Sing to the Lord, and praise him! Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us (Psalm 96.2, GNB).

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

Opening

Speak these words out loud:

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.

Jeremiah 17.7 (NIV)

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.

‘It’s no good, it’s no good!’ says the buyer – then goes off and boasts about the purchase. (NIV)

The customer always complains that the price is too high, but then he goes off and brags about the bargain he got. (GNB)

Proverbs 20.14

Who doesn’t love a good bargain? Equally, who finds it really distressing when you buy something, and pop back to the shops the following week, only to find that item on sale? Who has been tempted to buy the on sale item and then return it using the receipt from the full-priced one you bought the week before… Maybe it’s gone beyond temptation?

Look, we’ve had some pretty challenging Proverbs recently. Most of them are, because Solomon is trying to teach us wisdom about ourselves, to recognise and acknowledge what’s really going on in our hearts. We need that because all people everywhere are super skilled at pretending – even to ourselves – that we are ‘good’ people. Dishonesty is one of the hardest sins to recognise and acknowledge, because we are excellent at rationalising why everything we do is ‘ok’. After all, it’s a big shop, and it’s not illegal…

When I write these, I want you to know that I am as challenged as you might me – probably more so because I often rein it in! None of us is perfect. But God knows that.

What God our Father wants from us is this:

  • to turn from our sin, to turn back to him, and receive the forgiveness and life he offers in Jesus
  • to live a life worthy of that gift, making every effort to stop sinning, with the help of his Spirit

We like the first bit – and often come unstuck on the second. But for God they go together, for if we ignore the second, it calls into question how genuine is our turn away from sin and back to God.

At the beginning of this new year, let’s make every effort to live holy lives in thanks to God for so great a gift in Jesus Christ our Lord!

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:

Geoff & Jan Wyatt, Janet Hine, Pat Ackroyd

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: Readers (Ray & Sue)

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.