10 March 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Thursday 10 March 2016

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 to preserve us.

Jeremiah 38: 1 – 13

Jeremiah keeps prophesying that the city will fall and those in it will die and those who go out to the Babylonians, will live. His actions are assessed as undermining the defences of the city. He is taken and thrown into a cistern where there is only mud, and left to die. An Ethiopian court official goes to the king and says – this isn’t the way to treat a prophet. Jeremiah is lifted from the cistern and taken back to the court of the guard.

Luke 19: 1 – 10

Jesus is in Jericho. In the crowd that gathers is Zacchaeus, a tax collector; a man of small stature who has to climb a tree to get a good view. As Jesus passes he notices Zacchaeus, asks him to come down and says that he will eat at his home. Zacchaeus makes an undertaking to give half his wealth to the poor and shows he has been honest by offering to give back 4 – fold to anyone who he has defrauded. Jesus comes to seek and save the lost. He is shown to be a righteous person, he might collect taxes, but he isn’t lost, his small stature is not evidence of sin. He is a true son of Abraham.

Collect for Morning Prayer

The Abbey
Jamberoo NSW L Osburn

Generous and compassionate God you know us. You hear us when we call. Grant that we today can keep in mind the eternal story of your saving grace, praise you and thank you continually so that our faith in you is reinforced and strengthened through Jesus Christ our Lord and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thursday 10 March 2016

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.”

Exodus 4: 1 – 23 (24-26)

Moses is still out on Mt Horeb conversing with God about his mission to the Pharaoh the free the Hebrews. “What if they don’t believe I really talked with you?” God gave him three signs – the staff turning to a snake, his hand turning leprous, and water from the river turning to blood. “But I’m not eloquent.” God countered with who gives the capacity for speech to any human? God will guide his words. Moses begged God, “Please send someone else”. So God said to Moses to go with Aaron. Aaaron is fluent and work as a team.

Moses seeks permission from Jethro, his father-in-law to go back to Egypt and see his family. He leaves with his immediate family members for Egypt.

The Lord instructs Moses to go to Pharaoh and perform the signs and warns Moses that Pharaoh’s heart will be hard initially. Pharaoh’s first-born son will die.

Hebrews 13: 1 – 6

Love each other. Be hospitable. Remember prisoners and those being tortured. Honour marriage. Don’t put money first: be content with what you have for God will never leave us of forsake us. We can say confidently:

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”(v.6)

Collect for Evening Prayer

Learning to drill and mend a deck
Harrietville Vic  L Osburn

God of empowerment, you protect us, you build us up, you put us in situations where we learn new skills and our strength and capacity grows. Help us do the same for each other so that we all can say “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid” through Jesus Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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