7 September 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Wednesday 7 September 2016 

Morning Prayer

Psalm 19

The sky in silence, every day and every night shows us that God is magnificent. God’s commandments are magnificent. They are right, they delight the heart, they are simple, they are more precious than gold. And the commandments warn us – but can we ever truly detect all our own faults? David asks for help so that he does not commit presumptuous sins*. He finishes with:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord my rock and my redeemer.”

Obadiah 15 – 21

Obadiah prophesies the demise of all nations especially Edom and the restoration of the house of Jacob and Joseph. He then talks about the expanse of territory his prophesy encompasses.

Acts 27: 13 – 32

The boat Paul is on nearly makes a safe harbour but the wind rises. Then comes a wild sea adventure: the cargo has to be thrown overboard, then the ship’s tackle; the sea anchors are put out, the ship is undergirded. Paul encourages all since he knows that he will come safely to Rome and stand before the Emperor, but the ship will run aground. Some of the crew abandon the ship.

Collect for Morning Prayer

The approaching storm: dust and rain
Jerilderie NSW   L Osburn

Gracious and loving God you provide us with firm hope in restoration with you through Jesus. Be with us today no matter how fierce the storms and tempests. Enable us to provide true reassurance of your saving grace by our calm and gentle demeanour so that all may know you are with us even to the ends of the earth through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday 7 September 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalm 119: 1 – 16

This portion of the psalm celebrates those who know and follow the laws of God. The psalmist asks to be taught and to be assisted to follow these laws.

“I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word” (v 16).

Judith 14

Judith now instructs the defenders of the city: display the head on the parapet, then act as if you are about to take a military action against the Assyrians – but don’t do it. She predicts that the alarm will be raised in the camp and as soon as they discover Holofernes dead the army will scatter and all the defenders need to do is chase them.

Achior who correctly prophesied to Holofernes that the Israelites would not be defeated while they are true to God converts and is circumcised.

The warriors do as Judith says and when the Assyrians found Holofernes’s body they are shocked and dismayed.

1 John 5: 1 –12

When we believe in Christ we are God’s children and we understand in our hearts that Christ is from God through baptism and the crucifixion. We who believe have the Son and therefore have life.

Collect for Evening Prayer

The cherry blossom will come
Harrietville Vic  L Osburn

Holy Lord, you are always with us and we need to trust your timing and the way you work through others. Through Christ you offer us adoption as your own and give us life. Lift up our hearts this evening to praise and glorify your name who gave so much to set us free so that we may feel the victory that comes through faith in you through Jesus Christ our Lord and Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

*The Hebrew uses the words presumptuous sins. Presumptuous sins are:

1.     When we do know better

2.     When we deliberately plan to do it or keep nurturing the thought about doing it, or have built up a habit of a particular sin

3.     Sinning to show total disregard for God

4.     Thinking that we are immune from a particular type of sin because we are strong or “able to manage it”. This is risky, and,

5.     “I’ll repent tomorrow…” presumes a tomorrow.

From
REV. C. H. Spurgeon 1857

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