Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 16/03/2025
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Sunday 16th March
Heavenly Father, thank you that I can walk out of the door this morning and go to church. There is nothing to stop me. Thank You that many of my fellow believers will be doing exactly the same thing here where I live
I know some people may not attend today for various reasons, illness, away from home, holidays, etc. And some may not attend because they have fallen out with someone, or been offended in some way by someone. I hope and pray this would not be because of me! You tell us in Your Word: "Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister." If I have offended anyone in any way I pray I will know about it and go to see them and ask their forgiveness
This is what you tell us to do: "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift"
I know that some will not be in church because they don't believe in You and Jesus. Your Word tells us: "Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom Christ has called, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God"
Help me to live my life in such a way that I am not an obstacle, and for those who find Christ a stumbling block, that I can help them to see You are good, kind, loving and the Saviour of the world. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
I can see clearly now - Johnny Nash
Brother let me be your servant
Christ the Key
Saviour of the world
Saturday 15th March
Heavenly Father, every day when I wake up I come to You. Each morning I make a coffee, and I sit down to pray. I usually look at the verse for the day and my devotional. Today's verse is: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful". Often I look at the news headlines to see if anything has happened. There's always something of course, but mostly it is bad news
I wonder how many people do the same thing as me, but don't turn to You. I wonder how many people see the bad news and feel like giving up? I wonder how many people wake up and have bad news of their own they are dealing with? Perhaps they turn to You then, or perhaps they turn away from You? Whatever is going on in the world, nationally or internationally, in the local community, in the local church, in the home, or even in someone's mind, You know about it
Thank You that in every situation we can come to You. How I wish, hope, and pray, that more and more people would come to You! Whatever problems we are facing, most of which we can do nothing about, we can talk to You about it. I can't talk to Putin, Trump, or Starmer, but I can talk to You. They don't know anything about me, my good, my bad and my ugly; but You do. And You love me through it all
Help me Lord, to look to You in every situation. Help me to choose the right path, the best path. Help me to follow in Jesus' footsteps all through the day, leading me where You want me to go. Help me to be merciful, just as You are merciful. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
You are merciful to me
Faithful One so unchanging
Redeemed by grace
Friday 14th March
Heavenly Father, I don't suppose any of us like going to the doctor, even when we know something is wrong. It may be a pain in the gut or in the head, or we may find ourselves sweating or out of breath. It can be a number of symptoms, or perhaps we just don't feel right, so we go to the doctor
I know what this is like! I was in such pain I went to the hospital and was told I had a kidney stone. They gave me medication to ease the pain and soon the stone passed. But then I was given a further diagnosis, I had type II diabetes. That was over ten years ago. A few years later I had another diagnosis; heart failure
A few minutes ago I took the medication that helps deal with both conditions. I don't feel the diabetes or the heart problem, but the truth is I have both. They are hidden within me. You speak about the human condition in Your Word. You give this diagnosis: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
We have sin within us. We are born with it. I was born with it. It is hereditary, from the beginning, from the Garden of Eden. And it is terminal. "The wages of sin is death". This is the diagnosis, and I can try to run away from it. I can try to hide from it. I can look to other things, try different things to cover the sin, and may look OK on the outside. You tell us: "Do not consider his appearance or his height... The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." And I have fallen short of the glory of God. It is a heart condition
Thank You Jesus for providing what is needed to deal with it. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". This gift is paid for by You on the cross. You said, "It is finished. Paid in full". The prescription was written on the cross: "Jesus Christ. Son of God. Saviour". And I need You every day. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Once again
I cast my mind to Calvary
Lord hear my cry (Psalm 38)
Thursday 13th March
Heavenly Father, I was praying yesterday about how there has to be give and take in healthy relationships, and how this is in our relationship with You. I said "I know we can never outgive You" and I know this to be true
I believe the relationship between You and the church needs to be healthy too, so there also needs to be give and take. It is very easy to take from You in church and not give anything back. I am not talking about money, well not particularly, although in the last book of the Old Testament there is this conversation: "Will a mere mortal rob God?" Yet you rob me
But you ask, "How are we robbing you?" And You replied, "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - your whole nation - because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."
