Prayer for Today – Page 197

Saturday 23rd March 2024

“Therefore He (Jesus) is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

Almighty God,

This reminded me of a saying about “the guttermost to the uttermost” which I think was to do with the gin drinking ladies of the late 1800’s passing out on the streets! Mothers ruin was its nickname. Sadly still ruining lives today Father. William Booth’s told his Salvation Army soldiers, “Go straight for souls and go for the worst.” God, You are able to save anyone, whoever they are, wherever they are and whatever their situation. Maybe the worst know their need most! You found me. You saved me.

I love to pray. I am not sure I am an intercessor. When I do pray my concentration easily wanders. I loose focus, become distracted or simply seem in desperate need of a cup of tea! Is it the enemy or me or both?

But Jesus is always interceding for us, personally, and in Your presence. Every minute of every day. Who knows our needs better than Your Son. When Jesus walked among us He prayed that we would be one just as You, Father and Jesus are one (John 17:20-23) Us in You and You in us. Hekp us to pray.

It is such a blessing when someone prays for us when we meet. How eternally wonderful to know we are constantly being prayed for, by the one who died for us, the King of Kings.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Almighty God,

For our family, friends and neighbours. Help them, You know their deepest needs, fears and joys.
For those we rub up against. Help us to respond in love.
For our church family, Ministers and church leadership. Inspire them.
For the Royal family. Their health. To have some privacy along with their public duties.
For our government. House of commons, House of Lords, civil servants.
For our nearest towns and cities and city centres. For employment, development and growth.
For those on the front line in the NHS and police. Ambulance crew, rapid response, air ambulance.
For an end to the war in Ukraine. Deal with Putin as You did with Pharaoh so he will let them go.
For a solution for Gaza and peace and healing and a way to rebuild relationships and homes.
For countries where there is conflict, oppression or famine – be their path to peace and support.
For those individual and groups who commit to prayer for our nation and world.
For a good day. Grant easy sleep. Bless those of us who wake in the night and those who find it hard to wake in a morning. Grant us Your rest within, restore and refresh us.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Saturday 23rd March 2024

Charitie was the daughter of an Irish minister, born in county Dublin in 1841 . This text was paired with hymn tunes (including the tune to “Sweet Hour of Prayer”) that gave the words a mournful quality. So it was not widely sung. Then, in 1997, Vikki Cook of Sovereign Grace Ministries wrote a more joyous folk melody. It set the words free for a new generation to express the confidence and joy of being in Christ.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea;
a great High Priest whose name is Love,
who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
my name is written on his heart.
I know that while in heav’n he stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart,
no tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look and see him there
who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
for God the just is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me,
to look on him and pardon me.

Behold him there, the risen Lamb,
my perfect, spotless righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace.
At one with him, I cannot die;
my soul is purchased by his blood.
My life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ my Savior and my God,
with Christ my Savior and my God.

Lyrics: Charitie Lees Bancroft

Charitie was the daughter of an Irish minister, born in county Dublin in 1841 . This text was paired with hymn tunes (including the tune to “Sweet Hour of Prayer”) that gave the words a mournful quality. So it was not widely sung.

Then, in 1997, Vikki Cook of Sovereign Grace Ministries wrote a more joyous folk melody. It set the words free for a new generation to express the confidence and joy of being in Christ.

Friday 22nd March 2024

“Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 NET

“Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.” Romans 13:14 NET

God of peace,

It’s the unpredictable things that push out my peace and usher in annoyance, self sympathy and impatience, Father God. Like the washer breaking down (never when it is empty of water), breaking a glass on the kitchen tap, stubbing my toe . . . walking mud in from the garden, dribbling lunch down a clean jumper. And those jumper stains remind me that I am not just grubby without but easily daily stained with sin within.

How wonderful it was to put on the Lord Jesus Christ that first time and Know I was forgiven, cleansed through and through, inside and out. Robed in His pure clean holiness. A robe of humility, compassion, gentleness, patience and kindness and divine shining holiness. Restored to peace and well being in place of our earthly annoyances and irritation.

