Daily Prayer Devotional – Page 5

Sunday 7th July 2024

“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.
¹²Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? ¹³Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counsellor has taught Him? ¹⁴With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?” Isaiah 40:11-14 NKJV

God,

You have measured the waters with one hand. And measured the heavens – and we mortals do not even know how deep the deepest oceans are or how far the stars go! And You do and have calculated the dust of the earth in one measure even when it is being shifted about constantly by erosion, rain and every gust of wind. You know everything even the constantly changing. You cannot be fashioned into an image because You are not like anything made or known. You are beyond our imagination unseen and unknown – and it could have stayed that way.

But You came like a Shepherd to care for Your flock. Those You would purchase at great price to Yourself. And Your disciples followed You as we still do today. And You still gather us into Your arms and carry us when we need help. And You gently lead us, if we are willing, and are not foolish enough to think we know better.

How immense You are, God, but how intimate in compassionate and caring. You are the one who created us in our mothers womb. Help us learn to trust You and remember You are a gentle Shepherd but also a mighty and able God.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Suggestions for prayer . . .
God of eternity,

For our family, friends, neighbours. Help them and help us share Your love.
For our Ministers, lay leaders, church members. Supply them with all they need.
We pray for kings and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). Charles, Kate and Anne.
For the new Government to find its feet and desire to work in unity for good.
For Paris and athletes preparing for the 2024 Olympics, starting July 26th 2024.
For the Christians volunteering to serve at the Olympics ready to pray or share their faith.
For Gaza, and the Middle East. Peace to be made and kept, the best way forward for all.
For Ukraine, an end to war. We continue to ask for a miracle from You.
For Afghanistan, women, children and those who have no freedom. The underground church.
For the church worldwide -small and large. City and village.
For those who care for the Your lambs in Sunday schools and messy church.
For those who are blaming You for their situation and have turned away.
For gratitude for a summer day. Wet or dry! For light and life and the love of the Good Shepherd.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Sunday 7th July 2024

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvellous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty, enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God, to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

You are beautiful beyond description
Yet God crushed You for my sin
In agony and deep affliction
Cut off that I might enter in
Who can grasp such tender compassion?
Who can fathom this mercy so free?
You are beautiful beyond description
Lamb of God who died for me

Lyrics: Mark Altrogge

Saturday 6th July 2024

“The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.” Nahum 1:3

Lord of power,

Nahum , back in the Old Testament, was writing to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire. An idolatrous city and nation that had beaten Israel, in war, many times. It is not a happy ending book! Putting that aside many, many years later Nineveh did have a brief period of revival thanks eventually to the rebellious Jonah, Nineveh was far from a godly place . . .

It is Nahum’s turn of phrase that got my attention Lord! The clouds are the dust of His feet. Nahum wants Assyria and us to remember we are not talking about You as a God who can be housed in a Temple, manipulated or persuaded to help. A God who is on the side of the army that wins – No! You are omnipotent. You cannot be controlled or beaten. Wafted about by the wind and weather. As Nahum says, even clouds are as but dust under Your feet. Gives perspective.

Thankfully, Nahum reminds us that You are slow to anger. The Assyrians had pushed, pushed, pushed and gone over the line. They had shown no desire to turn from iniquity.

Help us see the vastness of You. Your hatred of iniquity but how slow You are to anger. And how ready to forgive to the repentant. God and Lord of all. History happens, You are still God and working Your purposes out. Thank You for Your mercy, longsuffering and kindness.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Suggestions for prayer . . .
God of Heaven and earth,

