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 13.14

We were on a plane home from holiday, and the dreaded call came over the tannoy, ‘Is there a doctor on the plane?’ Jess had graduated only days before, so she was qualified – but still! She spent the rest of the flight looking after a very sick pregnant lady – and at one point had the power to land the plane in Madrid, had it been medically necessary.

The selfish part of me wished she’d kept her eyes down, and in her seat. In fact there is no obligation on doctors to help in such situations, when they are not on duty.

But if you knew something that could save someone’s life, would you keep quiet?

And yet how often we do. Friends, in the Bible we have words that bring life, healing, salvation. In the Bible we have the truth that people long for, words that teach us who God is, who we are, the wonderful works of Jesus, the ongoing works of the Holy Spirit. These words bring life, and have turned countless millions ‘from the snares of death’.

And yet how often we keep them to ourselves.

From Romans 10: Who can call on the one they have not believed in? Yet how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear unless someone tells them? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

May we all have beautiful feet!

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:

Ray & Jane Skarratt, Carol Chadwick

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.