Rituals

This scene portrays the disciples at the end of a busy day. As they get ready to sleep, they pray together – reminding one another who God is and lifting their voices to Him.

The passage they pray comes from Exodus. It is about God’s deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. God’s commanded His people to always remember what He did for them; to remind each other and those around them that He delivers.

Remembering is important.

Why? Because we forget so quickly.

When experiencing the blessings of safety and provision, it’s easy to get comfortable – to believe those blessings are the normal state of affairs.

But then you hear the story of a persecuted believer, or you stand face-to-face with poverty. Suddenly, it’s not so normal anymore. And you realize how dependent we truly are upon God.

Forgetting is a problem for at least two reasons.

1. When we forget what is “normal,” we stop thanking God. That changes our attitude. We take God’s gifts for granted. We become entitled.
2. Forgetting disconnects us from those who don’t have what we have—food, safety, and so on. When we treat what we have as “normal,” we lose sight of the reality of others and the responsibility we have toward them.

Think of the moment when someone reached out to you in your loneliness and how deeply grateful you were. But now you have friends, and it feels “normal”—and you forget the lonely ones. Or that new phone that was amazing at first—you were thankful—but now it feels totally normal.

So what’s the antidote to forgetting?

Active remembering.

It’s not easy. We live in an age of constant distraction—information everywhere, endless notifications. Our days are packed.

So how do you carve out space to remember? Here are some simple ways:

• Set a timer to pause three times a day for one minute, and name four things you’re thankful for.
• Pray before meals—thank God for your food, and name two countries where food is scarce. Pray for those places.
• Keep a gratitude journal—write down what you’re thankful for, and say thank you to God.
• Celebrate Sabbath.

Remember.

Because when you make space to remember, your posture changes. Your heart is directed to Jesus—the Giver.

Reflection Questions

• Are you grateful?
• Why is it so easy to forget God’s goodness in your life?
• How do you practice active remembering?
• What rhythms or rituals could help you?

Prayer

"Lord, so much pulls at my attention. I confess that sometimes I forget You. You give, You bless, You provide. Help me to see You and not forget You. And Lord, today I ask: show me one concrete way I can practice remembering. Lead me into a simple step I can take. Amen."

This Reading Plan was created by Alongsiders Europe, a discipleship movement, in partnership with OneHope and Jesus.net.

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