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.

Proverbs 20.27

I’m sure you’ve seen it on TV – usually in a cartoon – when a character has a little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. It’s a fairly common way of depicting the clash between temptation and conscience.

Are you aware of that clash within yourself? Do you pay attention to it? It may be helpful for you to spend a few moments reflecting on how you feel most tempted, when you find it most difficult to listen to the ‘angel on your shoulder’, to the conscience God gave you to warn you about dangerous behaviour.

Because friends it is dangerous.

Imagine you have a piece of paper. Every time we ignore God, every time we ignore our conscience, we snip a bit off the piece of paper. Sometimes it’s a big bit, sometimes it’s a (really!) small bit. But every time the paper gets smaller, and smaller, and smaller…

When we sin – however big or small – that’s what we do to the good gift of life that God has given each of us. When we give in to temptation, when we ignore our conscience, we snip or spoil or stain a bit of that gift.

Only Jesus can make it – only Jesus can make us whole again. Whether we need a lot of mending, or a little, only Jesus can do 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:

Roger Myring, JoAnne Griffin, Joyce Madeley

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: Knit & Natter

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.