2021 Family Togetherness Week of Prayer
5-11 September 2021
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23
Fruit comes in many different shapes, sizes, textures, and tastes. Farmers from around the world make great efforts to grow and produce fruit that will tickle our tongues and satisfy our tastebuds. Some fruits are round like oranges or blueberries. Some are fuzzy like peaches and kiwi. Some are large like papaya and watermelon. And some are tart like cranberries or sweet like mangoes. Producing fruit is no easy task. Many of us simply go to the local grocery store or market and pick up whatever fruit we like for a reasonable price. However, farmers have the difficult task of planting, nurturing, and cultivating the fruit we get to enjoy.
The Bible speaks about another kind of fruit that is not bought at the market or cultivated at the orchard or farm. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul uses fruit to show what will happen to us when we choose to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are virtues that are cultivated when we are filled with the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts. It is the result of having a relationship with Jesus and allowing His Spirit to flow in us and through us. We expect that an apple tree will bear apples, and an orange tree will yield oranges. In much the same way, we expect disciples of Christ to be filled with the Spirit and produce the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
During this Family Togetherness Week of Prayer, our desire is for every husband and wife, every father and mother, every family and person that loves Jesus to produce the fruit of the Spirit in their lives each day. This resource has been created with the entire family in mind. Each day has three parts: a reading, a prayer, and an activity. In the reading, you will learn about a different fruit from around the world and you will also learn about the Fruit of the Spirit. Each day there is a prayer emphasising the fruit of the spirit for that day. You can pray this prayer together as a family asking God to cultivate that fruit in your hearts and in your homes that day. There is also an interactive activity that you can do with your family to reinforce learning and get all family members involved in worship.
We encourage every member of the family to memorise Galatians 5:22, 23 by reciting and practicing it each day, while emphasising the spiritual fruit of the day. We have included activities to help you with memorizing the text so that by the end of the week you will have stored this text in your brain and in your heart. We hope every member of your family will allow the Spirit of God to grow His fruit in them as they diligently water, weed, and participate in providing the conditions that will allow this to become a reality in their lives.
Download here the PDF file for a full week of meditations and activites for the whole family.
Willie and Elaine Oliver, Directors
Adventist Family Ministries
Seventh-day Adventist Church
World Headquarters
For more information, visit the General Conference Family Ministries department.
