Tag: Daily Prayer Devotional

Saturday 9th March 2024

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 NIV

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

‘Flourish’ what a wonderful word. I thought it was a gardening term It has become a very popular word in the school where I am a governor. Want all children to flourish in their own way. We too need to flourish. We need Your light, the water of Your word, and to be good soil, to grow, thrive like healthy plants and flourish. Not to be distracted, and as Pilgrims Progress puts it, enter the slough of despond. Been there, its not pleasant.

But this verse from Ephesians promises to help us thrive and flourish. It gives us the promise that You God, will give and provide what we need in those despondent and down situations of life if we trust, depend on and obey Christ. And if we trip off Your path or stumble over trouble as we do . . . Christ our risen Lord, seated at the Your right hand (Mark 16:19) the seat of honour and power, will pick us up and lead us back.

Spiritual blessings! Every spiritual blessing that You, Father can bestow, that the Son can provide and that the Spirit can apply. Too much to unpack here . . . pardon, peace, redemption, adoption, forgiveness of sins, joy, an inheritance, and being sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise . . .

Help us to flourish and when dark, low or rocky times come, keep us looking to You, Your promises and Your blessing. And lead us through.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Suggestions for prayer . . .
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

For family, friends, neighbours, let them see Your goodness in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13)
We pray for our neighbours and their needs today, even those we do not know. Bless them.
Bless our church family and help it to be the best it can be. Bless the lent groups as they study.
For the Royal family. For gossip to end and healing to come.
For our government. Be amongst all that is going on and being said and work for good.
For an end to the war in Ukraine. Send a miracle. Turn Russia away.
For Gaza. Give success to calls for peace talks. Help those delivering aid to where it is needed.
For a harvest of new people and believers to come to churches this Easter.
For those who need Your help getting over trauma, bereavement and need relief for the mind.
For us a day of blessings and to find Your blessings amongst the chores and or our responsibilities.
Help us to appreciate all we do have, and are blessed by.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Saturday 9th March 2024
Not a well known song but one to listen to perhaps.

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long as we have faith to believe

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Lyrics: Laura Story

Friday 8th March 2024

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4,5 NIV

Father God,

We belong. You liken it to being a body made up of different parts. The family of God. All unique and not because of what we can do or have! All in Christ are holy and beautiful. Even if we find it hard to see ourselves like that at times!

Today, I believe, is designated International Womens Day.  Aiming to focus global attention on the position of women when it comes to gender equality, bias, stereotypes and discrimination. The Christian church has struggled with this down the ages and, many still do today. But here in this little verse in the original Greek the word for members was not masculine or feminine it was neutral. That suggests, to me, it meant both. Every single person, individual and yet part of the family in God.

Jesus quietly went against the culture and taught men and women together (Matthew 14:21) and had many women followers (Luke 8:1-3). At Pentecost Your Holy Spirit fell upon all present, men and women (Acts 1:14, Acts 2:1-4). He was always inclusive.

Thank You for church (the members). It is not perfect. Being in Your family is not about status or role or importance but about belonging. Help us be welcoming and encouraging and support each other. To be the best we can. We were made for fellowship with You and each other.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Suggestions for prayer . . .
Father God,

For family, friends, neighbours, hold them safe, and shower them with Your love.
We pray for our neighbours and their needs today, even those we do not know. Bless them.
Bless our church family and help it to be the best it can be. Bring reconciliation and love to churches where there is discord or disharmony.
For all the women down through history who have changed things for good. Made life changing discoveries and influenced families for good.
For women treated as property and abused changes in the law and attitudes in their countries.
For the Royal family. King Charles and Camilla, Prince William, Kate and family for healing.
For our government. A harmony and unity to serve the nation even when views differ.
For an end to the war in Ukraine. Send a miracle of peace soon. Have mercy. Bless and prosper those delivering aid and medical care.
For Gaza an end to all the killing, hostage taking and hate. Give success to the search for peace and help those trying to deliver aid to where it is needed.
Send a harvest of new people and believers to the churches this Easter.
For support agencies and volunteer groups across the UK inspire new volunteers to join and help.
For us help us to appreciate each other and those we worship with. Help us to remember them in prayer.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 8th March 2024

Help us accept each other
as Christ accepted us;
teach us as sister, brother,
each person to embrace.
Be present, Lord, among us
and bring us to believe
we are ourselves accepted,
and meant to love and live.

Teach us, O Lord, your lessons,
as in our daily life
we struggle to be human
and search for hope and faith.
Teach us to care for people,
for all, not just for some,
to love them as we find them,
or as they may become.

Let your acceptance change us,
so that we may be moved
in living situations
to do the truth in love,
to practice your acceptance
until we know by heart
the table of forgiveness,
and laughter’s healing art.

Lord, for today’s encounters
with all who are in need,
who hunger for acceptance,
for righteousness and bread,
we need new eyes for seeing,
new hands for holding on;
renew us with your Spirit,
Lord, free us, make us one!

Lyrics: Fred Kaan

Thursday 7th March 2024

“We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:15,16 NET

 “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Galatians 3:27

Holy God,

Not by law, not by works but by Jesus Christ. Justified – made righteous. Righteous in the English dictionary means: to be virtuous, honourable, or morally right. In Hebrew, Lord I read there are a few different words for righteous or righteousness .
Sad-diq – just, innocent, in the right, devout, upright.
S-da-qa – honesty, justice, justness.
Se-deq – accuracy, what is correct, right thing, what is honest, equity, what is right.

Help me grasp that righteousness is not something You do God, it is who You are, Your character. You are just and honest in all You do. You are upright in all Your ways. You do what is right.

Me? I am far from it. Though we all like to think we are right at times! But we cannot be right all the time. So we cannot come to You, Holy God because we are not righteous. But for Jesus. Three beautiful words. But for Jesus. And one amazing yet terrible sacrifice and a life changing gift. The robe of righteousness. Keep us humble enough to put on what we cannot earn, cannot procure or ever be good enough for. On putting on Christ You see us wearing His robe of righteousness as if we too had never sinned.

Never mind fashion, impressing others . . . Today, I worship You for clothing me in Your Son at such a great cost. For accepting me in Christ as righteous. For helping me to learn to be like You. Help me to walk, live and rejoice in Jesus and His gift of righteousness.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Suggestions for prayer . . .
Holy God,

For family, friends, neighbours, hold them safe, and shower them with Your love.
We pray for our neighbours and their needs today, even those we do not know. Bless them.
Bless our church family and all the lent groups that are meeting across this nation.
For all the Royal family. For healing and well being and some privacy.
For our government. Amidst all the talk and speeches we pray Your gentle wisdom will be heard in their hearts focussing them on the truth, the good and doing their best.
For an end to the war in Ukraine. Send a miracle of peace soon. Have mercy. Bless and prosper those delivering aid and medical care.
For Gaza an end to all the killing, hostage taking and hate. Give success to the search for peace and help those trying to deliver aid to where it is needed.
Thank You for those who first shared the gospel in the UK and empower those who share it today.
For support agencies and volunteer groups across the UK inspire new volunteers to join and help.
For us today to arise and put on the robe of righteousness. To know how much You love and value us today.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
 
Worship Thursday 7th March 2024
Sometimes well known words and tunes just say it all. Timeless truth.

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.

Lyrics: Fred Kaan