Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 23/02/2025
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Friday 21st February
Heavenly Father, I am very fortunate, and indeed greatly blessed, to live in a country where we can have matters of opinion, as well as freedom in faith and worship. I can speak openly about You, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and faith without being arrested. I can write an article for publication online and in the local newspaper without being taken to court or imprisoned. In fact I did so today!
Thank You that I could do this. Thank You that I can also have my prayer published online every day. Others are free to criticize or disagree, and quite rightly so, as they too enjoy the same freedom of speech that I do. I know this is not the same in every nation where freedom of speech and/or faith is not allowed
We do have laws regarding libel and slander, which is also quite right and good, but in the main we can say and choose freely what we think and say. We can also purchase copies of Your Word in a number of translations and languages. I have heard that there are countries where even a single page or fragment of the Bible is kept in secret and greatly treasured. A quote often attributed to Voltaire is: "I disapprove of what You say but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
Lord Jesus, You spoken openly about Your Father, and who You are. You said to Philip and the other disciples: "I and the Father are One". When the high priest asked You, "Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One" You replied "I AM. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven"
Your Words took You to the cross but the resurrection proved Your Word to be the Truth. Help me to proclaim the same Truth every day, to sing in praise and worship. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Messiah. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today and article published online and in the Great Yarmouth Mercury:
Across the lands (You're the Word of God the Father)
Jesus Son of God
Jesus Messiah
My Lord what love is this
Viewpoint Article
Thursday 20th February
Heavenly Father, as I finished praying yesterday I had a phrase in my notes that I didn't get round to using: "I wish I'd kept my mouth shut". The same sentiment is often expressed in slang as: "I wish I'd kept my trap shut". This is spoken of in Your Word as a proverb: "The mouths of fools are their undoing and their lips are a snare to their very lives"
When an animal is caught in a snare there's no escape. Similarly, when we say something we later regret there is no escape; we can't take it back. This goes back to what I prayed about over the last few days: "Count to ten" and, "Be careful what you ask for"
Pontius Pilate, had a sign placed above Jesus head as He hung on the cross saying, "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews". It was written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew so everyone would know what it said. Sometimes it is written today as 'INRI' above crucifixes, an abbreviation of the Latin phrase 'Iesus Nazarenus, Rex ludaeorum'. When asked to change the inscription by the Jewish leaders to: "This man said I AM King of the Jews" Pilate refused saying: "Quod scripsi, scripsi," meaning: "What I have written, I have written"
I wonder if Pilate later wished he had kept his trap shut? If he wondered if he had done the right thing? He was troubled beforehand by his wife's dream and his own conscience. He tried to avoid sending Jesus to the cross, offering Barabbas instead, but gave in to the Jewish leaders and the crowd
Father, I ask You, just as King David did: "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies". Rather, as David also said: "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer". And no backsies!! "Quod scripsi, scripsi!"
Amen
Songs for today:
May the words of my mouth - Terry Butler
May the words of my mouth - Tim Hughes
I will wait
In Your hands
Wednesday 19th February
Heavenly Father, as I come to You each day I have different thoughts I want to pray about. Some are about my family and friends, some are about myself, some are about events that have happened recently, and a lot are about You
The thought I had this morning was again about how I speak. "Be careful what you ask for" was in my mind. The Bible tells me: "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in Heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few"
I might come to You and seek my heart's desire, but how can I be sure that what I desire is good? Good for me, good for others, good for the world? What is good? Words I come back to again and again: "I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Here I find hope and encouragement; assurance that You have a plan for my life that is ultimately good and beneficial. Your plan is not to harm but to prosper, a future filled with hope
Even when I go through difficult times You remind me that You are in control. Your Word encourages me to trust You and to have faith in Your plans and promises, even when the path ahead seems uncertain
Now I am wondering who I am praying for? This could be about our church; rather than 'me' or 'I' I could be praying "we" and "us". I could be praying for a friend, or even an enemy; saying "he" or "she" and "them"
Lord, bless them all! Even my enemies. Bless our church. Not necessarily a safe prayer to pray, but I pray, "Not my will but Yours be done"
Lord Jesus, You went to the cross, God's will, but ultimately You brought about the greatest good. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
The power of Your love
May the words of my mouth
Tuesday 18th February
Heavenly Father, I caught a glimpse of a paragraph heading a few days ago which said 'rivalry or humility'? I've been mulling it over since. Your Word tells us: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others"
Your Way, once again, is different to the way of the world. Adverts tell us to pamper ourselves because we are 'worth it'. You came into the world to die for us because we were sinners who were hardly worth anything, but were precious to You
Lord Jesus, You told parables about a lost sheep and a lost coin which were searched for to illustrate how You came to search for us. While we were still sinners You died for us. You valued us above Yourself. You put our interests above Your own. You did not do this out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. You were motivated by love; Your love for us, Your love for me. You did not come to condemn us but to save us. You did not come to 'rub it in' but to 'rub it out'
The world tells us to look after No1. You tell us to look after others, just as You look after us. This is a different Way to live! Considering the needs of others above my own is not an easy thing to do; it requires sacrifice. Your life was one of sacrifice. How can I do this? You tell me: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"
Lord, help me to think like You do. Help me to live like You lived, not doing anything out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but motivated by love. You have no rivals because of Your humility. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Use me for you
He touched my life
What a beautiful name
All that I am I lay before You
Above all
Monday 17th February
Heavenly Father, when we out walking a few days ago Jane noticed the tiny buds showing on a bush as we passed by it. Signs of life within the stick-like branches, that from a distance looked quite dead. I was reminded, once again, of an Albert Einstein quote: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle"
Life is indeed full of miracles. In a few short weeks the bush will bloom with leaves and flowers and possibly fruit. I'm no expert when it comes to plants, bushes, trees, and so on, being able only to identify one or two; roses, carnations, tulips, poppies, oaks and that is about my limit. Wow! Four flowers! I surprise myself! I am limited in my knowledge of birds too; robins and pigeons are about my limit. I would know an owl or an eagle but not necessarily which sort
Anyway, back to that bush. Everything that bush needs to become what it is meant to be is within it. You will send rain which will water the ground and the soil around it will help it to thrive. It may have to survive storms, wind, frost, and snow through the winter but eventually it will come back to life when spring comes and the warmth of the sun encourages it to rise again
Your church is another miracle. It can go through difficult times when it may look as though it is dead, but it isn't. Just like that bush, there are buds showing, life is within it. Ministries begin to flourish and there is new growth! Joy begins to flow. Worship arises and praise begins again
We may have to survive storms but You will hold us up and encourage us. The warmth of the Son breaks through and we thrive, there is the fruit of the Spirit again. Thank You for life! Everything is a miracle. We are and so is Your Church
Amen
Songs for today:
God of miracles
Build Your Church
Goodness of God
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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