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:
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.
The path of life leads upward for the prudent to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead. (NIV)
Wise people walk the road that leads upward to life, not the road that leads downward to death. (GNB)
Proverbs 15.24
I love walking in the countryside – especially up mountains. One reason why I love walking up mountains is that it’s quite difficult to get lost (at least, in this country). You can see where you’re going – basically, up – and the higher you go, the more the trees start thinning out.
When you walk on lower levels, particularly in a wood, among trees, it is much harder to navigate. For starters, the paths are often much less clearly marked, but mainly you can’t see any landmarks to work out where you are, and which direction you’re walking in.
If I stood at a fork in the path, one path leading up into the mountains, the other leading down into a wood – I know which I would take.
If only life were that simple!
But then… is it? Is it actually that simple? Time and again the Bible offers us two paths: God’s way, and our way. God’s way is righteousness, holiness, and life – our way is selfishness, self-centredness, and death.
If I’m honest, you don’t have to be that wise to know which is the right and best path to take. But you do have to be wise enough to make the decision to stay on the path of life, to put God first in your life, when it comes to choosing how to spend your time, energy, and money.
It’s simple, but not easy: which path do you choose?
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:
Archbishops Justin and John
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: Malawi & Bolivia Links
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.