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:
Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6.9 (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 fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. (NIV)
Don’t let evil people worry you; don’t be envious of them. A wicked person has no future—nothing to look forward to. (GNB)
Proverbs 24.19-20
Where do you concentrate most of your thoughts and energy? On God’s promises, or the world’s temptations? That’s what this Proverb is about.
It’s so easy to compare ourselves, and what we have, to what is around us. Particularly when we are struggling in our faith, pressing on but finding it hard going, and we see other people seeming to live carefree, self-centred lives – it can be tough.
We thought about this one a few days ago when we read Proverbs 23.17-18 together. There, we looked at how Jesus and Paul warned us about the temptations of following false teaching which looks so attractive.
Here, this Proverb reminds us that what God gives us now is only a part of what he has planned for us: there is much more to come.
So the question for us is this: are we brave enough to live by God’s promises instead of the world’s temptations?
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.