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 13.20

One of the good things of these emails going through the Proverbs is that we keeping coming back to similar themes. This helps reinforce the wisdom contained in the book, and keeps nudging us to do that thing we really meant to do last time we read a proverb about it…

A few days ago we thought what kind of company we keep. Did you spend any time thinking about the impact different people have on you?

My parents used to be Puppy Walkers for the Guide Dogs. Every year (or so) we would be brought a new puppy – and the old puppy would be taken away for training. Our very first puppy – Peter – failed his medical ten days after he was taken away, and we had the option to have him back – which of course we did!

Apart from the fact that two puppies are better than one, having Peter around made it much easier to train the new puppies: because they would copy him. Thankfully he was both extremely intelligent and very well behaved, so he was a good role model.

Do you pay attention to the impact people you spend time with have on you (good or bad)?

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:

Mary Wilson, Cynthia Taylor, Dot Betts

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.