Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 02/03/2025
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Sunday 2nd March
Heavenly Father, forgive me for not remembering the power You have given to Your people. Forgive me for not remembering the power that is available to Jesus. Forgive me for not remembering that I am involved in spiritual warfare. Forgive me for not remembering how You use Your power
There is power in the name of Jesus! Your Word tells me so: "At the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"
Lord Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, as You were about to be arrested, You said to the disciples: "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels". In the history of Your people we are told: "That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up in the morning - there were all the dead bodies!"
There were 6,000 soldiers in a legion, so using my calculator that could be 72,000 angels, and 13,320,000,000 killed! That is some power! But You chose not to use it. Instead, You gave Yourself up to be tried and crucified. You chose to save, not to destroy. That is the power of Your love. And it is the power of Your love and Your name that is available to us
Help me to remember "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." When dealing with humans Your name and love. When in spiritual warfare, Your NAME, JESUS, and POWER. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
At the name of Jesus
There is power in the name of Jesus
The power of Your love
Greater still
Saturday 1st March
Heavenly Father, there is a whole lot of stuff that I don't know and don't understand. I am sure there are a whole load of people who are cleverer than me, who have studied for years and in a debate would run circles around me and tie me up in knots. There are people who have written papers and theses and books that try to explain what I don't understand; really thick books with lots of long words so that I have to go to other books, other really thick books, to look up what the words mean!
Can't I keep things really simple? Can't I rely on one book, with simple words, that I don't need to have explained? You have given me a book that explains everything I need to know; Your Word, the Bible, is written on a need to know basis. And Jesus, Your Son, the Word made flesh, is also on a need to know basis
Lord Jesus, You often quoted and spoke about the Old Testament, what to You were simply 'The Scriptures'. You said things like: "Haven't you read that 'at the beginning the Creator made them male and female'". And You spoke about Abel and Noah, real people to You. You quoted prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Zechariah, Hosea and Malachi
The Gospels include Your life story and Your teaching. You kept things simple! You said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey i.". And of Your own teaching You said: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock"
All I need to know is in Your Word, so I trust in You Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer
May the words of my mouth - Tim Hughes
May the words of my mouth - Terry Butler
Trust and obey
Friday 28th February
Heavenly Father, there is a cardboard crown on the floor next to the keyboard at church, at least that is where I left it; it may have been tidied up by now. I wore it for just a few moments and then put it on the floor and as I did so I thought of the words from a hymn: "Holy, Holy, Holy! all the saints adore Thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea"
The Scripture tells me: "The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being"
Just a few verses earlier I found: "Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal"
I suppose that in my mind I was trying to do, symbolically, what the elders did, although my crown was cardboard and the landing place a carpet
Thank You Lord that I will be one of "the great multitude that no could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb". And that I will be singing, or crying out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks, honour and power and strength". Not because of anything I have done, but because of what Jesus has done for me. Whatever crown I may have, I lay it, and myself, at Your feet
Amen
Songs for today:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Salvation belongs to our God
Thanks and praise
Great are You Lord (It's your breath in our lungs)
Thursday 27th February
Heavenly Father, I wrote a note in my prayer thoughts folder on my phone the other day. 'If Jesus was not and is not God... Do I ever doubt this?' Perhaps this comes from what someone said to Jane and me a few months ago: "Derek has no doubts!" What was said has been in my mind ever since; do I have times when I doubt?
I know I sometimes wonder where Jesus is in all this. 'This' being the world we live in, the chaos we live in. When I hear the news about the carnage brought about by a bomb, or a rifleman shooting, or a man wielding a knife at children, I do wonder why You allow any of 'this' to happen
But I already know in my heart; it is one of the things I have sorted. And it is quite simple: choice. Because You love us, You have given us choice. Love always comes with choice; without choice we become little more than slaves, and what sort of relationship is that?
