Sing to the Lord, and praise him! Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us (Psalm 96.2, GNB).
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Opening
Speak these words out loud:
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27.14 (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.
The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin. (NIV)
God, the righteous one, knows what goes on in the homes of the wicked, and he will bring the wicked down to ruin. (GNB)
Proverbs 21.12
This is how things should be, and one day will be. One of the regular lines we hear from politicians when one of them is caught out doing something they shouldn’t, is that what happens in private doesn’t matter.
Except, it does.
You see, what we do when no-one is watching shows our true character. And that is why it’s important to be reminded of this truth that God does know what goes on in private, and that we will all ultimately have to face the consequences.
The psalms are full of complaints when this doesn’t happen, when people don’t face the consequences of their cheating and lies and wickedness. So often they don’t. All over the world leaders lie, misleading their nations, and seem to get away with it.
You may struggle to read or hear verses that talk about God ‘bringing people to ruin’ – and I get that. We want God to be nice and loving and merciful, not least because we need all that! But, if God were not also a God of justice and right retribution, would he not be less than God? Do you not want God to right all the wrongs and punish those who deserve it and do not repent of their wicked behaviour?
Jesus said, ‘Unless you repent, you too will all perish.’
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:
Don & Jean Sands, Helen Slim, Gill Knight
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: Primary Schools in Amington
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.