Tuesday 3 November 2015

4 November 2015

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 


Wednesday 4 November 2015 
Morning Prayer

Psalms 11 and 12

The psalmist disputes the claim one should run from enemies. The psalmist will stand firm. He says that if the foundation collapses, then all are powerless. The psalmist trusts in the Lord – the firm foundation.

The psalmist laments the lack of faithful people. People make promises and are unreliable. The poor and the needy suffer as a result but, the Lord is faithful forever and pure. The Lord guards and protects us.

2 Kings 13: 14 – 25

This section tells of the saviour given to Israel in the time of King Joash. King Joash goes to Elisha weeping. Elisha is sick and about to die. Elisha tells Joash to draw a bow and Elisha covers his hands: the arrow flies east. King Joash will win the battle against Hazael in Aphek.

Elisha tells him to take the quiver and hit the arrows on the ground. King Joash does this three times. Elisha becomes angry saying Joash should have done it 5 or 6 times representing how many times they will go against Aram and win. Now they will win only three times.

Elisha dies and is buried. A marauding band approaches and they hurriedly throw another man’s body on top of Elisha. As soon as the man touches Elisha he stands and lives.

King Hazael and his son King Ben-hadad raid continually but God protects Israel according to his promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. King Joash defeats King Hazael’s son three times to recover towns taken by Aram.

Matthew 21: 23 – 32

When Jesus is teaching in the temple the chief priests and elders question him on his authority. He asks them first about the authority of John the Baptist. They cannot answer – they see a catch. Equally Jesus will not answer because their question is a trap. He tells a parable. A man instructs his sons to do a task. The first refuses then changes his mind and does it. The seconds promises to do it but does not. Jesus asks which son does the will of the father? They answer: the first son.

Jesus explains the tax collectors and sinners who repented because they believed John are like the first son, doing the father’s will. But the priests and elders who don’t believe John, who didn’t change their minds, will not see the Kingdom of God.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Sturt Desert Pea
Broken Hill L Osburn
 Holy Lord you guard and protect us and you perform miracles for our sake. Help us to repent our failures and not just do your will but do it fully with all our energy and our heart so that we demonstrate our faith, uphold your foundation and make our lives a witness to you through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.







Wednesday 4 November 2015 
Evening Prayer

Psalms 13 and 14

These psalms are laments for personal deliverance from enemies, from harm and from a cynical age. The psalmist remains faithful proclaiming God’s deliverance of Israel and care for the poor.

Esther 6

On the night before the second banquet with Queen Esther and Haman the King cannot sleep. He asks for the book of annals to be read to him. He is reminded that Mordechai warned the King of the assassination plot by the eunuchs. The King asks, what honour was given to Mordechai for this? The answer is, “Nothing”. In the morning Haman is in the courtyard and the King asks him what should be done for a person the King wants to honour? Haman thinks the King is talking about him. He suggests royal robes, one of the King’s horses and one of the King’s crowns. Let the person be adorned and ride through the city. The King so orders and Haman is required to adorn Mordechai and lead him through the city.

Haman goes home and tells his wife and his friends. They say that if Mordechai is a Jew, Haman will not prevail but will fall before him. Haman is summoned to Queen Esther’s banquet.

Revelation 2: 1 – 7

John is to write to the Ephesians. The letter acknowledges their faith, due diligence in testing apostles and finding the false ones, their enduring patience and bearing up for the sake of Jesus. They are however weary. They have abandoned the love they first had and stopped doing the good works they first did. They need to repent or stop being a church. To their credit they have not been caught up in defiling themselves. They are, if they have ears, to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Beauty and strength in old corrugated iron
Broken Hill L Osburn
Loving and merciful God you deliver us from all sorts of undermining pressures – enemies, cynicism, compassion fatigue and weariness. Remind us of all your gifts now and in the future so that we may acknowledge your due recognition of us and be rekindled and re-energised to care for the poor, care for the needy and care for each other as you would have us do through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, and the power of your Holy Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

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