21 February 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Saturday 21 February 2015

Morning Prayer

Psalms 121, 122 and 123

In these three psalms the themes are the eternal faithfulness of God and how God cares for us; the joy and gladness we experience as we enter the house of the Lord with a prayer for safety and peace in Jerusalem, and finally, a prayer for deliverance from those who ridicule and oppress us.

Genesis 38: 12 – 30

Judah’s troubled family life goes on. His daughter dies, he fails to give his surviving daughter-in-law to his youngest son as promised, she tricks Judah by pretending to be a prostitute and when she is found out and threatened with death reveals the father’s identity. Judah admits his fault. Twins are born: Perez and Kerah.

Luke 11: 5 – 13

Jesus explains the responsiveness of God: knock and you will receive. We know that if we ask for something and persist people will respond – if not out of friendship out of the persistence. We know too that when our children ask for something we don’t give them something harmful – they don’t always get what they want. God’s responses are much more than human responses.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Family of Emus
Silver ton NSW 2015 L Osburn

 Holy and merciful God, you know the struggles we have in our lives and families, you care for us and you are eternally faithful. Strengthen us to bring all our cares and concerns to you. Encourage us to go to churches where we can worship you, sing your praises, tell others of answered prayer and be glad. Give us deaf ears to ridicule because of our beliefs. And remind us to pray for safety and peace, so that we not only live lives of serenity, but do so rejoicing with the rest of your people through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Saturday 21 February 2015

Evening Prayer

Psalm 119: 129 – 152

The psalmist declares a passion for the scripture and the commandments.  There is a request to learn and know them better. There too is recognition that others do not share this zeal and that leads to persecution. There is a plea to be saved from harm.

Jeremiah 24

This is Jeremiah’s vision of the baskets of figs. Those who were taken in exile to Babylon are the good figs. They will recognise God and God will watch over them and they will prosper, they will return to God and eventually return to Judah. The bad figs are those remaining in Judah will be destroyed.

Hebrews 2: 10 – 18

Jesus’s life, suffering, death and resurrection are for humans. His real presence and real suffering makes him the faithful high priest to make the atonement sacrifice. His suffering for our salvation helps us when we are being tested and frees us from the oppression that comes from our fear of death.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Ruin
Silverton NSW 2015 L Osburn

Compassionate and loving God, your scriptures and commands fill us with joy. Your gift of Jesus as the atonement sacrifice for us all fills us with gratitude. Jesus’ breaking of the bonds of death fills us with awe and wonder. Keep us in the knowledge of your love and faith in your presence with us wherever we are so that even if we are exiled to another country we will always be your people and you will always be our God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.