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

If you would like to receive these by email, please click here.

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 15.3

Secrecy is one of the greatest friends and main enemies of holiness.

When Jesus taught about prayer, fasting, and giving, he repeated that we should do such things ‘in secret’ – why? – ‘Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you’ (Matthew 6.4, 6 & 18). It’s not that faith should be kept private – no. Jesus meant that we shouldn’t make a big show of our faith, to win the praise or approval of others.

When we do godly things in secret, we grow in holiness, because we are praying, fasting, and giving for the right reasons: to grow closer to God; to express our gratitude to him for all he’s given us; because he alone is worthy.

However, when we sin in secret, that is something else entirely. By this I mean when we give in to the urges we all have, to indulge our feelings – and when we can do so in secret we don’t have to face the consequences, we won’t be found out – so we get away with it. What do you do in secret, that you’d be mortified if anyone found out? Gossip? Greed? Pornography?

In both instances, God sees and knows everything. Other people might not see, but he does, whether we are privately pursuing holiness or secretly sinning. Be encouraged – and be challenged.

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:

Jean Austin, Joshi Family (Alan, Jess, Paul)

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: Local Secondary Schools & Colleges

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.