1 November 2016

Collects

Prayers developed from the daily readings 

Tuesday 1 November 2016 

Morning Prayer   

Psalms 1 and 2

People who set themselves apart from all the turmoil of the world, who contemplate God, and God’s laws are like trees with good soil and water that bear fruit, don’t wither but prosper. The wicked are like chaff – an empty hull – they will not be with God at the end.

A rhetorical psalm asking why some people think they can break the bond between God and his anointed one (messiah). The psalmist thinks it is laughable. God is all-powerful and the anointed one is his begotten son. God’s power could be used to punish and correct. Let humans be warned to respect God. Those that take refuge in the Lord will be happy.

Nehemiah 9: 6 – 25

Ezra recounts the greatness of God and tells the people the story from creation to the coming of the people to prosperity in the Promised Land. He tells how stiff-necked the people were, and how God was steadfast even when they worshipped idols and committed presumptuous sins.

Matthew 21: 14 – 22

Jesus in the temple cures all who come to him. The children cry out “Hosanna to the Son of David”. The chief priests and scribes become angry and ask, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus replies using scripture that out of the mouths of babes and infants praise has been prepared. He goes to Bethany for the night and in the morning is hungry, sees a fig tree that has no fruit and curses it where upon it withers and dies. The disciples are amazed and he says, that if they have faith and do not doubt they could tell a mountain to move to the sea and it will be done.

Collect for Morning Prayer

Great Southern Land - a land apart
The Great Australian Bight
L Osburn

Loving and constant God, you are our firm ground. With you we can stand separate from the world and inseparable from you. Open our hearts and minds to all your gracious gifts so that we, by faith in you, are cured and create a harvest fit to praise your glory now and forever through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Evening Prayer

Psalms 3 and 4

People who say that faith in God is pointless surround the psalmist. Yet the psalmist prays and the prayers are answered; sleeps and is sustained by God. There is no fear and the psalmist leaves any reprisals to God.

The psalmist begins by acknowledging God’s grace and comfort in the past and asks for prayers to be answered. The psalmist guides us: when we are upset, we are not to do the wrong thing but take time, ponder what is going on, put aside our self and put our trust in God.  If we want a sign from God, the psalmist recounts that through prayer and right sacrifice the happiness and peace experienced are the real signs of God’s presence.

Daniel 10: 1 – 17

Daniel has been fasting for three weeks. He sees a vision of Gabriel and though other people around him do not see they feel afraid of something they cannot see and flee. This section is about the effect of the angel and the compassion shown so that Daniel is able to cease from shaking, feeling faint and panic breathing.

Revelation 1: 9 – 20

John tells how he, on Patmos as an exile for his beliefs, hears a voice, turns and sees a vision of seven lampstands, Christ holding seven stars in his right hand and with a two-edged sword coming from his mouth. The stars are the seven angels of the churches, the lampstands are the seven churches and the sword is the word of God. John is instructed to write down what he sees now and in the vision to come.

Collect for Evening Prayer

Cloud looking like an angel
Albany WA  L Osburn

Holy and splendid God we have in scripture records of great visions given to your humble servants Daniel and John. Help us take inspiration from those encounters with you and with the holy so that we are strengthened to persist in this time of struggle and cynicism, remain faithful, put our trust in you and care for others in need, sickness or any other adversity through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.