Our church building may be closed, but God’s eyes are open and his ears are attentive to our prayers (2 Chronicles 7.15).
If you would like to receive these by email, please click here.
Opening
Speak these words out loud:
The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead
is living in us;
he who raised Jesus from the dead will give us life
because of his Spirit who lives in us.
from Romans 8.11
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.
No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted. (NIV)
Wickedness does not give security, but righteous people stand firm. (GNB)
Proverbs 12.3
We’re back at another of the common threads in Proverbs: speaking to those of us who look longingly at those who live an ungodly lifestyle.
But is it really all it’s cracked up to be?
The sleep of a labourer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. (NIV)
Workers may or may not have enough to eat, but at least they can get a good night’s sleep. The rich, however, have so much that they stay awake worrying. (GNB)
Ecclesiastes 5.12
That’s a slightly different angle, but it’s making a similar point. Wickedness may give the appearance of stability (through ill-gotten gains or popularity or power), but the truth is a life like that is built on sand. How quickly popularity can fade away, how quickly power can be lost.
Yet when I read this, it really chafes. It’s as though my natural instinct is sceptical of this truth. I want to say, ‘Yes, but…’ Stability means a house with no mortgage on it, a permanent well-paid job, enough money to afford regular time off to rest and recouperate… if I had all that then I would sleep better.
At least, that’s what I tell myself. How about you?
It’s hard to hear the simple message of this proverb, and accept it as true. And yet, it is true wisdom. Are we willing to learn what it teachers us?
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
Irene Davies, Alan & Joyce Page, Rita Harris
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.