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:

By his power God raised Jesus from the dead,
and he will raise us also.

1 Corinthians 6.14 (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.

Proverbs 22.7

I have shared before how I used to think money is amoral – that is, it’s neither good nor bad, it simply ‘is’ and what matters is what we do with it.

However, the more I read and pray through the Scriptures, the less I think that. This Proverb is a case in point: money is the means by which the rich gain and exert power over the poor, usually for their own gain. After all, when someone borrows and someone lends, almost always the one who lends ends up with more than the one who borrows.

Another example: by almost every measure the pandemic has been extremely good – for one group of people: the super rich. People have lost jobs, livelihoods, houses, friends, loved ones – but the rich just keep getting richer.

Money corrupts our motives, it is subtle in attracting our attention away from Jesus and what really matters – and it does that whether we have it or don’t have it!

So what do we do? We can’t escape money, we can’t live in society without it. Do we give it all away and go to live in a desert? Probably not – although if that’s what God calls you to do, go for it!

The answer is simple: deliberately put Jesus at the centre of all you do, and all your decisions. Be aware of the dangers of money, and inoculate yourself against it by making Jesus your number one.

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:

Price Family (Ash, Elsie, Emilia, Matt)

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: Lonely & Bereaved People

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.