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

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

The Lord has established Zion,
and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.

from Isaiah 14.32

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 14.33

I’m not sure the Good News quite captures the meaning here – in fact stating the exact opposite of what the words mean!

The book of Proverbs famously personifies ‘wisdom’ – and always as female (make of that what you will!). It is more than knowledge: we might call it ‘right thinking and acting’ (sometimes the word is translated as ‘skill’) or misquote Kepler and call it ‘thinking God’s thoughts after him’.

Wisdom calls to us, warns us, reminds us what’s important, teaches how to live and act as God’s people – so the question is, are we listening?

But more than that: are we directing all our thoughts, is our heart full of wisdom? One of my most common prayers for myself is that God would give me wisdom (whether he answers that prayer or not is up to you!) because I want to be ‘discerning’ rather than a ‘fool’!

Centuries after Solomon this concept of ‘wisdom’ was translated into Greek (by Philo) as the word logos… as in the phrase en arche ein ho logos: in the beginning was the Word. Recognise that? (It’s from John 1.1…)

‘Wisdom’ may be personified as female in the Old Testament, but wisdom reaches its (or her) fulfilment in Jesus. So another way of asking if we are paying attention to wisdom is to ask, ‘Are we paying attention to Jesus?’

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:

Don & Jean Sands, Helen Slim, Gill Knight

Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.

We also pray for: Primary Schools in Amington

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.

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.