Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 22/12/2024
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Friday 20th December
Heavenly Father, as a parent, and now a grandparent, I get a glimpse of what it is like to be You. We are made in Your image. Like You I have no favourites. Every one of them is special. Every one is unique. Each one has their own personality. Each one has their own quirks and idiosyncrasies. Each one brings their own kind of joy
There is space in the universe that no one else can fill. No one can ever take their place. I know I am greatly blessed by them and by You. There are not many things about which I can say: "I wouldn't change a thing!" But they are one of them. And as we also sometimes say: "You can't put a price on that"
As I prayed recently "Money can't buy me love". I know that there are people, friends of mine, former colleagues, who are estranged from their children; their relationship has broken down. They would probably do anything they could to put things right! I also know that You know what this feels like. And You have done everything You could to put things right. There are sometimes desperate situations where a parent gives their lives to save their child, and that is exactly what You did for us, what You did for me
Lord Jesus, the greatest sign of the Father's love, thank You for coming to my rescue; being born, living among us, dying for us. And now resurrected, ascended, but still living among us by Your Spirit. Thank You, each and every day, "Thank You". The greatest love shown to us by You laying down Your life for us
Amen
Songs for today:
How deep the Father's love for us
The Father's Song
God is love
Thursday 19th December
Heavenly Father, in the beginning You created the heavens and the earth. You said: "Let there be light" and there was light. I am quite sure that when Your Word was spoken there was a really big bang, at least that is the theory!
Lord Jesus, You were there, the Word of God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all mankind. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it"
Lord, You are the Word. "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and Truth". When You were born, once again Light appeared, even a star shone above You. "The people living in darkness have seen a great Light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a Light has dawned"
Somehow, for some reason, people refuse to come You. "Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of Light because their deeds were evil". Ah, there is the reason! Your birth was like a bomb going off; life would never be the same again. Your Light shines in and through all who have chosen to follow You
May we be like big bangs! Explosions of joy, lighting up the place wherever we go so people have to wonder "What on earth is going on?" And the answer is You! Jesus is going on, and on. Alpha and Omega, from beginning to the end; it's all about You. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Light of the world
Jesus lover of my soul (It's all about You)
I will never be the same again
We are the light of the world
Wednesday 18th December
Heavenly Father, I had an interesting thought while praying at prayer breakfast yesterday; I think it was from You. It was simply "Bubble wrap". Christmas is wrapped up in bubble wrap so the real gift is hidden. The thought developed in prayer throughout the morning. The bubble wrap is all the trappings that go with Christmas. Another interesting word, 'trappings’; there is a trap in it. The trappings are the parties, the presents, the lights, the trees, the decorations, the mince pies, and sausage rolls, etc
Christmas is hidden in plain sight. It may seem that the wrapping is interesting, the paper on the outside may be quite pretty, and the bubble wrap may protect the gift, but unless it is removed and the gift is seen and then used the whole exercise becomes pointless. Some people may think, "It's beautifully wrapped; I don't want to open it". Others may be more interested in popping the bubble wrap
Often people say: "Christmas is a rip off". I think You do want us to rip off the wrapping paper and the bubble wrap and get to the real gift: Jesus
Lord, You are the real gift at Christmas. We can enjoy all the trappings but we must keep You in our hearts and minds through it all. As I heard in the sermon on Sunday: "Your presence is our present". We should have been coming to You, but You came to us so we could come to You. "A Saviour born, that we might live; He is the Gift"
Lord help us to see beyond the trappings, open the eyes of the blind that we might see Jesus, the Way, the Truth and Life. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
He is the Gift
Make room
Tuesday 17th December
Heavenly Father, I can well imagine someone saying to me: "What right do you have to call yourself an ambassador for Jesus?" It is a question I ask myself! I have to keep coming back to Your Word, St Paul writes to the people in Corinth, and thus to us: "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God"
Whether I believe it or not, whether I like it or not, this is Your Word and this is the Truth; not just for me, but for everyone who has been saved
Lord Jesus, we go in Your name. As Your ambassadors we are to live lives worthy of Your name, as it is not only what we say that is important but how we live. Our actions speak louder than our words. There are very few people on the streets or in their gardens in the village where I live as the weather is so cold, but there are opportunities to show Your love as we worship at Carol Services
And also at a public house one evening this week where we will sing of Your birth. Lord, as we sing may Your Spirit make our faces shine, may we radiate Your love and may our voices fill the air with the joy of Christmas. May the words of the carols have a fresh and deeper meaning for everyone. God bless us, every one!
Amen
Songs for today:
See the glory of the Lord
Joy to the world
Glad tidings
Shepherd's Pipe Carol
Joyous Christmas Carols
Sounding Joy
Monday 16th December
Lord Jesus, early in Your ministry You sent out Your twelve disciples with these instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go proclaim this message: 'The Kingdom of Heaven has come near'. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give"
The disciples had seen You doing these things, and You were giving them authority to do the same. It must have been so hard for them to believe that they could do what You had been doing! They went as Your ambassadors, representing You with Your authority and empowered by You
Later You sent out seventy-two with similar instructions saying: "Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; but whoever rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me". The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name"
Later still, after Your death and resurrection, You said: "All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I AM with you always, to the very end of the age". The disciples did as You said and that is why I am here today
Thank You for their obedience. May I be obedient to Your instructions too, even though I, like the disciples I guess, find it hard to believe. However, I believe Your promise that You are with me and I go, as an ambassador, in Your name. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Go into the world
God forgave my sin
I have a destiny
10,000 reasons (Bless the Lord) - Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, English
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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