Here we see You outgive us! I don't think You want us to bring tins of beans or loaves of bread, so what food do You mean. This got me thinking! The Bread of Life! Lord Jesus, You said: "I AM the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty". This is the food we need that is in the church
But we must offer You something in return? Bring the whole tithe? Give ourselves! Give everything we are, not everything we have; our money, beans or bread, but our whole self. When we do this, You open the floodgates of Heaven and our church will be bursting at the seams... with You, with people. Lord, help me to give all I am and see You outgive in return
Amen
Songs for today:
I am the bread of Life
No one ever cared for me like Jesus
Wednesday 12th March
Heavenly Father, I am quite sure that in every healthy relationship there has to be 'give and take'. I am also quite sure that the balance will not always be 50/50; there will probably be one person who gives more than the other, and on occasions the balance may shift. When one of the partners is ill, the other may pick up more of the workload. On another occasion the responsibilities may shift the other way
There has to be give and take. Where there is only one partner taking and the other gives all the time the relationship can become unhealthy, even abusive. Our relationship with You also needs to be on a give and take basis if it is to remain healthy. I know we can never outgive You; Your sacrifice was a 'once-and-for-all' event, never to be repeated. But that doesn't mean we can't give back to You
Your Word encourages us: "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." What does it mean to be a "living sacrifice?" A life given in service? Giving back to You what I can? Putting the needs of others before my own?
Not my will but Yours be done? Forgiving others as I have been forgiven? Thinking of others more highly than I think of myself? Being patient with others rather than lashing out? Putting myself out in order to serve rather than sitting back and expecting others to do all the work?
Lord Jesus, You gave Your life to do the Father's will. Today You are a Living Sacrifice. Help me to be more like You, putting God first, so I too may be a living sacrifice and our relationship can be healthy
Amen
Songs for today:
Living sacrifice
All that I am I lay before You
Fire there's a fire
Tuesday 11th March
Heavenly Father, it was the first day of spring a few days ago. Beautiful warm sunshine, walking in shirt sleeves for the first time this year, people saying what a lovely day it was. Because seasons overlap there have been colder days since, but there is a definite change in the weather. The seasons follow on, one after another, spring summer, autumn and winter
Vivaldi tried express his feelings in music in "The Four Seasons". So did Glazunov. Whether or not we feel the same as they did, the music is good. There are other kinds of seasons too: the football season and the cricket season: our feelings about these may differ, and these seasons overlap too. There is a planting season, sowing seed and a reaping season, harvest
And there are seasons in life. There are good times and bad time. Times of joy and happiness and times of grief and sadness. Times of good health and times of illness; times of growth and times of shrinking
You know all about seasons, speaking by Your Spirit through Ecclesiastes, You said: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity..." You list many activities, starting with "a time to be born and a time to die." And You concluded: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind"
How wonderful life would be if we all kept Your commandments! How simple life would be if we did this one thing, ten simple rules to fit our lives. If only... Lord, all I can do is try my best to follow Your Word, in every season, knowing that You know best for every season
Amen
Songs and albums for today:
In every circumstance of life
All I once held dear
The battle and the blessing
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Album: Glazunov - The Seasons
Monday 10th March
Heavenly Father, Your Word has inspired people to sing throughout generations. King David and others wrote Psalms about all kinds of human experience and their experience of You. After being delivered from the Red Sea, Moses and Miriam led the Israelites in a song of victory: "I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defence; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him"
Women sang songs of triumph to celebrate Saul and David's slaying of the Philistines: "The women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'"
Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise. Paul and Silas sang songs while in prison, even causing an earthquake. Mary, Jesus' mother sang a song of praise to You: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant"
Zacharias, John the Baptist's father, sang a song of praise. The angels sang a song announcing Jesus' birth. Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn at the Last Supper. Handel composed "Messiah" based entirely on Bible verses
And even today new songs are written inspired by Your Word. An evening with a 'Symphony of Psalms' and a new album. Every week we sing in church, old and new songs; even songs we have composed!
Thank You for such wonderful music illustrating Your love for us and glorifying Your Holy Name. Thank You for the gift of music; music of all kinds
Amen
Songs for today - album and concert:
Just a little talk with Jesus - Hee-Haw Gospel Quartet
Only Jesus - You're my shelter my everything
Album: His grace will carry you
Concert: Symphony of Psalms - Out of the depths
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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