ll remember the Word of God.

How does Bible Road Trip™ approach Scripture? Are you really a Christian?

I think questions about my perspective and the perspective of Bible Road Trip™ are completely fair. I hold to the truth testified to by the Bible that Scripture is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God.

The curriculum is written from an orthodox, Protestant viewpoint. That’s orthodox with a small “o”, as in conforming to the creeds and beliefs of the early Church. You can find my statement of faith here. I hold to a Reformed view of theology.

However, Bible Road Trip™ is written as a survey of the Bible with an emphasis on God’s sovereignty, His plan for salvation, Christ’s presence throughout Scripture, and mankind’s relationship with God. There are areas of Scripture that respectable theologians throughout history have not agreed upon. (Eschatology, for instance.) I clearly identify those areas in the discussion questions and introduction for each week and leave room for parental teaching. My goal isn’t to convince your children that the second half of the book of Daniel is only to be interpreted one way. My goal is to point to the Scriptural truth that Christ is risen, He is returning, and we need to prepare. In areas where the interpretation of Scripture in the last 200 years has veered from the interpretation of Scripture for the first 1800 (or more, in the case of the Old Testament) years of Church history, I chose to write from the historical perspective. The resources used for Bible Road Trip™ are in line with my statement of faith and with the orthodox, historical, Protestant perspective.

What is a Notebooking Journal?

A notebooking journal is a way for students to record their thoughts, narrate the information they’ve learned, reinforce important facts and ideas, and to illustrate their work. Notebooking journals are often open-ended, with much freedom given to record thoughts.

Bible Road Trip™ notebooking journals allow students to narrate what they’ve learned in a written and artistic manner. The journals are presented at three different levels, from grades 1-9, with additional writing space in each level. You can absolutely use the Dialectic (grades 7-9) Notebooking Journals for the Rhetoric level (grades 10-12). In fact, I’ve heard from a number of adults who are doing the Rhetoric level program and using the Dialectic journals for their own Bible study. However, by high school, students may wish to take additional notes or structure their notes to their own preferences. You can choose either option for your high school students.

• For more information on notebooking, check out NotebookingPages.com. Debra gives an excellent explanation.

What skills does notebooking develop?

Notebooking provides the opportunity to develop skills in the areas of handwriting, written narration, reading comprehension, pre-writing ~ notetaking and organization, reading comprehension, and research.

How can I check out Bible Road Trip™?

You can sign up below to receive the Year One Bible Road Trip™ Sample Pack. After you’ve downloaded your pack, I’ll give you a few days to explore the curriculum, then I’ll email you with more information.

Or, you can purchase the full-year PDFs here. These are convenient, can be stored on your computer or tablet, and can be printed all at once. Learn more about Bible Road Trip™ Year One here.

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Subscribe to download the exclusive Bible Road Trip™ Year One SAMPLE PACK!

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Why are the Bible curriculum and notebooking journals separate?

I’m often asked why all of the notebooking journals are not included in the purchase of the full year-plan curriculum. Friends, the full-year curriculum PDFs range from 480 to 600 pages. The different notebooking journals are anywhere from 235 to 375 pages of material. They are separate resources and must be purchased separately. Alternately, subscribers may download the weekly units as desired.

Can I see the Bible curriculum and notebooking pages before I purchase them?

Yes! You can subscribe to Thinking Kids and receive the Year One Sample pack.

Where do I buy the formatted full-year Bible Road Trip™?

You’ll find everything organized by Year at The Bible Road Trip™ Store.

How should I store and use Bible Road Trip™?

The Curriculum:  Some people store the Bible Road Trip curriculum on their computer or tablet and access it digitally each day as they teach. I’m pretty hands-on, so I printed each year’s curriculum duplexed (double-sided) on regular paper, 3-hole punched it and stored it in a 2 inch binder. The curriculum is too big to have an office store spiral bind (even double-sided), but you could always have them divided it into two semesters and bind it that way. Don’t forget to print an extra cover if you choose that route.

The Notebooking Journals:  My suggestion for the notebooking journals is to print the pages double-sided (duplexed) with the turn on the long side. I like to print in full-color on “Best Quality” to allow my students to fully appreciate the fine art. My middle school children enjoy writing in pen, and to allow for double-sided full-color printing with pen as the writing implement, I prefer to print on cardstock. This prevents much bleed-through from the other side. My favorite cardstock for laser printing is this one: Neenah Premium Cardstock, 96 Brightness, 65 lb, Letter, Bright White, 250 Sheets per Pack (91904). I really like the smooth finish of the cardstock and the way it holds the ink. I like to take my copies to the local copy center (FedEx for me) and have them spiral-bound with a clear plastic front and hard plastic back. For this, my cost is generally around $6 a journal. I appreciate the solid quality of the bound notebook, it’s easy to open and write on, and compact for storage. The journals printed and bound in this manner take on a permanent, heirloom quality. For the Year Three Dialectic level journals, I had to split the journals in half and bind them by semester (they’re pretty thick). That said, you can always print the notebooking pages single-sided, 3-hole punch them and put them into a regular 3-hole binder.

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Teach your children to pray with this fun project that includes 7 printable sets!

Awesome! Go check your email to confirm your subscription. After you confirm, I’ll send your Family Prayer Box Project!

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I clutched my rosary beads in my hand, glad for their comforting presence. Traveling made me nervous, and this time was no different. My husband, Art, and I were on our way to Boston, driving up from New Jersey in our trusty Honda to visit one of our daughters. Art looked over at me. “Let’s pray for safety on our journey,” he said. As he and I prayed the rosary, I felt as if God were watching over us. “Amen,” we said together.

Suddenly I dropped the rosary beads! They fell between the passenger seat and the center console. I inched my fingers down to try to pull them out, but it was no use. “There’s a rest stop up ahead,” Art said. “You can try to get them out then.”

Art pulled into the parking lot. I got out, opened the right side rear door and got down on my knees, feeling around for the beads. Aha! Part of the beads grazed my fingertips. I tried to pry them from their spot. Lord, please free my rosaries, I prayed. Art tried too. They wouldn’t budge.

We were about to get into the car when Art turned to me. “Do you smell something burning?”

“Hmm, sort of,” I said. We sniffed around the car but couldn’t figure out where the smell was coming from.

“It’s probably from another car,” Art said. “Let’s get going. We’ll try to free the beads later.”

Finally, about three hours later, we reached our exit. On our way into the city, Art spotted a Honda dealership. “Maybe they can free the rosaries,” he said, pulling in.

Art walked over to one of the mechanics. “Oh, rosary beads,” the young man said, smiling. “Reminds me of my mom. I’ll take a look.” The mechanic reached in and tugged on the beads. “This might take a while,” he said. “They’re wedged in there pretty good.” Then he popped his head up. “Do you smell fumes?”

The mechanic grabbed a flashlight and examined the car. Then asked if he could put it on a lift to get a better look. Art and I took a seat, prepared to wait. But 10 minutes later the mechanic came hurriedly back to us, shaking his head.

“Talk about divine intervention,” he said. “You’ve got a bad leak in the reservoir that holds your power steering fluid. There’s not a drop left. What’s worse is that the fluid has been dripping on the catalytic converter, which gives off tremendous heat. Pretty soon, your car could have caught on fire. You would have lost control of the wheel. If you hadn’t stopped in now…”

When I held the rosary beads again in my hand, I said a prayer of thanks to the One who watches over us, always.

www.guideposts.org