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:

‘Where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.’

from Matthew 6.21 (Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount)

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 heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. (NIV)

Intelligent people are always eager and ready to learn. (GNB)

Proverbs 18.15

Are you an old dog who feels they can’t learn any new tricks? Are you too busy to even think about new things? Do you feel like you don’t need to learn anything new, just get on with the things you already know?

One of the character traits that is most important in leadership is what is sometimes called ‘teachability’. It starts with the recognition that we have something to learn, a humility to learn from even surprising people and situations, and the courage to change direction when we have got it wrong.

What we call teachability, Solomon simply calls ‘wisdom’.

And he links it with ‘ears’. There are many ways to listen and hear what others are trying to tell us, what the world is trying to show us, what experience is trying to teach us. Sometimes it’s words from other people, but most of the time people are too nice to tell us what we need to hear.

Therefore, it’s important to learn to look and listen for ourselves, to think through our thoughts and words and behaviour and attitudes, the way we interact with others and react to situations – so we can listen to what God might be telling us through them.

It’s not navel-gazing, it’s wisdom, and learning. I suggested a few days ago that you try to do this, perhaps when you brush your teeth at night. How’s that going? Perhaps you could make a renewed effort to try it out?

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:

Irene Davies, Alan & Joyce Page, Rita Harris

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 Councillors

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.