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 13.24

I imagine this is one of the most famous of all the proverbs, up there with ‘pride comes before a fall’ (16.18). What it does not mean is that it’s ok to beat children. What it does mean is that ‘careful discipline’ and punishment is a vital part of loving your child.

After all, children – and probably the rest of us – need to learn boundaries about danger and safety, generosity and selfishness, kindness and cruelty. We all need to learn that our actions have consequences – in a good way and in a bad way. I was occasionally smacked as a child; it hurt at the time but did no lasting damage, and it was reserved only for times when I really needed to learn a lesson.

We also need to be careful about how we apply this to God. God does love us – even more than the best human parent loves their child. God is ‘careful to discipline’ his children, because he loves us.

This does not mean that every bad thing that happens to us, is God punishing, or disciplining us. We live in a world where, frankly, s**t happens. Evil things happen to all of us, and there’s no rhyme or reason why some and not others – which is one of the reasons we know they are evil!

My experience of being ‘disciplined’ by God is that he allows me to see (and suffer) the consequences of bad (wilful or accidental) decisions. He never abandons me, he is always with me, he never stops loving me, and he is always ready to forgive me.

That is true for you, too – so are you willing to listen and learn to his instruction?

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:

Philip Wells (Polesworth)

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.