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.

Proverbs 24.26

Do you remember your first kiss? At the risk of making you all vomit, I rather like kissing (well, kissing Jess!). There is a simplicity and tenderness about it that I love.

This Proverb compares honesty to a kiss – beautiful and sweet. But also, something that takes practice: I imagine, for most of us, our first kiss wasn’t up to much!! Similarly, honesty is not something we can ‘just do’. We need to learn how to be honest, and practise it so it starts to become a habit.

Ask yourself: in which areas of your life do you find it hard to be honest? When do you find yourself bending or hiding the truth – possibly even using the excuse that you’re trying to stop hurting someone else’s feelings?

But, like kissing, honesty needs practising. If there are situations where you find it hard to be honest, think and pray about it – ask God to help you find a way of acting and speaking that is truthful, but also gracious.

It isn’t easy, but like a kiss on the lips honest is a beautiful thing.

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:

Geoff & Jan Wyatt, Janet Hine, Pat Ackroyd

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: Readers (Ray & Sue)

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.