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

Welcome back to the daily proverb!

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

The Spirit of God has made us;
the breath of the Almighty gives us life.

from Job 33.4

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.

Proverbs 12.18

As it’s D-Day today I am reminded of the famous slogan from the Second World War: ‘Careless Talk Costs Lives’. This is one of the repeated themes of Proverbs: what we say matters.

A month ago we thought about the phrase ‘sticks and stones’ – and how our words can crush or encourage others.

Have you been more thoughtful in what you say since then? The Good News adds the word ‘thoughtless’ – emphasising that sometimes the most hurtful things we say come when we speak without thinking.

There is a link here with the truth-speaking we’ve seen in more recent days. Again, notice the word ‘wise’. It is important to speak the truth, but it is also important to speak the truth wisely. For example, if someone needs to hear a home truth, simply shooting off your mouth is not the way to do it. Speak the truth in love, someone important once said: speak wisely.

In your prayer time, ask God to show you someone you could nourish and encourage with wise words. How can you ‘bring healing’?

Prayers

Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.

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:

Doug & Irene Dean, Patricia Wood

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.