Passage for this week: 1 Corinthians 2:4-5
Resource: Pray The Word Podcast by David Platt
How to use this resource: The questions below should be read after you and your family have spent time listening to the resource, and after you have had time to read through the passage carefully and slowly. Following your family time discussion (using the questions below, or your own questions regarding this text), close in prayer and ask your kids how you can be praying for them and let them know how they can be praying for you as parents.
Family Devotional Question For This Week:
1. What stands out to you the most from reading this passage? What did you learn that is new to you from this passage? What did you learn that caused you to remember something you’ve known, or what has been reinforced from reading this passage?
2. How should Christians think about boasting? What part of this passage refers to human boasting?
(Potential answers: Paul mentions how he chose to be spirit-filled in his speech, not being filled with wisdom of man that would’ve been easy for him to boast in. It is so easy to boast and be proud of things that feel good to us. We prize wisdom and eloquence, especially in a highly educated culture unlike that of the rest of the world. Paul, writing these very words, understands this very well having received a top-notch education from Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) himself. for Christians, though, our only boast is in the Cross (Galatians 6:14, Romans 15:17, Psalm 20:7). This is what we are to find our confidence in – the fact that we have been saved according to no merit or accomplishment of our own doing, but by the offering of Grace bestowed on us through Jesus Christ’s freely given sacrifice on our behalf.)
3. What should our goal in evangelism – in sharing the gospel or our testimony – be when interacting with people who don’t know Jesus?
(Potential answers: As David mentioned, it should never be to impress them or to have them rely on the wisdom, ability, or anything else of man. their faith should never be directed towards us or anyone else. sure, we can hold great teachers of the Word in high esteem and in honor (say, for instance, Billy Graham), however, their lives and their abilities and gifting are simply directives to focus on Christ and the power of the Gospel. God so often works through those who are humble and empty enough in themselves so that God can fill them with His Holy Spirit and work through them. David was unforeseen and young – and seemingly the last person (of Jesse’s sons) to be chosen to lead his nation (1 Samuel 16:12). Yet God chooses to humble the proud through those who are low enough that God can reveal His power through them (James 4:6).)
Prayer Prompts For This Week:
– Pray that God would teach us more about humility and to not be boastful of our own abilities or anything else about ourselves. Pray that we would honor God through the things we receive recognition for.
– Pray that we would seek to plainly communicate the Gospel to the lost around us. Ask God to reveal to us someone we can share the Gospel message with this week and for Him to speak through us with the words He wishes to share to that person.
– Continue to pray for one another and write down or remember the requests of each person. Either have one person pray over each request, or delegate those prayer requests so that each person prays for something or someone specific.