If Jesus is not God, where does that leave me? And where does that leave Him? It leaves me with a choice: how do I want to live my life? Do I live life as He did or do I do my own thing? It leaves Him as a madman, claiming He is God. What evidence do I have that He wasn't crazy? Eyewitness accounts tell me of how He chose to live, how He chose to die; a life laden with love and miraculous signs. A life ending in death on a cross. And a life then continued in resurrection
So I have a choice: what do I believe really happened. The disciples were there and saw it all! They found something, someone, worth living for and dying for. I prayed a few days ago: "If I want a life worth living I must find something worth dying for; just as You did"
If I ever have doubts Your Spirit reminds me of this and the choice I have. So I choose Jesus again. Doubts come and go, but Jesus, You remain. You promised You would not leave us as orphans, and You haven't. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Be still for the presence of the Lord
Is it fair
Wednesday 26th February
Heavenly Father, Physics! I was praying yesterday about how creative You are and how you have made us creative too, "in Your image". You have left so much for us to explore, discover, and enjoy. I found myself yesterday unable to do much due to the germs that had caused me to have a heavy cold, blocked nose, cough, sore throat, aching ribs and neck; almost the whole works
While I was resting I listened to some music and watched some video clips and one of my favourite tunes was played, 'Norwegian Wood'; not the original version by The Beatles, but played on a dulcimer. What struck me was how the instrument, basically a wooden box with some holes in to let the resonating sound out and some strings of varied thickness could create such a beautiful sound. The music by two composers in the 1960's and recreated by a musician in a different style years later
The physics that enables chords and melodies to work has always fascinated me and is one of my many reasons for believing in You, our Creator God. The skills of the musicians to place the fingers of one hand so dexterously at exactly the right place, as well as strumming the correct strings is quite a sight to behold. All this to pick out the tune, harmony and rhythm, perfectly in time and with such emotion is evidence of Your creativity and ours!
Thank You for giving us so much in creation and in creativity to enjoy. To think this is all some sort of cosmic accident makes me both laugh and weep. King David wrote: "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'". Lord, open the eyes of the blind and the fool. How can we not see You in everything? Lord help us all
Amen
Songs and dulcimer music for today:
Norwegian Wood on Dulcimer
Jesus (You are able)
Creator
Skye Boat Song on Dulcimer
Wild Mountain Thyme on Dulcimer
Tuesday 25th February
Heavenly Father, I had a strange thought yesterday, probably just a silly one, but it stuck in my head. The enemy wanted to be like You, thinking he could take Your place, so he tried to be creative like You, and the best thing he could come up with was... germs; little viruses that debilitate and spoil life. Like him they are spiteful and hate all flesh and if they can, bring about death
Your creation, on the other hand, is beautiful, wonderful, vibrant, and full of life. You bring joy, whereas he brings misery. You bring all that is good but he brings all that is bad. There is no mention of germs as such in Your Word, but there is a lot about cleanliness. You tell us: "Wash and make yourselves clean"
King David, seeking Your forgiveness, wrote: "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow". St Paul, guided by Your Spirit, wrote: "Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit". And St John wrote: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
Lord Jesus, You spoke very strongly saying: "Woe to you teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean"
We sometimes talk about having a 'germ of an idea’. How unlike satan You are! Jesus, my Lord and Saviour King! "Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!" May all my strange thoughts lead me to You
Amen
Songs for today:
Create in me a clean heart
Purify my heart
Be still for the presence of the Lord
I love You my Lord
Monday 24th February
Lord Jesus, I was pondering on my prayer yesterday and remembered, or was reminded by You, once again, (how easily I forget) a few of Your words: "Love the Lord Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength'. The second is this: 'Love your neighbour as yourself'. There is no commandment greater than these"
At one time You were talking about the things we worry about, things like what to eat, drink or wear, but You did say: "Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well". I wonder if things like proclaiming the gospel, healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and casting out demons come when we love God, 'all-in and all-out' and seek His Kingdom and His righteousness?
How do I know if I am loving God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength? How can I be sure I am seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness? Being able to prophesy, drive out demons or perform many miracles is no guarantee that I am doing any of the above. (Not that I can do any of these things by the way!) "By the way? By the way? By the Way!"
Thank You Lord! Once again something resonates deep within me. "By the Way!" It is not about what I do that is important. It's all about You and what You have done for me. I may never prophesy, drive out demons or perform any miracles, all I can do is seek, and keep on seeking, and trust Your promise: "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart"
And I have found You! Jesus, lover of my soul. It's all about You. By Your side I would stay, in Your arms I would lay. Thank You for saving me
Amen
Songs for today:
Jesus lover of my soul (It's all about You)
By Your side I would stay
Thank You for saving me
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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