Prayer for Today – Page 13

Monday 15th December 2025

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²²in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ²with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Ephesians 4:1-5 NKJV

God and Father of all,

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-20 and this letter to them is a confirmation that they should all be together in faith, worship and belief. Living in unity, lowliness and gentleness as a family under You God our Father. And the same applies to us. Because we are all made One in Christ. “Oh I can be a Christian without going to church!” I have heard it said. I go now and again . . . Paul tells us that regardless of the benefits of belonging to a group of like minded people, it is Your desire that together we serve You and do what we could not do alone. And it will stand the test of time if it is built on Christ.

Paul speaks about putting on spiritual armour in chapter 6 and it is for our own good and for the good of the church. An army of one is vulnerable but the Roman Army showed what a small group working together could withstand! But only if they are united.

Church is sometimes and can be a mess because it is made up of people. But it is the safest place to be. I have found that if I have struggled to get there it has always been worth it. If I feel I am carrying heavy burdens someone is always willing to pray – or even help. Sometimes being able to help someone else has been a reward in itself. So occasionally someone annoys us or says something without thinking. So what? I am a sinner too! Help us to find a church that is our family and maybe let them know.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Monday 15th December 2025

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.

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, 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.

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.
Repeat Chorus . . .

Lyrics: Stuart Townend , Keith Getty & Kristyn Getty

Sunday 14th December 2025

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-20 NKJV

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who Spirit strengthens us,

Paul is writing from Rome and awaiting judgement. But he knows his eternal judgement is safely in Your hands, God. And he is able to leave us this prayer. It is good to read it verse by verse. And dwell on it. Verse numbers annoy me sometimes because they we added much later in the Bibles history. Over a thousand years after it was written, along with chapters, to help navigate. What a prayer to just digest in its fulness.

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

I can think of no better prayer for a new believer, in a challenging time, a mature or a nominal Christian. It is also a prayer for the church, all of us as one body (Ephesians 4:4) We can pray it for our fellowship! It is powerful if the you is changed to me. Grant me . . .I can pray it for myself in whatsoever state I am in! Today and every day to know there is not a limit, not a measure used with You. We all have all of You, always.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Sunday 14th December 2025
Lest we get too big for our spiritual boots . . .

How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Lyrics: Stuart Townend

Saturday 13th December 2025

“Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. ²The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us. ³As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. ⁴The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” ⁵But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. ⁶The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. ⁷Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. ⁸As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. ⁹Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. ¹⁰As a result we were showered with honours, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.” Acts 28:1-10 NLT

“It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. ¹²Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days. ¹³From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. ¹⁴There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.” Acts 28:12-14 NLT

Great Physician, Almighty God,

Jesus likened himself to a physician in Luke 5:31-32. One who healed from sin and sometimes their sickness too. But You, God are more concerned with our eternal healing for eternal life. Being healed from death is something no-one else can do, only You in Jesus. Man can only sometimes extend life.

Here, Paul does not set himself up as a healer. He practices what he preaches. He prays in all circumstances (Philippians 4:6). He trusts You for answers. And the snake bite does not kill him. Superstition was burned to cinders as it should be. The father of one of the officials of Malta is sick so Paul goes to pray for him. And You, Father answered that prayer too. Paul finds himself surrounded with needy people and prays, leaving the outcome to You. Luke the author of Acts is here faithfully recording this and as he was a doctor we know they were no no coincidental recoveries. Sandwiched between an almost deadly shipwreck and being tried in Rome by Caesar it is a miraculous three months respite.

Earlier Paul had written to the Corinthians, “And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Here he learned that God could also take him aside to rest between challenges and temptations and grant miracles. Help us to “not be lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” as Paul taught in Romans 12:12 and practiced here.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Worship Saturday 13th December 2025

Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.
Repeat

For it’s only in Your will that I am free,
For it’s only in Your will that I am free,
Jesus, all for Jesus,
All I am and have and ever hope to be.

Lyrics: Robin Mark