Daily Share-a-Prayer w/e 27/04/2025
Derek Mill
Worship Leader, All Saints Church, Belton
Friday 25th April
Heavenly Father, I read this from Your Word today, in my devotional: "The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken". This is interesting for a number of reasons
We may think that Your Word would tell us that evil people would have many troubles, but You tell us that it is the righteous. This Word is also prophetic, so true of Jesus, the only truly righteous man who ever lived. It is also true of Him that not one of His bones was broken
The disciples John testifies: "The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water". The legs were broken at the request of the Jewish leaders to speed up the deaths so the bodies weren't on the cross during the Sabbath
There were many prophecies about the coming of the Messiah, different scholars and sources estimate that over 300 prophecies were fulfilled during Jesus birth, life, death and resurrection
Lord Jesus, You certainly endured many troubles in Your life on earth and God delivered You from them all, even death! We may not be delivered from all our troubles in this life, but Your righteousness covers us, ensures and assures us that we too will be delivered by resurrection, just as You were. That is not to say that You don't help us in this life!
Your care and concern for us was amply demonstrated in the many healings that took place when You walked the earth and that still happen today by Your Spirit. "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed"
Thank You that You are just like Your Father, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love
Amen
Songs for today:
The Lord is gracious and compassionate
Awesome God
He was pierced for our transgressions
Deliverer
Thursday 24th April
Heavenly Father, sometimes, when we want something, or someone, with very specific qualities, to do a particular job for example, we may make a list of the specific requirements. Being measured for a suit springs to mind or a wedding dress. A job description for example may have quite detailed requirements. Someone looking at the lengthy list, which is still being added to, may exclaim, "That's a tall order!"
Occasionally someone may have something as small as a ring, or a piece of furniture, or even a house made to order, to their own design; we say it is 'bespoke'. What is spoken comes into being. It may take some time before what was spoken comes to pass, but eventually the day comes when the ring is slipped on the finger, the furniture is delivered or the front door of the newly built house is opened
This planet we live on, and the universe in which it and we exist, are 'bespoke'. In the beginning, You spoke, and the universe came into being. You said: "Let there be light" and there was light. You spoke other words, and what You spoke also came into being. It probably took some time, but eventually everything was just as You had ordered it
And You created us too. We are part of Your bespoke creation; each one of us, just as You ordered, each one of us individually designed. I am sure that when You made me You made me to be a teacher, specifically a music teacher, and later a Bible teacher
Lord Jesus, I am sure You came to be a carpenter, trained by Your earthly father, Joseph, and later You became a teacher, teaching from the Scriptures You knew. As we look for a minister for our church in Belton, may the person You have in mind be spoken to by You, someone who fits the bill
May we too be spoken to by You, so we recognise clearly who You have in mind. What You have spoken will come to pass, so we don't have to worry. It may be a tall order, but nothing is impossible for You. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
Father of creation
I give You all the honour
I'll never let go of your hand
Wednesday 23rd April
Heavenly Father, thank You that we can come before You and talk about anything and everything. "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"
There is rarely a time when we are not in need! We constantly need Your guidance and reassurance. My devotional today reminded me that we can come to You when we need wisdom, direction, or practical help; we can come to You with our praises and doubts, opinions and concerns, thankfulness and questions
Your Word tells us of one reason why our prayers are not answered: "You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures". How can I be sure that my motives are not wrong? You have answered my question in Your Word: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us"
Finding Your will seems to be the answer! But how do I do that? Prayer is at the heart of our relationship, it is how I am talking to You now. Looking to Jesus is how I know what You are like, and reading Your Word, which tells me so much about Your relationship with mankind. I know You live according to Your promises, Your covenant with us
Help me to find Your will today so that I can ask with confidence, knowing that You will hear me. As Jesus said: "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven". It seems that the key to this is finding Your will. "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven". Thank You
Amen.
Songs for today:
This I believe (Creed song)
Your will be done
God's will
Tuesday 22nd April
Heavenly Father, a couple of days ago this Scripture passage was on my calendar: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen"
Thank You for the reminder! And thank You for the encouragement! Each of us has received gifts from You. I can therefore receive and echo Paul's words to Timothy: "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you..." Whatever our gift, or gifts, may be, we can be sure You have given them to us for a purpose. If we do not use them then Your plan may be delayed
Your plan is never thwarted, but it can be delayed. We know that an angel sent by You to help Daniel was delayed twenty-one days until another angel, Michael, was sent to help him. It may be that we need help in our work, or it may be that we are sent to help someone else, but we can be sure that the gift we have received will accomplish what You send it to do
"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it"
May Your Word go out from Your mouth today and accomplish all You send it to do. Thank You
Amen
Songs for today:
To God be the glory
Ruach - Holy Wind of God + Let Your Living Water
Via Dolorosa
Monday 21st April
Heavenly Father, I asked myself a question yesterday: "What good is a chocolate Easter?" If Easter is all about chocolate, as it may be for some, where does it leave us? I suppose the question is similar to the discussion about chocolate teapots! As soon as the boiling water is poured into the chocolate teapot it starts to melt and tea starts to leak until we are left with a chocolatey, soggy mess
The chocolate Easter doesn't last long either, when things start to heat up our faith begins to melt! Chocolate eggs are usually broken up to make consumption easier, and although very pleasant, don't last long; soon they are finished and we are left with nothing but some tinfoil and an empty box. If our faith is like chocolate, very tasty for a short while, but not lasting, it leaves us needing a proper meal. If our preaching is wrapped in shiny foil, in a cardboard box, it will soon be disposed of
Easter is so much more. Easter is about new life, everlasting life. Easter is not about something that is consumed but about something growing! Easter is the foundation of our faith. He that was dead is alive again! Easter is not about something ending but about something beginning. Easter is about a fresh start, a resurrected body
The stone that blocked the grave is rolled away. The stone that was our heart becomes alive again! Your promise to us: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh". Your Spirit now is alive in all who trust in the resurrected Jesus
Lord Jesus, thank for the cross, the place of sacrifice and forgiveness. Thank You too for the empty grave, the place of hope and new life. You came that we might have life, life in all fullness; a resurrected life, that goes on into eternity; that is the full life You promised
Amen
Songs for today:
Risen
Quietly restoring my soul
One Two Three
He has risen
all songs (usually with lyrics) and talks courtesy of YouTube
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