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(The following is a family devotional guide with suggested questions and scriptures.)

Talk Time

Have you ever questioned God when life doesn’t go your way?

Do you pray? How often? Why should we pray?

Name some people who have made a difference in the world. What did they do?

Bible Connection

Nearly all of us have heard of that famous holiday called Saint Patrick’s Day. It’s a day many of us associate with the color green and leprechauns and maybe even Lucky Charms cereal! (Anyone been pinched before for not wearing the color green on Saint Patrick’s Day?) Not many may know that this well-known holiday is actually rooted in Christianity! It all went back to a man named Maewyn – today, we know him as Saint Patrick. Growing up, Patrick was not Irish, but British. Though he was born into a Christian home, he rejected Christianity. And then, something interesting happened: pirates invaded his town and took him hostage. They took Patrick to Ireland, where they sold him as a slave. There, he worked as a shepherd for his master…and it was there in his suffering that he turned to God. He remembered what his parents and grandparents taught him about God, and he prayed, all day and all night. The more he prayed, the more his love for God began to grow. He said “…as my faith grew, so the Spirit became more and more active, so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and at night only slightly less.”

After six years of slavery, Patrick had a dream in which he believes God told him he would be returning home. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, he escaped one night, traveling 200 miles to ship. Not knowing where this ship was sailing, he asked the ship’s captain for permission to board but was quickly rejected. As he walked away, he started to pray when the sailors on board that ship urged him to come back where they welcomed him aboard as a captive. In that moment, Patrick said a prayer that they would all turn to Jesus as their Savior in the time he was with them. They set sail after that. Three days later, they reached an uninhabited land, where they stayed for some time. Running out of food and water, the ship’s captain complained to Patrick and urged him to pray to “his God” for all of them…so Patrick did. He urged them all to put their faith and trust in God and that God would provide that day. Suddenly, a herd of pigs came rushing their way! Realizing that God had answered their prayers, they quickly killed the pigs and feasted for days. They all gave thanks to God! Patrick stayed with these men for two more months before they released him near his home.

Returning home, he was reunited with his parents! After some time passed, he heard God speak to him again. This time, he was being called back to Ireland, his place of slavery, to witness to the Irish people. Eventually, after some spiritual training by Christian leaders, Patrick left his family and friends forever and became a missionary to Ireland. He would face great opposition with the Irish, as they were fierce pagan warriors; in fact, he should have lost his life many times, but God protected him so that he could share the Gospel. Patrick converted many pagans, took a stand against human sacrificed, and defended women and their rights. It is said by some biographers that Patrick started nearly 200 churches and baptized up to 100,000 people.

Though once a disbeliever and a slave, Patrick found purpose in his pain because of one action: he turned to God. That action led him to a deepening of his faith in such a way, he made a difference in this world! It is the power of a willing heard and desperate prayers!

Faith Connection

It’s hard to love someone you don’t know! Patrick rebelled against God before slavery, but once enslaved, his desperation turned him to God. He got to know the God he once rejected. He spent time talking to Him as a lonely shepherd, and his love for God grew. God brought good from his time in slavery – not only did Patrick get saved, but He used Patrick to witness to the Irish nation, where he was enslaved. God turned his pain into his purpose! All because he loved and trusted God. And, if God did it for Patrick, He can do it for you, too. He has a knack for bringing good from the pain in our lives. All we have to do is love and trust Him to do it.

Fun Facts:

• It was reported that Patrick used a shamrock to illustrate the trinity.
• Chicago city officials agreed to dye a portion of the Chicago River green in honor of Saint Patrick in 1962.
• Corn beef and cabbage is a popular Irish dish for St. Patrick’s Day!
• There were no snakes in Ireland! When people say St. Patrick drove out the snakes, this was a figurative way of saying he drove out the demon gods of the pagans.

Copyright © 2022 by Amber Spencer at https://www.facebook.com/groups/381287815647306. No part of this article may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from Lifeword.org