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:

As for God, his way is perfect: the Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.

from 2 Samuel 22.31

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 15.22

This proverb assumes an important extra step: ‘get all the advice you can and heed it, and you will succeed.’

In current church leadership jargon we call this ‘teachability’; how important it is for us to seek out good advice, and recognise when we need to follow it, even if that goes against our own instincts!

There are few things more frustrating than a person who asks for advice, and then ignores it completely, doing what they originally wanted anyway. Or, a person who continually asks for advice, until they find someone who’ll say what they originally wanted (!).

I have often (once or twice on quite major decisions) disregarded the people who were advocating caution, and focused instead on the people who were telling me what I wanted to hear.

Friends, this is a critical area if you want to grow as a disciple. There will be things on which you are the perfect person to give advice – but many more things on which you need to listen to the wisdom of others. It takes humility to do this, to accept that you might be wrong. I find this a real challenge – but I also know I don’t want to stop learning this lesson.

For ploughing on regardless – that way is true folly. Think through your life right now: is there any advice that you are ignoring, that you need to heed? Do you need to stop being so proud, and accept you might be wrong?

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:

Rosemary Baxter, Allan & Anne Baldwin

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: Couples Getting Married

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.