Passage for this week: 1 Corinthians 4:17-20
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 does our world define power?
(Potential answers:Paul has just been describing how the kingdom of God is not a kingdom based on mans eloquence, speech, or (mainly) based on power. God’s power, as this weeks devotion stated, is NOT the worlds definition of power! ultimately there are many ways our world defines ‘power’. as David mentioned, the world says wealth, strength, health and so on are all forms of power that it defines and praises. some of those things are somewhat good! health, for instance, is a good thing – its good to want to be healthy and steward well what you can and have been given by God. Godliness, however, is of far more value and is valuable in every way (see 1 Timothy 4:8) and is far more powerful. So, be on guard for how we are to view power as the world defines it and allow Gods Word to rightly define power in our lives.)
3. How is godliness a demonstration of power? What is that supposed to look like in our lives? Can you think of any personal examples in your life of people who exhibit godly power rather than worldly power?
(Potential answers: The ultimate representation of godliness was seen in Christ’s crucifixion and in his resurrection from the grave as he conquered death. death is a reality for every one of us, but Christ exhibited power that this world cannot comprehend or exhibit – everlasting power over death! he revealed himself resurrected from the grave to more than 500 witnesses who went on to tell the good news of this power in Christ alone to the ends of the earth (see 1 Corinthians 15:6). In the context of the verses before our main verse (v. 20) this week, Paul has been alluding to the fact that people will for the most part always be drawn towards worldly power. this was not the example he left for them, though. he is trying to get them to remember his example as he exemplified Christ and His humility. this is why Paul says he is sending them Timothy, his beloved child in the faith and for them to follow his example as Timothy follows Christ’s example.)
Prayer Prompts For This Week:
– Pray that we would understand that God’s power in our lives is made perfect in our weakness and revealed-dependance on Him (2 Corinthians 12:9). Pray that God would sustain us in our faith in Him in moments of weakness in our lives as Paul did in the passage just mentioned.
– Far more than our example to follow, Jesus is of course our savior and not just who we should mold our lives after – Pray that we would devote ourselves to Him this week in His power and in ways that are molded by His Word.
– 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.