For our family, friends, neighbours. Meet them where they are with Your kindness.
For our Ministers, lay leaders, church members. Supply them with all they need.
We pray for kings and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2).
Far all the new MP’s and Government.
For Paris and athletes preparing for the 2024 Olympics, starting July 26th 2024.
For the Christians volunteering to serve at the Olympics ready to pray or share their faith.
For Gaza, and the Middle East. Peace made, not kept, and the best future for all.
For Ukraine, an end to war. We continue to ask for a miracle from You.
For Afghanistan, women, children and those who have no freedom. The underground church.
For those who work weekends and nights.
For those who need help controlling anger and those who need patience.
For those with anxiety and mental health struggles.
For us to know Your kindness and be able to reflect it to ourselves and others today.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Saturday 6th July 2024
Chris Tomlin wrote this song when he was living in Austin, Texas. He remembers sitting on his sofa in his little apartment looking at Psalm 104. It said, ‘You our Lord are very great. You’re clothed with splendour and majesty, wrap yourself with light as with a garment’ and the chorus came out, how great is our God.

He thought the song finished. But he met Ed Cash who picked his guitar up and said, it’s pretty good, but what if you do something like this?’ And Ed started singing, ‘You’re the name above all names, you are worthy of our praise.’ Chris said, when you open up and let somebody in, it just makes it better.

The splendour of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the Earth rejoice
All the Earth rejoice

He wraps himself in light
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of our praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

Lyrics: Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, and Ed Cash

Friday 5th July 2024

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, ²⁴“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ ²⁶then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ ²⁷But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ ²⁸There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. ²⁹They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. ³⁰And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.” Luke 13:22-30 NKJV

Lord, Our Lord,

You started with the disciples and then, following a meeting with a dubious woman at a well, added a group of Samaritans . . . the foundations of the Christian family. And here Luke writes about Jesus answering questions about those who would get into the Kingdom of God.

Jesus answers seem to show opposites views! First a picture of a narrow gate, the master shutting the door and not letting many in. They only glimpse Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets safe inside as they are thrust back out through the door! And it slams shut.

Then we are given a beautiful picture of innumerable people coming from the East and the West and the North and the South and no mention of a door but we see them all sitting down together in the Kingdom of God. No pushing or shoving. Those who were there first standing aside respectfully to let those newly arrived in. Rejoicing that those coming in had continued the work they had started.

In Revelation 7:10 we are shown a picture of a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues . . . These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). We rejoice to be in that number, that the church will continue to grow. Because of Jesus. May those we know and love find You through HIm.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Suggestions for prayer . . .
Lord , our God and Saviour,

For our family, friends, neighbours. Meet them where they are and bless them with Your life.
For our Ministers, lay leaders, church members. Give opportunities to share the good news.
We pray for kings and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2).
For a good response to the election results.
For Paris and athletes preparing for the 2024 Olympics, starting July 26th 2024.
For Christians preparing to serve at the Olympics ready to pray or share their faith.
For Gaza, and the Middle East. Peace made not kept, and the best future for all.
For Ukraine, an end to war. We continue to ask for a miracle from You.
For our local communities and all who keep them running smoothly and safely.
For those who run and work in hospices and nurse those at home at the end of life..
For all those who care for another person, child, relation, neighbour, friend.
For us to know we are part of God’s great family at home, at work, on holiday or on nights

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 5th July 2024
This worship was written based on Luke 13:29 for a Salvation Army musical called The Blood of the Lamb (1978). It is now in the hymn book and has been sung and performed all around the world in many languages. I love the picture it paints and the melody just flows with it.

They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God;
Both the rich and the poor,
the despised, the distressed,
They’ll sit down in the Kingdom of God.
And none will ask what they have been
Provided that their robes are clean;
They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God.

They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God;
To be met by their Father and welcomed and blessed,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God.
The black, the white, the dark, the fair,
Your colour will not matter there;
They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God.

They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west,
And sit down in the Kingdom of God;
Out of great tribulation to triumph and rest
They’ll sit down in the Kingdom of God.
From every tribe and every race,
All men as brothers shall embrace;
They shall come from the east,
they shall come from the west.
And sit down in the Kingdom of God.

Lyrics and Tune: John Gowans and John Larsson
(Both served as officers and then as General of the Salvation Army in their time).