Daily Prayer Devotional – Page 32

Wednesday 17th April 2024

“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ⁴since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; ⁵because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel . . .” Colossians 1:3-5 NKJV

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

As we walk through life we are so glad we do not walk alone. If we were in a country that persecuted Christians or lived in a remote place we would still have You but we would miss other people who also love You. The joy of knowing there are others who believe in You, like us, is so encouraging. Each of us have a different story of when and how You found us, or we found You – but all of us know You, the same God and Saviour and share the same faith and hope in the cross.

We share many things with our friends. What holidays were like, new recipe’s, how our family is doing, how work is going, how we feel . . . But when we can also share what Jesus is doing in our lives and when we share Your Word and Your promises and prayer there is a depth and so much more. We have a shared hope. A hope that is exactly the same for all of us who trust in Jesus. The same future in all its fulness laid up in heaven.

Thank You that we are not holding on alone. We are a body of people in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Thank You for the encouragement of others. Both those we know and those we do not know but will one day. Thank You that we are in this together, safe in Your love.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Suggestions for prayer . . .
Father,

For our family and friends. Those we know well, those maybe only a little. Help us pray with love.
For our neighbours and neighbourhood and all the good that happens day to day.
For our church, Ministers, lay leaders, members. That the church should grow with another generation.
For the royal family. For peace of mind, healing and family support and unity.
For our Parliament. To find harmony not animosity and work together for national good.
For our local dentists, GP’s, chiropodists and those in training. Those choosing their careers.
For families recently bereaved. For those who work in and those who support hospices.
For all the maternity wards, the staff and those due to give birth.
For Your people and Jerusalem. For Your wisdom and peace (Psalm 122:6).
For Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, all places of conflict. Bring an end to war. Speak peace to stubborn hearts. Bless the peacemakers.
For a good day, doing what needs to be done, good conversations and a good nights sleep.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Wednesday 17th April 2024
An old chorus put to new verses. Such a lovely melody, I love the piano and positive words. All about Jesus . . .

One day You’ll make everything new, Jesus
One day You will bind every wound
The former things shall all pass away
No more tears
One day You’ll make sense of it all, Jesus
One day every question resolved
Every anxious thought left behind
No more fear

When we all get to heaven
What a day of rejoicing that will be
When we all see Jesus
We’ll sing and shout the victory

One day we will see face to face, Jesus
Is there a greater vision of grace
And in a moment, we shall be changed
On that day
And one day we’ll be free, free indeed, Jesus
One day all this struggle will cease
And we will see Your glory revealed
On that day

And when we all get to heaven
What a day of rejoicing that will be
When we all see Jesus
We’ll sing and shout the victory

Yes, one day we will see face to face, Jesus
Is there a greater vision of grace?
And in a moment, we shall be changed
In a moment, we shall be changed
In a moment, we shall be changed
On that day

When we all get to heaven
What a day of rejoicing that will be
When we all see Jesus
We’ll sing and shout the victory
We’ll sing and shout the victory

Lyrics: Verses Eliza E. Hewitt, Matt Redman, Beth Redman, Leonard Jarman (2017?)
Chorus E. E. Hewitt 1898

Tuesday 16th April 2024

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 NIV

God of heaven and Earth, Lord of heaven and earth,

We come this morning to worship, on a Tuesday. Not because we have to, not to appease You or out of fear of what You will do if we don’t! But because we want to. Time flies by and we are heading from Easter to celebrating Pentecost. Remembering how far You went and will go to save and love the lost. We are beholden to You, owe You who paid the price and yet You set us free from the debt and called us friends.

School picking teams was painful if we were not good at sports or could not be beneficial in some way on a project! But that is not how we choose friends. Friends choose to be with us because they like us and have a relationship with us.

Jesus did not set us free to just become servants because we could be useful or do something for Him. He chose us because he already loved us closer than family or a friend. He has known us since we were formed in our mothers womb (Psalm 139). To be Your servant is a privilege, to be called Your friend is an amazing gift.

The Saviour of the world calling me, us, His friend. Think of that. Father how can we ever thank You. And worship.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Lord of heaven and earth,

For our family and friends. Those we know well, those maybe only a little. Help us pray with love.
For our neighbours and neighbourhood and all the good that happens day to day.
For our church, Ministers, lay leaders, members. That the church should grow with another generation.
For the royal family. For peace of mind, healing and family support and unity.
For our Parliament. To find harmony not animosity and work together for national good.
For our local dentists, GP’s, chiropodists and those in training. Those choosing their careers.
For those bereaved, for services, Your comfort, strength.
We pray for Your people and Jerusalem. For wisdom and peace (Psalm 122:6).
For Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, places of conflict. Bring an end to war. Speak peace to stubborn hearts. Bless the peacemakers.
For a day to give thanks for Your friendship and our friends.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Tuesday 16th April 2024

What a friend I’ve found
Closer than a brother
I have felt Your touch
More intimate than lovers

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Friend forever

What a hope I’ve found
More faithful than a mother
It would break my heart
To ever lose each other

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Friend forever

Lyrics: Martin Smith

Monday 15th April 2024

“Then Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. ³²For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, mistreated, and spat on. ³³They will flog him severely and kill him. Yet on the third day he will rise again.” ³⁴But the twelve understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what Jesus meant.” Luke 18:31-34

God of eternity,

Jesus, Son of man and yet Your Son – Son of God. Going as many did up to Jerusalem and the Temple to celebrate Passover. He knows the time is right to go there and he is preparing the disciples so they will be ready for what happens next.

Ah the hindsight of Easter just past and recent celebrations. The perception of an event after it has happened when things fall into place and we understand what we did not previously. The disciples too. After they met the resurrected Lord they remembered His words. There was no other alternative, hindsight showed that what Jesus did was the only way for death to be conquered and sin forgiven. There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin wrote Cecil Frances Alexander.

Sometimes, we do not always understand what You are doing in our lives till we have hindsight! Then we can see how You have led us and what You have taught us. You may have told us but we don’t always understand. Help us not to worry, but do what the disciples did, stick with You, keep on following and serving You and wait. Till our faith becomes sight.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

God,

For our family and friends. Those we know well, those estranged. Help us pray with love.
For our church, Ministers, lay leaders, members. Place the gospel at the centre of all that is done.
For the royal family. For peace of mind, healing and family support and unity.
For our Parliament. The ability to work together for good.
For our local dentists, GP’s, chiropodists and those in training. Those choosing their careers.
For those caring for the aged and the very young. Carers, social workers, fosterers, adopters.
For those suffering depression to lift their eyes and find You.
For those at odds with each other, even family, a way forward to peace.
For Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, places of conflict. Bring an end to war. Speak peace to stubborn hearts.
For a day to trust in You, Lord. To give thanks for what You will do in our lives today and this week for good.

In Jesus name we pray Amen.

Worship Monday 15th April 2024
I vaguely remember singing this. . . a modern hymn in traditional style. The words of the chorus just seem to fit today, we’ll walk by faith and not by sight. It is one of those hymns that grows on me the more I hear.

By faith, we see the hand of God
In the light of creation’s grand design;
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness,
Who walk by faith and not by sight.

By faith, our fathers roamed the earth
With the power of His promise in their hearts
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand –
A place where peace and justice reign.

We will stand as children of the promise,
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward.
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.

By faith, the prophets saw a day
When the longed-for Messiah would appear
With the power to break the chains of sin and death,
And rise triumphant from the grave.

By faith, the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news,
In every corner of the earth.

Chorus: We will stand . . .

By faith, this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail,
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name.

Chorus: We will stand . . .

Lyrics: Stuart Townend