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.
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. (NIV)
Homes are built on the foundation of wisdom and understanding. Where there is knowledge, the rooms are furnished with valuable, beautiful things. (GNB)
Proverbs 24.3-4
I imagine people who like to do stuff and get things done might struggle a bit with this verse. After all, spending all our time navel-gazing and learning and reading is certainly not going to build a house. To build a house you need foundations and bricks, and a lot of hard work.
Today the latest newsletter from Ruth and Claude Baraberewe landed in my inbox, complete with pictures of the foundations being dug and laid and set with (hand-mixed!) concrete. At one point they said 30 people were working on the site!
At one level, that house is not being built by ‘wisdom’ or ‘understanding’, but by builders with concrete and bricks. And yet so much planning and prayer and discernment has gone into that house already. Where it is. What size it will be. How it will be laid out. And so on. But then there is also the wisdom and understanding that has led them to make Mwaro their home – they are not simply throwing together some bricks on any old piece of land.
In the same way, the life of a disciple does involve doing things and getting stuff done – but first must come wisdom and understanding. There is no point running as hard as we can, if we are running in the wrong direction! There is no point putting all our effort into this, if God is calling us to do that!
How much time do you devote to listening to God and learning understanding from him?
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:
Dennis & Dorothy Holland, Frank & Sue Joyce
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: Prayer Meetings
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.