10 July 2015
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Friday 10 July 2015
Morning
Prayer
Psalm
25
This
psalm is a plea for protection from personal enemies. The psalmist asks for
guidance and forgiveness and to be taught God’s way and truth. God is asked to
guard our lives, deliver us, allow us to have refuge and for our integrity and
righteousness preserve us.
1 Samuel 29: 1 – 30: 6
The Philistine army camps at Aphek and Saul’s army
camps at Jezreel. The lords of the Philistine army watch their force pass by
and note David’s Hebrew group at the back. They object to his presence in the
battle. Achish defends saying that David has been loyal and there is no fault
in him. The Lords insist that David and his men be send back to Ziklag. For
them David’s presence is too unsettling.
Achish asks David most respectfully to return home and
reinforces that he trusts him. David and his men set out early the next
morning.
On arriving in Ziklag they find the town has been
raided and razed. Their wives, sons and daughters have been taken captive
including David’s wives Ahinoam and Abigail. The remaining townsfolk are angry
and threaten to stone David because of this calamity.
John 4: 27 – 42
Jesus
is at the well with the Samaritan woman. The disciples return. The woman goes
to the city tells people, invites them to come and see Jesus and to make up
their own minds.
Meanwhile,
the disciples try to get Jesus to eat. He talks about how he is fed by doing
God’s work and seeing the harvest beginning. He tells the disciples they are
about to benefit from the harvesting done by others.
Many
Samaritans come from the city. They believe the woman’s testimony and asked
Jesus to stay. Then they say that their belief is confirmed by what they heard
from Jesus themselves, saying, “this is truly the saviour of the world” (v 42).
Collect for
Morning Prayer
Learning the Ropes: Sailor Training Busselton WA 2014 L Osburn |
Wonderful
and all-knowing God you protect, save and deliver us. Help us to put aside our
own plans and be taught your way and truth whether that is an unplanned
withdrawal from a program or campaign we are involved in or recognising that
someone else, totally untrained, an outsider, a person who culturally may be
de-valued and / or one of “the enemy” is the one who has done the ministry and
sown the seeds for the disciples to harvest. By this teaching and discipline we
learn to be obedient to you and to give you thanks for truly being the saviour
of the world through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Friday 10 July 2015
Evening
Prayer
Psalm
27
“The Lord
is my light and salvation: whom shall I fear?”
The psalmist seeks God’s face, God’s teaching and God’s level path and
ends with, “Wait for the Lord: be strong and let your heart take courage: wait
for the Lord.”
Micah 4: 8 – 5: 5a
Micah says that Jerusalem will eventually be restored
but in the meantime there is no counsellor and no king. They will all go into
the open country. Many nations will come and cause humiliation and destruction.
Eventually those same nations will provide resources to the Lord.
Right now there is a siege on Jerusalem and the rulers
of Israel are being struck on the cheek with a rod. In future the ruler will
come from Bethlehem in Ephrathah. Until that time comes Israel will be captive.
This king will feed the flock in the strength, majesty and the name of the Lord
God. They shall live secure and he will be the one who brings peace.
Galatians 4: 8 – 20
Paul is
concerned that the Galatians have started observing old festivals that belong
to the elemental spirits or traditional Jewish rubrics they followed before
they were Christian. For Paul, this is “backsliding” and he worries that he has
wasted his time with them. He recalls that when he first came he was unwell but
they welcomed him and treated him like a holy messenger. Now he feels devalued
because he is telling them the truth and they are rejecting it.
Others,
who want them to comply with the Mosaic Law, be converted to Judaism and be
celebrated, are courting them. Paul wants then to be celebrated already. He
feels like he has to start again with them, he wants to be with them so that he
can be gentler – but he is away and his message has to come by letter.
Collect for
Evening Prayer
Beautiful Black Swan Mandurah Estuary WA 2014 L Osburn |
Merciful
and generous God we give you thanks and praise. The world waited and you
provided your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord king and saviour. We are no longer
captives. We are valued in your sight. We are forgiven loved and free. May our
whole lives praise you and bring you the glory through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
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