We are grateful that, but we need You to keep us clean. The times when we loose it a little or a lot, You, Lord restore us. We are re-laundered inside and out. Remind us on this lent walk, towards the cross, that it cost You everything and us nothing. You give and give again and again. Thank You.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

God of peace,

For our family, friends and neighbours. Hold them. Help them in their joys and pains.
For those we have difficulties with. Help us not to exasperate the situation even if we are right.
For our church family, Ministers and church leadership. Keep the way forward true and good.
For the Royal family. Their health. To have some privacy along with their public duties.
For our government. House of commons, House of Lords, civil servants. You sort and guide.
For our nearest towns and cities and city centres. For employment, development and growth.
For schools in the busy week before the holidays. That Easter would be explained to them.
For those on the front line in the NHS and police. Ambulance crew, rapid response, air ambulance.
For an end to the war in Ukraine. Deal with Putin as with Pharaoh so he will let the people go.
For a solution for Gaza and peace and healing and a way to rebuild relationships and homes.
For countries where there is conflict, oppression or famine – be their providers and support.
For all the church volunteers serving their communities and neighbours.
For us to know Your peace of forgiveness, to feel renewed, as we wash and put on clean clothes.
For a good day with good thoughts and feeling to follow.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 22nd March 2024
At the time of Watts’ birth (1674), churches in England sang only metrical psalms. But by the time of his death (1748), he had planted the seeds of a much more complex hymnody. His 600 hymns found in seven collections made the transition from a rigid, metrical psalmody to a freer, theologically-based hymnody.
Wonderful worship.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Lyrics: Isaac Watts

Thursday 21st March 2024

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. ” Colossians 2: 8-10 NIV

God,

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are turning our hearts and minds to that last journey Your Son made to Jerusalem, as we travel through lent. You were not distracted or threatened away from Your purpose. Our world is full of spiritual potholes, misleading signposts, boggy ground. Trying to lead us off the path or distract us! “Human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces”! How true, and mans logic seeks to make us doubt or take us captive in our thinking.

Some people trust that everything will be all right in the end and some even trust in doing the rituals of Christianity rather than in You. TV programmes drip feeding us evolution rather than Creation. Some trust in certain foods and diets till it become a sort of religion. Some meditate to reach higher planes endlessly seeking assurance. Some read horoscopes for a word from the stars rather than the One who made them. Some trust in necklaces of saints, lucky objects or touching wood . . .

Is it pride? Wanting to be self reliant and self sufficient? Wanting it easier than a relationship with You? A relationships that takes effort, yes. Then we remember the effort it must have taken to turn towards Jerusalem and start walking.

Why would we look anywhere else? Keep us from wandering even a smidgen.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

God and Father,

For our family, friends and neighbours. Hold them. Help them to look towards Easter and see You.
For those we have difficulties with. Change situations for good.
For our church family Ministers and church leadership. Keep them loving and true to the You.
For the Royal family. Their health. To be able to have some privacy along with their public duties.
For our government. House of commons, House of Lords, civil servants. At this unsettled time.
For our nearest towns and cities and city centres. For employment, development and growth.
For schools in the busy week before the holidays. That Easter would be explained to them.
For our NHS, our police force. For prevention, compassion and development for the future.
For an end to the war in Ukraine. Would You turn Putin away or take Him away and/or bring peace.
For all the good people, even where they do not know You but do good.
For quiet moments when we can stop and think – or just pause for a breather. And thank you for visitors, phone call that cheer us up. For those we can ask to pray for us and who will listen.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Thursday 21st March 2024
Surely a beautiful modern scriptural hymn that will stand the test of time.

Keith Getty says, I struggled to understand and fully embrace my faith amid an unbelieving, universalist, and multi-religious culture (growing up in Durham, England). By the time I came through this, my faith was stronger, and I really wanted to write songs for the Church that brought the full, rich, life-giving story of the gospel into believers’ hearts and minds. I then had the privilege of connecting with songwriter Stuart Townend. There wasn’t an immediate personal connection. But we said, “Let’s write one song.” “Let’s do a song that tells the whole story of Christ coming to earth-the whole gospel story in one song. Let’s have as many verses as we want, and let’s just go for it.””

A few weeks later Getty sent Stuart some melody ideas, the first of which, penned on the back of electricity bill as a 25 year old, was a magnificent, haunting melody that Stuart loved, and he immediately started writing down some lyrical ideas. He knew in his own life he needed reminding continually not to live by his feelings or his circumstances, but by the unchanging truth of the gospel. They finally got together, and after some fine-tuning, In Christ Alone was born. A song abounding in biblical truths…

In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Lyrics: Keith Getty and Stuart Townend