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.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (NIV)
When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed, but a wish come true fills you with joy. (GNB)
Proverbs 13.12
What do you wish for? What do you long for?
It’s a simple question but as I write, I’m not entirely sure what I want! Several times over the past weeks I’ve wished we could move to New Zealand…
The wisdom here is in understanding how the heart works. Does this proverb ring true for you? It certainly does for me. It teaches us (me) why I feel as I do sometimes, and this:
What we set our heart on is important.
Do you let your heart run away with itself, wanting totally unrealistic / impossible things? Wanting other people (your spouse?) to change, but not yourself? Wanting things that feel nice for a moment, but hurt you in the long run?
Friends if that’s you, your heart is sick, and it will be crushed.
Or do you set your heart, and your hope, on godly things: growing your character, becoming more like Jesus, seeing people come to faith, blessing and encouraging the people you know and love, being the best you God is calling you to be?
If you are stuck in the death spiral of hoping for the wrong things and feeling crushed time and again, hear this proverb: there is hope, for when we set our hearts on the right things and our hopes our fulfilled, it brings life: not only to us but to everyone around us.
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:
Janet Wilson, Catriona Paton, Joyce Moore
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.