18 December 2014

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Thursday 18 December 2014 

Morning Prayer

Psalm 107: 1 – 22

Whether we are lost in a dry place, imprisoned or sick we are encouraged to “cry to the Lord whose steadfast love endures forever”.

Isaiah 17: 12 – 18: 7

There is great a great threatening roar from other nations, terror builds to a night of fear but in the morning God blows them away like chaff. Isaiah proclaims woe to nations that come against God’s people.

Isaiah says to go with a message to a particular community of people (tall, smooth skinned, fearful, in a land divided by rivers and who have strange speech). In the summer of the aggressor’s powers God will cut them off like pruning vines full of grapes and will cut off their spreading branches. The community of people mentioned above will bring gifts to God on Mt Zion.

Mark 11: 12 – 26

In the morning, Jesus is hungry and sees a fig tree full of leaves (it looks like it is productive). There are no figs. Jesus says, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again”, and moves on.

He goes to the temple and drives out the merchants. He quotes Isaiah about God’s house being one of prayer for all nations. Instead the merchants had made it a den of robbers. The chief priests and teachers of the Law fear him and plan how to kill him. Meanwhile, his teaching amazes the people.

The next morning Jesus and the disciples pass the fig tree again. It had withered from its roots.

Jesus talks about the power of prayer that is aligned to belief. Pray and believe you have received what has been asked for and it will be yours. When praying forgive others so that God may forgive you.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Painting New Norcia
Benedictine Community WA
2014 L Osburn

 God of the listening heart, you hear our prayers and cries to you. Help us pray with faith and belief for the good of the world. Give us courage to form alliances with those who love and fear you. Give us grace to forgive those who have done terrible things to us and to those we love so that we produce fruit for you, nourish the world with love and bring your peace through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Thursday 18 December 2014

Evening Prayer

Psalm 107: 23 – 43

The psalmist recalls some of God’s saving and restoring actions – saving sailors and bringing rain to the desert. We are reminded that faithfulness leads to hope, and pride leads to being brought low. We are to call on the Lord for our great provision.

Isaiah 55

Isaiah calls us to come to God for spiritual feeding and to have our thirst for God quenched. We are encouraged to focus on the things that last. Let our souls delight in God and live. We are to seek the Lord while he can be found. Let those who are evil or deny God turn around and seek God and receive mercy.

God’s ways are not our ways. As rain comes to the earth to restore and allow growth, so God’s word comes to us to do the same for our souls so that we may go out in joy and be led forth in peace with the mountains, hills, trees and rivers singing and praising God. Gentle and useful plants with grow instead of thorns and briers.

Revelation 19: 11 – 21

John sees heaven open revealing a white horse whose name is “Faithful and True’. He horse has blazing eyes, many crowns, a secret name and a robe dipped in blood. His name is the word of God. The armies of heaven follow also on white horses. He hose has a sword and iron sceptre – the horse treads the wine press of God’s fury and wrath. On the horse’s thigh is written “King of King and Lord of Lords”.

John sees an angel standing in the sun calling all to come to the great supper of God which is of all the flesh of Kings, generals, mighty men, horses, riders and the flesh of all people.

Battle is joined with the beast, the false prophet and all those that fight for them. The beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of burning sulphur. The rest were killed.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Chapel New Norcia Benedictine Community WA
2014 EC Byford

God of opportunity, hope and joy you call us to come to you and to ask for your salvation and presence in our lives. Help us do that again and again, everyday of our lives so that we may live lives that are full of your spirit, refreshed in you, joyful and peaceful and, at the end stand with you as your true and faithful people through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.