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.
Whoever strays from the path of prudence comes to rest in the company of the dead. (NIV)
Death is waiting for anyone who wanders away from good sense. (GNB)
Proverbs 21.16
I have to confess I actually looked up the word ‘prudence’ in my dictionary, because I wasn’t sure exactly what it means. The first definition was a little unhelpful – ‘the quality of being prudent’ – but the second was much more helpful:
Wisdom applied to practice.
In other words, prudence means wisdom being more than things we know or think are a good idea, and actually affecting our behaviour, our words, our actions, our attitudes.
I’ve asked this question a few times as we’ve read through the Proverbs over the past months: how have these Proverbs changed the way you think / act / speak / etc? Have they?
The thing is, all this faith business is not much use if it doesn’t actually impact our daily lives. If we don’t change, if we stay stuck in our old ways, I’m not convinced we’ve actually changed direction away from death and towards God and life.
Are you listening to God or are you still reading the Proverbs thinking they apply to someone else, not you?
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:
Robert Birbeck, Helen Thompson, Ann Birbeck
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: TCHA Tenants & Staff, Starfish
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.