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.
If you take your neighbour to court, do not betray another’s confidence, or the one who hears it may shame you and the charge against you will stand. (NIV)
If you and your neighbour have a difference of opinion, settle it between yourselves and do not reveal any secrets. Otherwise everyone will learn that you can’t keep a secret, and you will never live down the shame. (GNB)
Proverbs 25.9-10
I like it when people share their secrets with me. It makes me feel special, trusted, valued.
But there are few things more tempting than sharing those secrets with others, ‘anonymously’. After all, where’s the harm in that? Surely if it’s anonymous, it’s breaking a confidence?
I did that once, and then discovered that the person I had shared an anonymous story with ‘in confidence’, had themselves shared it ‘in confidence’ with someone else… who then told the original person. They were seriously upset that I had shared something private, even if I hadn’t used their name.
Experiencing those consequences made me realise the character issue: we shouldn’t break other people’s confidence because they might find out, but because we shouldn’t! It is a question of trustworthiness and honesty.
How trustworthy are you with other people’s intimate secrets?
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:
Taylor Family (Alex, Chris, Holly, John, Ruby)
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: Place of Welcome
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.