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:

Let us build with care,
building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

from 1 Corinthians 3.10-11

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 16.6

This is how things should be, and one day will be.

If you could be perfect in love and faithfulness, you would indeed be able to atone for your own sins. On my good days I’m pretty loving and very faithful. I’m sure I remember having a good day once…

Thankfully Jesus is perfect in love and faithfulness always and every day. Through his love and faithfulness our sins are atoned for – that is the wonderful truth and exchange at the heart of the gospel. He gets all our sin and shame, we get his righteousness and life. It’s not fair, really! But it shows us the depth of his love for us.

What about this ‘obey the Lord and nothing evil will happen to you’? There must be more going on here, because Jesus obeyed God perfectly, and some very evil things happened to him.

The way the NIV tones it down is perhaps helpful – there is evil that can be avoided, by living God’s way and not our own way. As we draw closer to Jesus, as we listen to and learn from him, as the Holy Spirit works in us to make us more like Jesus, so we start to avoid the evil that comes from within us.

The evil without us – well, like Jesus, we can’t escape that yet, but God promises to be with us always, and carry us safely through it.

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:

Hazel Lawson, Olive Carter, Julia Pinner

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: Overseas Mission Partners

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.