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:
Jesus said, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.’
Acts 1.8 (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.
Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you. (NIV)
Don’t promise to be responsible for someone else’s debts. If you should be unable to pay, they will take away even your bed. (GNB)
Proverbs 22.26-27
I suspect this is an unlikely scenario in many of our lives – now we have banks and credit cards, we don’t tend to borrow money from one another, but from institutions instead.
However, the principle here is about appropriate ways of supporting those in difficulty – appropriate for them, and for us. It can be easy to become embroiled in a situation that escalates out of our control.
Is this something you think about? Do you know what an appropriate way of supporting rough sleepers is when you come across them in the town / city centre? Do you even know what the needs are in our local area, then to find out what the best way of helping people is?
I’m not going to feed you the answers, but encourage you to do the research yourself.
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:
Doug & Irene Dean, Dot Betts, Vicky Moss
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: Poverty & Deprivation 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.