“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 1 John 1:5-6 NKJV
Father who made night and day,
The days are much shorter and seem so with the change of the clocks last week. The overcast days don’t help either Lord. You made the seasons and set the earth on its axis and gave us our Sun. We are fortunate to have electricity and can be safe and warm indoors to enjoy a night of rest and sleep. The darkness of night itself it is not evil. As the Psalmist wrote, “even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”
The Bible warns us about the other kind of darkness (evil), the opposite of light (goodness of God). You are good, pure light, the light of truth, hope and love. You do not mislead, deceive or bend the truth.
Help us to walk in Your light whether day or night. So we see anything dark for what it is and avoid it. Help us trust your light to show us what is good and reassure us of Your love whether we are fed up on dark evenings, wishing it was summer again or trying not to leave electric lights on. We need sunlight for vitamin D which keeps our mood up. But Lord how we need the light of Your love to keep us full of grace and truth. Shine on us and through us these darker days.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Father who created seasons,
For our family, friends, neighbours, those we promised to pray for.
For our fellowship, ministers and congregations.
For our king and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2).
For our Government. Lords and commons. Civil Servants. Local councillors
For Ukraine and Russia. For Israel, Lebanon, the Middle East. End to conflict, war.
For those who work night shifts and have to adapt their time. And their families.
For those struggling to feed and keep their families warm and those alone.
For food banks, open churches, drop in centres, family social workers neighbours.
For those who suffer depression at this time of year. Shine into their hearts and minds.
For us? Meet our needs for this day and light our way. We need You.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Wednesday 30th October 2024
Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little candle burning in the night;
In this world of darkness, we must shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine.
Jesus bids us shine, first of all for Him
Well He sees and knows it if our light grows dim;
He looks down from Heaven to see us shine
You in your small corner, and I in mine.
Jesus bids us shine, then, for all around,
Many kinds of darkness in the world abound;
Sin and want and sorrow, so we must shine,
You in your small corner and I in mine.
Jesus bids us shine as we work for Him,
Bringing those that wander from the paths of sin;
He will ever help us if we shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine.
Lyrics: Susan Bogert Warner