Our church building may be closed, but God’s eyes are open and his ears are attentive to our prayers (2 Chronicles 7.15).

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.’

Psalm 91.1-2 (NIV)

Today’s Proverb

Read the proverb through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.

As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27.17 (NIV)

Having a blunt knife makes cooking so much harder – and more dangerous. Cutting into something firm with a blunt knife makes it more likely to slip and slice into your fingers.

I really like to have a sharp knife for cooking. And I mean really sharp. I use my whetstone once or twice a week to keep the knife in tip-top condition. I even have different grades of whetstone for getting a really fine edge… though I don’t use those very often!

When we support and encourage and challenge one another in our faith, it is like sharpening a knife: it is how we make ourselves ready to face the world. And notice how sharpening is good – it hones the edge – and painful – it removes bumps and nicks.

The obvious question is this: do you have a Christian friend (or family member) with whom you have this sort of relationship? It needs to be someone you trust a lot. And may not always be best to be someone you live with!

If not… please may I encourage you to think and pray about who that might be – otherwise you risk getting more and more blunt…

Prayers

Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders.

Today we are praying for
Geoff & Jan Wyatt, Janet Hine, and Pat Ackroyd

Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.

Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves, and buy only what they need.

Church Family Prayer

Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

Closing Prayer

Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.

Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6

May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.